5 Hermès' in 5 Days - Day I: Eau d'Hermès

In the same vein as my earlier popular posts on Guerlain, and to coincide with the launch of the new Hermès Hermessence Epice Marine (which will be reviewed here soon), each day this working week Sorcery of Scent will be casting light one Hermès fragrance a day. Today I begin with the house's signature scent, and personal favourite of mine, Eau d'Hermès.

Eau d'Hermès, was the first commercial perfume that the house launched in 1951 - a collaboration between master perfumer Edmond Roudnitska and Émile-Maurice Hermès. In a time during his management of the brand, Émile-Maurice summarized the fundamental Hermès philosophy as "Leather, sport, and a tradition of refined elegance".
In the 1920's, Émile had been responsible for first introducing accessories and handbags to the Hermès universe, and when presented with the challenge of creating the perfume that would soon carry the house's name, Roudnitska turned to them as his inspiration. In creating this scent, he recalled
"...the fragrance wafting from the interior of a Hermès bag... a note of delicate leather coated with the fresh scent of citrus fruits and flavoured with spices".
This became the palette from which Roudnitska began authoring a perfumed page in the history of this house. At the time, this exceptional 'eau' was offered exclusively in Hermès boutiques in crystal flacons - a service still available today, more than 60 years later.

Perhaps because of its exclusivity, for many decades Eau d'Hermès seemed to have slipped beneath the radar. I find this astonishing, as I feel it represents some of Roudnitska's best work. Born just a few short years after the exceptional Femme de Rochas, one can recognise Roudnitska's DNA in this Hermès creation... his use of leather and spices run parallel in both and give rise to a heart that is both earthy and animalic. It opens with a brisk shot of bergamot and lavender, followed by a huff of cinnamon and a sweaty, wanton infusion of cardamom and peppery spices which are slightly bitter to the nose. These notes work in unison with the incredible leather accord and smell resolutely sexual. Positioned as an "eau" which traditionally is to be worn with abandon and applied generously, it feels decidedly thicker, richer, and feistier - more of an EDT or EDP, perhaps. Interestingly, for all of its erotic innuendo, Eau d'Hermès' sense of luminosity and transparency are not compromised in the least. Roudnitska masterfully married the overtly carnal characteristics to those that feel bright and diaphanous. Light blooms of jasmine and geranium furnish the fragrance with a shimmering summer warmth... it is this very sense of transparency that I recognise as a tradition still being observed in the creations of Hermès in-house nose, Jean Claude Ellena today.

To my mind, Eau d'Hermès is the Jicky of the Hermès universe.... it is a pivotal scent upon which a house's name and its reputation (as far as perfumery is concerned) has been built. It rivals the best "house scents" of many other esteemed and time-honoured brands, and unreservedly embodies the Hermès spirit.

Eau d'Hermès is available in Hermès boutiques the world over, and online here in Australia at http://australia.hermes.com/

Tomorrow's post: Eau de Cologne Hermès

Mona di Orio - Les Nombres d'Or

For any perfumer, an 'olfactory fingerprint' is a difficult thing to acquire. One might work for an entire lifetime, and never achieve the elusive red thread that extends across his or her body of work that promptly identifies it as their own. Edmond Roudnitska achieved it with his famed 20th century compositions for Rochas and Dior, as did Jacques Guerlain with his esteemed 'Guerlinade' accord, however it is something that few noses in this day and age manage to attain.

Mona di Orio is a perfumer whose work can be recognised immediately. She approaches her work with an intuitiveness akin to the great masters. Her collection of Parfums stand both individually and collectively as a testament to her efforts and exceptional attention to detail.

Now, a new trio of eaux de toilettes are set to be released under the name Les Nombres d'Or (The Golden Numbers), which is a reference to the golden mathematical ratio by which artists and and architects have proportioned their work for centuries. As the architect of her own perfume, Mona has endeavoured to apply the same precision and concept to her three compositions: Cuir, Ambre and Musc.

Cuir is a deliciously warm and enduring leather fragrance which opens with a hint of forest green with rich, balsamic undertones. It shifts into a smokey, slightly woody facet (much like smoked woodchips) that pulls forward a sultry leather accord; one that is lavish and dark. There are fleeting moments of campfire smoke and I detect something akin to a murmur of tobacco leaf in there too. Cuir is compelling and highly appealing.

Official notes are: Cardamom, Absinthe, Leather, Cade, Opoponax and Castoreum.

Ambre is rather saccharine as it opens, but shifts into something rather multi-dimensional. It is resinous, but with burnt, honeyed qualities. As the perfume evolves, one can detect a dense floral core, which becomes slightly more powdery and vanillic with time. A soft ribbon of cedar lies within, furnishing the perfume with a melancholic aspect that is hard to describe. I liken it to the sweet powdery smell of an old mahogany grand piano, with a thin film of dust that has settled on the keys.

Official notes are: Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang, Tolu resin, Benzoin, and Vanilla Absolute.

Musc is a spirited composition that opens with a semi-diaphanous citrusy green, and a flutter of blonde florals. Whilst there is no musk present per sey, there is a sense of crisp, rounded muskiness... the anatomy of this perfume seems to be thorough, deep and considered. A creamy, mossy base lends a sense of pale woods also. Musc is a beautiful and elegant interpretation which is gentle, summery and restrained.

Official notes are: Neroli, Angelica, Heliotrope, Rose, Tonka Bean and Moss.

This collection of eau de toilettes represents an interesting new tributary in Mona di Orio's range. Each will retail for approximately 110 euros for 100ml at select retailers in Europe and the US.

Mona di Orio & Nuit Noire

If I were asked to predict a current French perfume house which is waiting patiently in the wings to one day ascend to the throne currently occupied by perfume royalty Guerlain, I would likely say Mona di Orio.

Guerlain, - though most unlikely to abdicate - are revered and celebrated (amongst others) as pioneers of modern perfumery, particularly at the hands of perfume godfather Jacques Guerlain (1874 - 1963). Their contribution to the art is colossal, and Jacques Guerlain's abstract perfume narratives such as L'Heure Bleue, Shalimar and Vol de Nuit have left their permanent perfumed fingerprint in history. The same could be said for the efforts of French master perfumer Edmond Roudnitska whose creative masterpieces Diorissimo, Eau Savage and Rochas Femme, olfactorily helped reshape the 20th century.

Mona di Orio, born in 1969 in Annecy France, became Roudnitska's teenage protégée; studying the art from the grand master himself before his death in 1996. As a result, Mona di Orio developed a fundamental sensitivity towards observing traditional values and garnered an appreciation for raw materials of only the finest quality. Now the creative partner alongside Dutch designer Jeroen Oude Sogtoen at the helm of her eponymous perfume house, this has become very apparent in her work.

Seven Mona di Orio perfumes exist to date, and all are intended to transform the wearer with their own unique alchemy on the skin. Nuit Noire is one eau de parfum creation that I feel may best illustrate Mona di Orio's tutelage under her mentor Roudnitska, and the vast, timeless heritage behind him. Nuit Noire opens with a delightful orange blossom note which is astutely and instantaneously counterbalanced by a dark, animalic (almost civety) accord of dense cardamom. Immediately, one experiences a sense of wistful recollection; much in the same way as if, perhaps one were turning the foxed pages of an antique family photo album, studying the sepia faces of well-dressed ancestors you have never really known. A complex heart of resins, woods and spices lend infinite depth, whilst a narcotising tuberose accord evokes a feeling of vintage sumptuousness. Hours later, Nuit Noire shifts more toward a creamy leather base. It is whilst familiarising oneself with the wonderful transitory layers of this perfume, that one can truly come to terms with its beauty and complexity. Here, the cherished works of early 20th century perfume virtuosos still resound, albeit now spoken with a contemporary vernacular.

I would encourage everyone to try at least one or two scents from the Mona di Orio line. The 2009 release Chamarré is also a favourite, and embraces this concept of tipping its hat, respectfully, to the greats.