Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab’s Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon.
Fragrance and luxury expert, Nathalie Helloin Kamel, CEO of the fragrance division at Give Back Beauty, spoke to marie claire recently about Le Parfum and what this iconic scent represents to the house’s creative visionary, Elie Saab.
Tell us about the inspiration behind Le Parfum?
The inspiration came from Elie Saab himself. It pays tribute to one of his childhood memories: the scent of his garden in his hometown of Beirut, the Mediterranean city kissed by warmth and light, and animated by a sparkling nature full of scents. Orange blossom and jasmine represent the fabulous flowers, and the cedar from Lebanon represents the rigorous wood. The honey rose bridges these two worlds. As Saab says, “My childhood home was surrounded by orange blossom and when the wind blew it carried with it the essence of its notes.”
Elie Saab Le Parfum EDP, $262 at Myer
How were these memories reinterpreted by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian?
He was guided by the notion of luminosity – the whiteness of the sun at its zenith. [The fragrance is] a modern interpretation of voluptuousness.
What does this scent evoke?
An “ode to light”, Le Parfum celebrates a bright, confident and radiant femininity. Entering the Elie Saab universe, [the wearer] will confidently walk, leaving an unforgettable trail of her presence. The fragrance is a symbol of her powerful radiance and elegance.
How has light, an element which is inherently visual, been interpreted into a fragrance?
Kurkdjian focused on solar flowers that could evoke either light or warmth and create a fragrance that diffuses and leaves a long trail. He explored the radiant orange blossom notes with a white Mediterranean flower bouquet and combined them with the addictive honey rose that evokes this ode to light. Patchouli and a woody accord bring strength to this fragrance, like a ray of sunlight crossing the sky.
Talk us through the bottle design. The perfume bottle was inspired by a beautiful crystal vide poche [key tray] that Saab had on his desk. Every evening around 5pm, the sun’s rays would pierce the object and be reflected throughout the room. It was this light that the bottle designer, Sylvie de France, transcribed in the creation of the bottle.
Elie Saab Le Parfum Lumière EDP, $262 at Myer
What does your role at Give Back Beauty entail?
It is an organisation that aims to put the universe of a creator into a perfume bottle: to hear, understand and translate the memories, values or philosophy of our creators in a fragrance. We are like a conductor: we start with the vision, then lead the team from the perfumer to the bottle designer to create, produce and deliver a fragrance that represents the DNA of the maison. Creating timeless fragrances is our ambition.
Tell us your best fragrance application tip?
Before I leave home, I generously spray my perfume all over my clothes and hair. And I always have a Le Parfum bottle in my bag, so I can reapply during the day or before a meeting.
Your advice on how we can find our perfect scent?
Just smell it and feel it!
