Olfactory Expansion

Eleven stories to wear and to live, available at rue Saint-Honoré, the first Parisian boutique dedicated to this highly desirable collection designed by Hedi Slimane.

At Celine, Hedi Slimane expands his horizons by opening the brand to “haute perfumery”. When the French photographer and fashion designer was appointed as the artistic CEO at Celine, we could imagine the creator’s huge ambitions for the house. With his arrival, the renowned artist proclaimed his desire of developing a holistic project. The result? An olfactory dimension to his work with the introduction of his collection of fragrances, Celine Haute Parfumerie. Its eleven fragrances (nine already available, two to be launched this year) all have names chosen by the designer himself, some referring to memories, others to ideas and fantasies.

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With the idea to create something globally acclaimed, integrating women, men, haute couture, perfumery—all in one, each fragrance has a story to tell from the life of the creator. Neither exclusively for women nor totally reserved for men, these eleven perfumes can be worn interchangeably, and play with subtlety at its best. To bring his olfactory diary to life, Hedi Slimane immersed himself in the memories of his childhood along with his journeys, his struggles and more.

An assortment of chords and compositions, the collection’s principle of meet and merge, is a reflection led by the couturier since forever. The only differentiation being that eight of them are dedicated to the day, while the other three are to be worn at night. Parade, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Dans Paris, Cologne Française, La Peau Nue, Bois Dormant, Rimbaud and Eau de Californie make up the day team, while Black Tie, Reptile and Nightclubbing are meant for the night.

Assisted by three prestigious perfumers, the creator builds an intimate dialogue with them. Though, the powdery note dear to the designer dominates the collection, we also find other emblematic notes of perfumery from the 1960s and 70s, like tree moss, iris and chypre accord. They not only signify Parisian elegance, but also give a couture tone to all the perfumes. The rectangular bottle designed by Hedi Slimane himself, also reconnects with the tradition of French glassware, lacquered black half-cap, clean lines and luxurious heaviness of the glass.

From the February–March 2020 issue of L’Officiel India.