Perfumer Christine Nagel Rediscovers a Key Ingredient in Herms’s Latest Women’s Fragrance
The pandemic has been the cause of several delays, including the launch of Herms’ third women’s fragrance in their Twily line. While the rest of the world has already got the smell of its floral, spicy and woody notes, in India, the scent was picked up earlier this month. At the brand’s Mumbai store, the launch attendees were waiting for a sensory experience. A magician, a painter, and some practical silk accessories (a twilly neck scarf made into a face mask holder) awaited attendees, but the centerpiece was, literally, an expertly-wrapped giant bottle of perfume.
‘Not the smell that makes up the penis’
“Creating a fragrance from scratch or continuing an existing story is not the same exercise, but both are exciting,” says Christine Nagel, Herms in-house perfumer, about the latest fragrance. Paradoxically, it is perhaps a little more difficult to create a fragrance within an existing family because it involves respecting its spirit, structure, and imaginary world while “adding your own signature.” In this case that means using ginger—with its crispness and bite—to layer with peony and cedar.
The perfume is made for women, but Nagel cites history to explain why it fits in well with the current pressure toward genderless fashion. She explains, “I consider fragrances to be a work of art, and as such they are intended for the whole of humanity. In Eastern and Indian cultures, rose or patchouli can be worn by men. It is not the scent that makes up the penis. Because a scent becomes masculine on a man’s skin and feminine on a woman’s skin. We just have to know how to dare, be courageous, believe in ourselves and try things.”
with freedom comes creativity
And if asked to look further? “Looking to the future… if I had a dream, it would be banning the consumer tests and panels that have standardized and limited the world of fragrances,” Nagel responds. “If I had a dream, it would be to give all the perfumers the freedom that Herms gives me. It allows me to be bold, to take risks, to go where no one else can.” She goes deeper and It cites changes that are “technological as well as new methods of extracting materials, new molecules and tools for understanding and analyzing materials have shaken the way fragrances are also designed”.
winning streak
- In the third quarter, Hermes reported strong growth across business segments: +40% compared to 2019 and +31% to 2020. While the launch of the H24 perfume and Twily EO Ginger for men have pushed sales in the perfume department, the introduction of the Hermes HO8 (above) in April’s Watches & Wonders helped propel the watches category as well. Months later, the all-terrain watch with its rounded shape, angular detailing and graphene composite case still stands up to Parisian modernism.
As far as the new fragrance is concerned, Nagel explains why she’s working with ginger, which has been found in the original and formerly Twiley formulations, but has now been enhanced and used for its unique candied aroma. goes. “I didn’t finish with” [ginger] And wanted to recreate it in a different style, because when I work on a material, I like to take it to its limits… I’ve retained its burning heat while softening the texture So that it can be described as something different. I can compare this exercise to work on the Brides de Gala scarf, the emblematic Herms design that has been artistically redefined since 1957.
Priced at Rs 11,500, Twily d’Hermes Eau Ginger is available at Herms stores in Mumbai and New Delhi.
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