Sandra‘s Closet

The scent of the sun is a sensation. Soothing and strengthening, it is an extract of energy: a perfume of opportunity and enhancement.

In his first involvement in a fragrance project for Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams asked Jacques Cavallier Belletrud to capture the light which is the essence of into a highly crafted men’s fragrance for a global community collectively uplifted by the warmth that radiates from the sun.

LVERS was conceived through a creative dialogue between Pharrell Williams and Jacques Cavallier Belletrud and crafted in the Louis Vuitton creative atelier at Les Fontaines Parfumées in Grasse, France.

For this new collaborative opus, the Master Perfumer kept a cross-generational approach at heart, involving in the creative process Camille Cavallier Belletrud, perfumer at Louis Vuitton and member of the creative studio, who was trained at the Maison under the mentorship of the Master Perfumer for many years, cultivating the DNA of the house.

Founded in the Men’s Creative Director’s philosophy of sunlight as a metaphor for love and a source of life and motivation across human experiences, it echoes the question posed upon his arrival at Louis Vuitton: What will you do when the sun shines on you?

Distilled into Eau de parfum, the original idea has to take new form. «The theme of sunlight that lit up Pharrell’s debut show on Pont Neuf in June 2023 inspired us to convey photosynthesis in scent. It may sound abstract, but if you look at life, photosynthesis is the starting point for everything,» Jacques Cavallier Belletrud says.

LVERS conveys in fragrance the figurative yet familiar scent of the sun illuming the skin, energising the vitality of nature, and giving life to the organisms that surround us. With olfactive alchemy, the Master Perfumer transforms the abstract scent of sunlight into earthly matter. Observing the science of photosynthesis, the Maison’s expert identified the notes that emanate from nature as a result of the vitalising power of light: the luxuriance of leaves caressed by rays; the evaporating nectar of freshly grown grass; the warm earthiness of tree trunks expanding under the forest sun. Within the study, pure and ancient natural substances are unearthed.

Galbanum, the mythical resin of the Ferula plant rarely used in modern-day fragrances, is revitalised and refined from its wild, vegetal state. Like a diamond in the rough, the centuries-old scent is cultivated into delicate green notes, creating the sappy and spicy core of the LVERS bouquet. It is grounded in the bottom note of cedarwood. Extracted from second-hand wood from carpentry, the oil’s deep woody sensibility establishes the indefinable but recognisable olfactic sensation universally associated with the forest. Harmonised with the creaminess of sandalwood, it sets an earthy but elegant tone for the fragrance, energised by the clean crispness of ginger. The composition is raised by the fruity, zesty top notes of bergamot, gently announcing the galbanum in a figurative illustration of the early rays of sunrise. Echoing the therapeutic force of the sun, each of the LVERS ingredients is rooted in age-old cultural practices connected to notions of healing. In Ancient Greece, galbanum was employed as a curative remedy, while in Ancient Egypt, cedarwood oil was used as a means of preservation and to ward off evil spirits. In Eastern medicine, sandalwood is a key component alongside ginger, widely known for its health benefits. Across cultures, bergamot has been considered a tool for both mental and physical renewal. The healing powers traditionally linked to the ingredients infuse LVERS with a holistic air: the idea of fragrance as an elixir of well-being; a spray of sunlight distilled in a bottle.

Fashioned in the cylindrical signature silhouette of Louis Vuitton’s Les Parfums, the LVERS flacon reflects, refracts and imitates the sunlight. A prismatic finish electrifies the glass structure coloured from within by a golden jus, evoking the bright effect of sunlight gilding the skin. Introduced alongside the fragrance, a travel case and a fragrance trunk – which holds three bottles – are crafted in the green Damoflage motif. Central to the creative expression of Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton, the graphic splices the Maison’s heritage Damier pattern with camouflage, a signifier in the personal style lexicon of the Men’s Creative Director.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Rumours were out for a long time, now it is official! In 2016, the Maison Louis Vuitton is preparing to explore new territory after 70 years: perfume.

The new 7-piece fragrance collection. Even the bottles designed by Marc Newson are on point.

While unprecedented and firmly anchored in the House’s history, this olfactory path is not unchartered territory. Quite the contrary: it is informed by the trunk-maker’s legendary fondness for the vanity cases, travel asks and fragrances stamped Louis Vuitton that were created throughout the 20th century.

Toilets accessories from a Cora case in leather, 1927

By way of an olfactory prelude, the Maison Louis Vuitton unveils its creative atelier in the heart of Grasse, in the Provence region of France; the unique background of House Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, and the palette of exclusive raw materials he has assembled since his arrival. It is an invitation to travel, a prologue to an imminent departure…

ITINERARY OF A GRASSE NATIVE

Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton Master perfumer, 2016

Named Maître Parfumeur of Louis Vuitton in 2012, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud traveled the world for four years to perfect the first collection of Louis Vuitton perfumes.

Facade of the Bastide, Les Fontaines Parfumées, Grasse

As a schoolboy in Grasse, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud would walk by an imposing portal. He had no idea what sat behind the wrought iron gates that so intrigued him. Little could he have imagined that, in 2016, this very place would become his creative workshop.

At that time, fragrance still fanned through every street and alleyway in Grasse. One only had to breathe in to know what the perfume factories were distilling that day. Orange blossom, citronella, lavender, Jacques already knew those ingredients, by heart.

Burst of May roses from Grasse

At the age of eight, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud went to his father, a perfumer, and told him he wanted to follow in his footsteps. He learned perfume notes the way other children practiced piano scales. Every evening, his father gave him perfume blotters, dipped in essence and he would have to wait until daybreak to write a detailed description in the notebooks he kept with care. When he got good grades in school, his father allowed him to weigh out formulas. The day after receiving his high school diploma, he began working in a perfume factory in Grasse, where he learned to distill flowers. At 18, he created his first formula — but his father reminded him that becoming a perfumer takes much more than mixing a few scents together…

Years later, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud proved his parent right. With the development of the Vuitton-exclusive fragrance palette, he has gone one step beyond using the latest fragrance extraction technology, of course.

Emblematic Louis Vuitton natural leather

For example, while there are existing molecules simulating the smell of leather in perfumery today, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud insisted that the Vuitton perfume workshop makes their own. Using the light beige leather that covers the handles and straps of Maison’s trunks and handbags, the exquisite scent of the Vuitton leather is extracted following complex steps of steeping in alcohol and clarification until a clear and crystalline liquid is obtained. Free of any hints of sharpness or smokiness, the end result is soft, refined and utterly Vuitton.

Extraction process of the Louis Vuitton leather infusion.

And that’s not all. Jacques Cavallier Belletrud also uses the supercritical CO2 extraction method on precious fresh flowers like the Centifolia rose and jasmine. Exclusive to Maison Louis Vuitton, this method doesn’t use any heat so as to ensure that all of the delicate flowers’ scent facets are protected and retained.

Centifolia rose from Grasse, immersed in the fountain water, Les Fontaines Parfumées, Grasse.

THE FACE

Léa Seydoux

By way of this visual prelude, the Maison Louis Vuitton unveils a first hint of the upcoming campaign: “Beyond Perfume”. French actress Léa Seydoux is the face of the new Louis Vuitton fragrances.

A COLLECTION OF SEVEN OLFACTORY EMOTIONS From the airiness of Rose des Vents to the intoxicating Turbulences, the ecstasy of a first night with Dans la Peau to the mindful immersion in nature with Apogée; from the self-revealing Contre Moi to an exploration of a darker side with Matière Noire and the explosion of the senses with Mille Feux… Les parfums Louis Vuitton describe a journey of emotions.

Les Parfums Louis Vuitton will be available from September 1st, 2016.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton