Hermès tells a scented story at Rustan’s

MANILA, Philippines - Hermès introduces its special line of luxurious fragrances at its newly-opened perfume counter at Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza  mall, EDSA.

The story of each fragrance goes beyond just the perfume itself, with the brand bringing the elegant craftsmanship and timeless style of its leather lines and silk scarves into each scent.

The fragrances come in various concentrations and with complimentary body products. Favorite scents such as Terre d’ Hermes, Eau des Merveilles, and Voyage d’ Hermes are now available at the Hermès perfume counter.

The story begins in 1951 with Eau d’ Hermès composed by Edmond Roudnitska.  The first women’s perfume by Hermès was introduced 10 years later. Since then there has been a succession of creations from the great names of perfumery, each making a unique auteur’s contribution to the commitment to perfumery at the house of Hermes, both as a craftsman and an artist. Jean-Claude Ellena joined the house in 2004 to become its exclusive perfumer and to create all its fragrances. 

Voyage D’Hermès Parfum is available at the Hermes perfume counter, Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza.

Jean-Claude Ellena explains the story behind L’Ambre des Merveilles, which follows Eau Claire and Elixir des Merveilles.

“With Eau des Merveilles, we hoped to express a willful, woody, non-floral femininity. With Elixir, I wanted a tantalizing, mouth-watering composition.  With Eau Claire, I was looking for clarity, transparency and lightness. With L’Ambre, the woman becomes sensual and mysterious.  For this new chapter, I wanted to relate one of the mysteries of amber, hovering between a delicious treat and sensuality, where vanilla meets the warmth of labdanum, and the moist quality of patchouli.”

Never forgetting the vulnerability of the individual moment he’s striving to transcribe, Jean-Claude Ellena tries to find the “countries behind the air” so dear to Jean Giono.  He reveals them, enters into them and makes them accessible to us by using a few strong symbols, without resorting to a cumbersome literalness that would only obscure the premise.

L’Ambre des Merveilles expresses a willful, woody, non-floral femininity.

Ellena talks about the significance of amber in perfumery, saying that natural amber already brings with it a whole imaginary world of heroes who lived “in the belly of the beast” and escaped — miraculous survivors from the prophet Jonah to Pinocchio.  

“Perfumes singled out with the word ‘amber’ no longer contain amber in the first sense of the word, but a composition produced from a marriage of chemistry with nature that dates back to the end of the 19th century. This marriage produced a honey-colored child: an olfactory convention that was given the name ‘amber’. Because of its color, of course, but also and more importantly because its warm, enveloping, almost aphrodisiac smell.”

Hermès perfumes come in a custom-made bottle and are available at the Hermès perfume counter, ground floor of Rustan’s Department Store, Shangri-La Plaza EDSA.