To make sense of how incredibly awe-spiring it is for Hermès to create a new fragrance, we have to deliver a gentle reminder that the French Maison does everything with great deliberation. Hence, it is also with deliberation in spades that it has released Hermès H24 — a new cologne under Christine Nagel — and in her words, “To create this new Hermès signature fragrance, I had to open up other, less predictable paths, to move away from the conventional woodiness of men’s scents.”
Firstly, the name. Hermès H24 is a subtle nod to the time Madame Nagel has spent with the menswear creative director Veronique Nichanian and the name of the men’s ready-to-wear collection. An idea of a textural fragrance that feels as textile as it smells.
What bore fruit between this meeting of the minds was the inclusion of an ingredient that as Madame Nagel has mentioned, has changed the game that elevates Hermès H24 beyond what we perceive as a conventional woody men’s scent.
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Said ingredient is a synthetic molecule named sclarene — reminiscent of the time both ladies spent visiting a tailoring shop where the scent of steamy chemicals waft. This subtle olfactory pleasure — one that is a scent of metallic chemicals — is what gives Hermès H24 its own distinctive bouquet.
And a bouquet Hermès H24 is. It opens in a pleasingly familiar masculine way with herbaceous Clary sage that is at once enveloping and sensual. Narcissus — also known as the daffodil flower — is then added for its green and crisp softness. Interestingly, Rose Wood — an uncommon ingredient — is used. While many a perfumer have deigned to use it, Madame Nagel uses its invigorating energy and freshness to good use as the woody anchor of Hermès H24.
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Herbal, woody and with a sharp undertone of metallics, the sublime juice is bottled in one designed by Philippe Mouquet — an exercise in how we like our perfumes to look like they smell, tactile.
Spirituous, energetic and of the now. Hermès H24 can be purchased at Hermès Liat Towers, Hermès Marina Bay Sands, Hermès Takashimaya, Takashimaya Department Store and Hermes.com.
Once you’re done reading this story and bought a bottle of Hermès H24 , click here to catch up with our February 2021 issue.
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