Every week, we uncover a new object of desire from the vast and magical world of brands. This week, we turn to the world of fragrance and craft to look at the Hermessence Violette Volynka, the fourteenth addition to the artisanal house’s adored fragrance catalogue that combines the delicate nature of violet with the robustness of leather.
Fragrances are intensely personal, yet they remain largely untapped as a form of self-expression for most. You may have a favourite note or two, but perfumes are way more complex than smelling like a type of wood, fruit or flower. There is the element of layers, time, the play of subtlety and intensity, as well as a sense of place. Take it from Hermes’ beloved Hermessence collection, a “collection of olfactory poems which freely explore new facets of emotion” — scents have colour, are evocative, and are storytellers in their own right.
This also explains why there is the concept of luxury in this realm of the olfactory arts, the combination of ingredients requiring a studied nose that knows how to surprise or delight with taste. In the latest chapter of the Hermessence collection, Hermès Parfums’ Christine Nagel presents the head-turning Violette Volynka, a scent that ignites the power play between the feminine, powdery softness of the violet, and the masculine strength of the leather.
The violet, a symbol of modesty, is produced exclusively in Tourrettes-sur-Loup in South Eastern France for this fragrance. For all its innocence and fragility, the vegetable tanned cuir Volynka is used in contrast, a material specific to Hermès leather goods that is intense and bold. The result is an unexpected celebration of the flora and fauna, Nagel’s perfumery know-how marrying the unisex floral and leather notes in an inviting, mysterious and attractive way.
The bottle cap is also beautifully encased in the eternal violet shade, its leather case available in two luscious iterations. One is cut from a powerful and luminous purple leather named “anemone”, while the other — a limited edition — is ornamented with marquetry in seven different leathers. If there’s anything more desirable than watches and diamonds, it is an age-old craft and a lasting, intoxicating, first impression.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our August 2022 issue.
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