The genius — and some say bravado — of Hedi Slimane’s current incumbency at Celine lies in his fearless pushing of the House’s vieux riche boundaries. His work reflects all of that — bouclé jackets with a tasteful amount of gilt, penny loafers that bring to mind the prepsters of the yesteryears (obviously, best worn without socks like on the runway) and a “bon chic, bon genre” vibe that translates into the “old money aesthetic” trend on TikTok.

After all, this is the man who has dedicated himself to the pleasure principles of bien-vivre, where everything he does has been calculated to the nth degree of opulence. To reinforce what we mean, Slimane has been quoted as having “the habit of perfuming the bath with eau de cologne” and “perfuming the linen” in his home.

 

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This kind of Parisian sophistication has also been considered at Slimane’s debut of the House’s Haute Perfumerie line in 2019 — 11 fragrances that are rich and evocative but with a French classicism to them — but its latest product called perfumed papers might require some cultural context before one whips his card out.

The first recorded instance of such an interesting but improvident way to scent one’s surroundings was at the end of the 19th century with a brand called Papier d’Arménie, which translates as Armenian paper. It was created by chemist, Auguste Ponsot who noticed that Armenian households would burn benzoin as a fragrance or disinfectant.

To make the process more convenient, he enlisted the help of pharmacist Henri River to dissolve benzoin into alcohol before soaking blotting paper into the solution. One can then opt to burn it as a disinfectant, a deodoriser to cover the smell of cigarette smoke and that of animals, or a way to scent one’s clothing hanging in his cupboard.

Papier d’Arménie is still available for purchase even today. While other brands like Santa Maria Novella and Byredo have made their versions, Celine’s perfumed papers are the most luxurious of the bunch. And by luxurious, we are not referring to its cold but chic packaging with the House’s sans-serif font or its Parade scent — a musky but powdery blend of bergamot, neroli, vetiver and oakmoss (the fragrance becomes interestingly more pronounced or subdued depending on the heat of its surroundings).

We are referring to its physical and emotional values. The former refers to how each scented paper sheet is made from thick cardstock (other brands often use flimsy oil blotter-like sheets) embossed with the House’s emblematic Triomphe monogram and can be used as drawer liners, a perfumed card slipped into a gift, an elegant bookmark or as a neat addition to a suitcase.

The latter — and perhaps what makes Celine’s perfumed paper as luxurious as its ready-to-wear line — is the lack of any instructions. Instead of following others, one just uses and does whatever he wishes.

This form of individuality is one of the primal values in Slimane’s Celine, but there is a schedule to the singularity — each of the 15 sheets in the box diffuses its fragrance for minimally a year.