From Poetry to Perfume

When you think of Hermès, there are a few images that instantly come to mind: equestrian-inspired designs, handmade leather accessories, timeless ensembles and classic scents. This month, Hermès launched their new fragrance, Cuir d’Ange, as a part of their iconic Hermessence collection.

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Finding the fragrance:  Jean-Claude Ellena, perfumer to the house of Hermès since 2004, finds his inspiration in many aspects of life—from people to places; however, his most accredited muse is literature. His long-time favorite French novelist, Jean Giono, was a powerful and instrumental part in the creation of Cuir d'Ange. Ellena was particularly interested in the French author's novel, Jean le Bleu, where the narrator reminisces about his father's cobbler workshop where he fashioned shoes out of leather.

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The scent: Cuir d'Ange literally translates to leather angels. The concept was to bottle up the gradations of the infamous Hermès leather—a mélange of flowers and musk. The fragrance also features: heliotrope, hawthorn, violet, narcissus, musk and leather and pays homage to Ellena's hometown of Provence. Cuir d'Ange gives a soft, elegant, and unexpected twist to the smell of leather. 

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The fragrance is available from April 2015 at Hermès stores in Mumbai and New Delhi.   

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Originally published on Vogue.in.