Fashionably fragranced

Louis Vuitton is launching not one, but seven chic scents, each one with its own unique aroma. Here’s everything you need to know about the brand’s hottest new fragrances.

Think of one major fashion brand that doesn’t have a fragrance. Hard, right? Unbelievable though it may seem, Louis Vuitton was on the very short list – until now. And it’s making up for lost time with seven new scents. The last time the luxury brand launched a perfume was 70 years ago, in 1946; before that, the brand had created only two. No sample of any of the three exist today.

Perfumer Jacques Cavallier-belletrud, a rock star in the fragrance world, is a third-generation Grasse-born perfumer and has developed some of the most iconic scents of our generation, including Issy Miyake’s L’eau d’issey and Stella by Stella Mccartney.

As the house’s first official perfumer, Jacques says, “We decided it would be a collection: a story about flowers, because flowers, to me, are so delicate, so intense, so powerful and beautiful. It’s always been my longtime obsession to try to put the beauty of fresh flowers in a bottle.” There’s Rose des Vents, based on three different types of roses. Turbulences, inspired by tuberose and jasmine at dusk. Dans la Peau contains jasmine and narcissus, also pieces of natural leather from the LV workshop. Apogée centres on the lily of the valley. Contre Moi is born from vanilla. Matière Noire explores the balance of patchouli and white flowers. And finally, Mille Feux uses a mix of Chinese osmanthus and leather. and May Rose straight from Grasse, France (the first time the process was applied to flowers from the area). In doing this, he was able to achieve his goal in producing floral notes that copied the fresh, dewy quality of blooms still in the field. With this technology, “you’re not boiling the flowers as in classic extraction techniques,” says Jacques. Instead, the process traps the CO2 in the air and through some basic chemistry, transforms the CO2 molecules into a liquid. “You then mix that with your flowers at a very low temperature, as low as 20˚C, and you maintain the fragile, volatile elements of the flowers.”

1“Squirt a golf ball-sized amount into your palm, then loosely scrunch it into the lengths of your hair, but not so it all dissolves,” recommends George.

2Apply like a pro

“Always make sure that you get a uniform, all-over application. This will make styling easier, as the hair will be evenly prepped and will keep hold,” adds Syd.

3“Focus on roots and midlengths. Mousse really grips the hair and creates volume, so avoid dry areas (which are usually the ends),” says Aaron.

4“A professional tip for getting an even application? Dip your comb into a dollop of mousse before running it through your hair,” suggests Adam.