The scent of jazz
To mark its 60th anniversary, a French brand known for its eclectic scents is going back to its origins,
BACK in the 1960s at Paris’s Left Bank, at the junction of boulevard Saint-Germain and the rue de Pontoise, there was a bar, known for its joyful and effervescent ambience, called Orpheon. It was there that the founders of Diptyque — Desmond Knox-Leet, Yves Coueslant and Christiane Gautrot — enjoyed meeting up. It was next to the boutique.
Years later, the trio bought the space so they could enlarge their boutique. Today, the only part of the bar that remains is a faceted blue column in the shop.
“More than a simple place or a period, Orpheon is a tribute to creative encounters and friendships, which make up the very essence of the brand and with which every creation today continues to be infused,” says the Press release.
And this year, in conjunction with the brand’s 60th anniversary, Diptyque rolls out its new scent called Orpheon, made by perfumer Olivier Pescheux, that’s “the transcription of a happy era and a distinctive, yet familiar atmosphere, as well as a tribute to Saint-Germain.”
Pescheux adds: “For me, Orpheon also resonated with the magnificent FrancoBrazilian musical, Marcel Camus’s Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus), which made a great impression on me. Its music is superb and its images are incredible. The film supported and inspired me in this creation.”
THE WORLD OVER
“The ingredients I use come from all over the world,” says Pescheux.
“The selection perfectly matches the multicultural aspect of the fragrance. You’ll find green mandarin from Italy, pink peppercorn from Madagascar, violet leaves from France, eucalyptus from China, roses from Turkey and vetiver from Haiti, to name a few,” he says.
The perfumer says the challenge in creating Orpheon is translating what Diptyque wanted to highlight in the history of the brand while remaining faithful to its spirit 60 years later.
“The brand has been with me since my youth and throughout my adult life. For those of us in this line of work, it is a house with special significance. It’s not difficult to immerse yourself in it.”
Pescheux says that if the scent is a music genre, it will be jazz.
“I would associate Orpheon with a jazz singer who has a deep voice and who tells simple stories of life.”
To illustrate the bottle, the brand has collaborated with visual artist Gianpaolo Pagni.
“The collaboration is a perfect fit for Diptyque,” adds Pescheux.