Cover Timothée Chalamet discovers the new Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif fragrance
Timothée Chalamet discovers the new Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif fragrance
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Chanel’s Sylvie Legastelois tells us more about the expressive, intense Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif fragrance
Chanel parfumer Olivier Polge has introduced an intense new character in the beloved universe of Bleu de Chanel. Users (and lovers) of Bleu de Chanel over the years will recognise its distinctive woody, aromatic world, but Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif introduces a whole new element. The new men’s fragrance created by Olivier Polge is powerful and intense, centring around the depth of sandalwood, complemented by notes of leather and resin.
It’s a creation as intentional as it is fascinating. The sandalwood that forms the beating heart of Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif comes from an integrated supply chain on the island of Maré, in New Caledonia. This means the material is sourced ethically and sustainably, treading lightly on its environment and respecting local populations. Only the sandalwood’s heartwood, enriched with fragrant essential oils, is used for the fragrance extraction, giving the extract a deeper, more complex body—signature to Chanel’s compositions.
Also read: Timothée Chalamet is the new face of Chanel’s Bleu de Chanel perfume
Timothee Chalamet discovers the new Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif fragrance
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Timothée Chalamet, who has been the face of Bleu de Chanel of two years, met with perfumer Olivier Polge to discover the evocative new fragrance for the first time.
Above The Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif fragrance
Above Sylvie Legastelois, the director of packaging creation and graphic identity at Chanel Parfums and Beauté
The Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif fragrance
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Sylvie Legastelois, the director of packaging creation and graphic identity at Chanel Parfums and Beauté, speaks about this exciting new launch.
The debut of Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif is accompanied by a new bottle. How did you work with Olivier Polge to bring it to life?
Olivier was deeply inspired by this project. And that’s important! Without inspiration, there is no fragrance. He approached Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif like a women’s perfume extract—with the same intensity. That’s unheard of for men’s fragrances. It aligned perfectly with the spiritual power of the colour blue. He went beyond what he had done for the original perfume. It’s an inspiring crescendo. The scale of the challenge Olivier set for himself really charted the path for me. I told myself the bottle had to reflect the potency of this extract. We needed a specific bottle with a very strong shape and identity that would offer a clear visual expression of the fragrance’s concentration, since the name alone wouldn’t suggest it.
How would you describe this bottle?
The first comparison that comes to mind is an inkwell. And I really like that idea. The concentration of ink evokes the notion of intensity as well as the spiritual resonance of the words written with that ink. This image came about while sketching and designing the bottle, during my discussions with Olivier Polge.
Above Ethically sourced sandalwood is at the heart of Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif
Ethically sourced sandalwood is at the heart of Bleu de Chanel L'Exclusif
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This new fragrance is a complex composition, much like an extract. The overall impression is radical and intense. How do you translate that intensity into design?
I translated this sense of intensity through the idea of concentration. I wanted the design to be intriguing—for someone to initially think it’s the same bottle as before, and then realise, upon closer observation, that everything is different. I like when things aren’t immediately obvious, when everything doesn’t reveal itself at once. When trying to densify or intensify a form, you have to create a strong structure without letting the shape become heavy or overwhelming. It’s quite tricky to preserve the airy strength of a design—its elevation. You have to pay close attention to the bevels, the columns, the distribution of the glass, and the base of the bottle, which we call the “marloquette”.
I believe that for Bleu de Chanel L’Exclusif, form reflects formula, revealing on the outside the extraordinary intensity held within.
It’s a dense, sophisticated, and complex composition, like an extract. A concentrate of exceptional raw materials.
What does the colour blue represent to you and to Chanel?
Blue is a spiritual colour. It has an indefinable quality. Is it blue? Is it black? “Too black to be blue, too blue to be black...” I love that versatility. Also, you can see in the archives that Gabrielle Chanel liked to mix navy blue and black. She appreciated that mysterious quality. In the 1930s, she created Bleu de Chanel, just like Beige de Chanel and Rouge de Chanel. So this colour is fully legitimate. It’s part of our heritage.
The history of the colour blue is extensive. Which of its shades are evoked by Bleu De Chanel L’Exclusif?
When I say that blue is a spiritual colour, I mean a colour without boundaries. It is naturally intense; it evokes the depths of the sea as well as the vastness of the sky. It is orientated towards the future. If red represents action, blue speaks more to projection. This colour reflects Gabrielle Chanel’s desire “to be part of what is going to happen”.
How would you describe this fragrance in three words?
Concentrated, intense, sophisticated.
Emma Chong is the Managing Editor of Tatler Malaysia, overseeing the editorial direction and vision for the print, digital and social media arms of the title. She has over 15 years experience in fashion and lifestyle publishing, and has led print and digital editorial teams at ELLE Malaysia, Time Out Kuala Lumpur, The Luxe Nomad and more.
Outside of work, Emma spends her time wrangling children (only her own) and boosting the Malaysian economy through her support of local fashion and homeware brands.
