Cover Inside the world of Guerlain high perfumery, at the ‘Perfumer Visionary Since 1828’ exhibition by Guerlain
Inside the world of Guerlain high perfumery, at the ‘Perfumer Visionary Since 1828’ exhibition by Guerlain
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Guerlain has been in the beautiful business of fragrance for nearly two centuries. High above Bangkok sky, the maison unveiled an immersive journey through their story of scent
In many ways, the history of modern perfume is the history of Guerlain. When the maison’s founder Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain first started creating fragrances in 1828, they were the very first of their kind—complex, abstract art forms in and of themselves. Before this, fragrances had been simple, straightforward recreations of natural floral scents. Guerlain introduced synthetic notes, mixing and layering to create an emotive and evocative vision, manifested through scent.
In 1853, something remarkable happened. After years of creating fragrances for the Parisian elite, Guerlain crafted the Eau de Cologne Impériale for Empress Eugénie, earning himself the title of Official Perfumer to His Majesty. The fragrance was so precious that it demanded the design of a new bottle: one adorned with 69 bees, crafted by Pochet du Courval. The bee bottle remains a symbol of the brand to this day.
Read more: How perfumer Delphine Jelk created Guerlain’s intoxicating new Absolus Allegoria Florabloom
Above Mile Phakphum at the ‘Perfumer Visionary Since 1828’ exhibition by Guerlain
Mile Phakphum at the ‘Perfumer Visionary Since 1828’ exhibition by Guerlain
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Today, the world of Guerlain fragrance is rich and extensive. Multiple collections, ranges and families cluster around one common thread: the Guerlinade. This is the maison’s olfactory signature, a collection of six raw materials that form the base of every Guerlain fragrance, in different degrees and layering. Those six ingredients are vanilla, rose, bergamot, iris, jasmine and Tonka bean—the building blocks of every Guerlain fragrance,
The Guerlinade is expressed multiple ways across the Guerlain fragrance universe. First in Les Extraits, where each of the six ingredients is celebrated and elevated in its own scent: vanilla in Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21, tonka bean in Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75, jasmine in Jasmin Grandiflorum Extrait 30, iris in Iris Pallida Extrait 6, rose in Rose Centifolia Extrait 1, and bergamot in Bergamote Fantastico Extrait 11.
Above Vanille Privilege by Guerlain
Above Rose Privilege by Guerlain
Vanille Privilege by Guerlain
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Then there’s Les Privileges. Here, the maison’s master perfumer Thierry Wasser has isolated each of the six star ingredients and elevated them to their highest possible form. Les Privileges are the highest form of fragrance, crafted from essences chosen for their purity and rarity, and available in extremely limited quantities—just eight cuvées of each fragrance are created. These find their way into the homes of collectors and connoisseurs, and once gone, are never recreated.
A sensory journey
Above A journey through Guerlain’s rich history of fragrance
A journey through Guerlain’s rich history of fragrance
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High above Bangkok city, Guerlain presented ‘Perfumer Visionary Since 1828’, an immersive journey through their nearly two centuries of work with perfume. Here guests were immersed in a multisensory exploration of scent, to discover the six Guerlinade building blocks for themselves in a multitude of different ways. There were individual scent stations for guests to smell the six precious raw materials; olfactory symphonies inspired and informed by Guerlain’s perfume and creation director Delphine Jelk’s creations, and composed by audio research and musical creation studio IRCAM Amplify.
Above Exceptional Pieces from across the decades on display at One Bangkok
Exceptional Pieces from across the decades on display at One Bangkok
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“Something that I've learned about Guerlain perfumery is just their rich and intricate history,” Catriona Gray told us, midway through the exhibition journey. “Storytelling has really been at the forefront of everything that they do. It’s not only centred around beautiful fragrances, they also have such an eye and appreciation for design.”
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That eye for design became apparent in a dazzling display of art. The exhibition presented a rare opportunity to witness a number of Guerlain’s Exceptional Pieces from throughout the decades. Each year the maison works with artists and craftspeople of exceptional talent to create works around the iconic Bee Bottle, in limited, numbered editions. This year, it was the turn of Thai multidisciplinary artist Terawat Teankaprasith (also known as Khun O). You may know Khun O from Instagram for his hyper-real depictions of everyday food items and Thai culture. For Guerlain, Khun O turned his attention to gold. “I started by illustrating the six Guerlinades and incorporated them with the queen bee,” he says. “And when you come to Thailand, you see gold everywhere. I really resonate with that gold, it reminds me of Thai jewellery and decorations, so I chose to use it for the bees and the bottle.”
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Khun O’s Bee Bottle is festooned with intricate gold details, and stands upon a golden plinth, studded with six beautiful enamelled bees—each of which can be removed and worn as a brooch. “I hope that people who see my work will like the glitter and also the creativity inside,” Khun O tells us, smiling. “I hope they notice you can take the bees out to wear as a pin!”
