Bottega Veneta eau de parfum

"Fashion passes, style remains"

Coco Chanel

Nine d'Urso, Ines de la Fressange's  by Bruce Weber

Right after mid-August it's time to get back from vacations and as the various shops re-open also the new fall launches arrive on the market. So the last weekend during a perfume-tour in a still desert Milan, I finally smelled the brand-new first perfume of the glamorous griffe Bottega Veneta.

I had high hopes for this launch since I like very much the chic but not fashionable image of this made in Italy luxury brand born with leather goods. In fact their signature is the leather-weathing tecnique "intreccio", decoration also chosen to decorate the scented candles serie "intreccio" some year ago Bottega Veneta produced together with Artisan Parfumeur.

Also for this reason I had great expectations, right because I liked that candles inspired by the sumptuous Serenissima spaces, but not only: the fact that Artisan Parfumeur produced them already denoted a particular care for the world of scents that unfortunately the fashion system nowadays doesn't have anymore.

Tomas Maier and Michel Almairac

For once it doesn't fall off of expectation. For once a brand launching a perfume, its first one, made to last not just like a ready-to-wear cloth that must get immediate cash and in six months will be trashed to pass to the new collection. For once they decided to make a briefing inspired by style and heritage that doesnt fix less than two dollars for the fragrance bottled.
"I envisioned a room with old wood floors, library walls and leather-bound books with the windows open wide, the breeze coming in and cut grass, hay, moss, garden flowers, growing through the room and everything mixing up.”
That's how Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta creative director describes the fragrance. Aside the marketing mawkishness and the noteworthy advertising campaign signed by Bruce Weber, the fragrance produced  under arrangements with Coty was developed by Michel Almairac (Artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Roses, Paloma Picasso Minotaure, Gucci Rush) of Robertet that staying true to the Maison's aesthetic values developed a leathery chypre with elegant floral accents, venturing quality raw materials that by now only with few big names like Hermès and Chanel keep going on on the mass market.

The official pyramid features notes of italian bergamot, brazilian pink pepper, indian jasmine, indian patchouly and oakmoss. Just sprayed the fragrance lights up with a delicate bergamot and pink pepper accord almost hinted in the rosy dawn light. The aromatic note extends itself, lively and crinkled at the same time with green facets like crushed leaves but the sensations are all softened, as the smells would come from far away brought by the wind. The glimmer later becomes blossom petals at sunrise, a gentle jasmine with violet hints keeping the greeness of the topnotes yet makes the floral heart open up with the brightness of hedione. All slowly turns into a modern chypre accord ruled by a velvety patchouly that makes up for the IFRA restrictions on oakmoss with a delicate suede component with rubber traces echoing to another Almairac work, Armani/Privé Cuir Amethyste, here purified from the candied and spiced overloads and led to the intimate dimension of a pearl grey suede rather than indigo. Finally the animal and musky component with slight plummy and salty ambery facets make the fragrance conforting, discrete yet longlasting for many hours.
Despite not standing out here for daring creativity, Michel Almairac succeeds in concocting a good balance on what's left to the classic leather chypre structure à la Jolie Madame infusing the patchouly woof with a flowing warp of floral textures in pastel shades. The result is a serene aroma, feminine at the right point yet easily wearable by a man that for sure won't  satisfy the tuttifrutti teenagers but can be worn with pleasure in every season like a top quality leather accessory.