Lanvin Rumeur (André Fraysse - 1934)

"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" Margo Channing - All About Eve

When I think of Divas from the silver screen, I keep thinking of personalities that look larger than life. Above all, compared to many nowadays characters I keep thinking of Ladies able to express such a wide range of emotions going from sparkling comedies to noir all at once. That's exactly what I feel about Rumeur de Lanvin.
This full bodied composition exploring the cheerful laughs of Arpège as well as the languid unblamed roughness of my beloved Scandal instantly pictured in my mind Margo Channing, a true strar, the most uncompromising, flamboyant, smoky and glamourous Diva ever embodied before by a masterful Bette Davis in All about Eve.

Of course this review is about the original Rumeur created by André Fraysse for the Maison Lanvin back in 1934, the same year also what we nowadays would call the "sport" scent Eau de Lanvin was launched. As for nowadays, a serie of fragrances bearing the same name passed under the Lanvin bridge but none of them is worth a bit of the old glory. I spotted my small bottle on ebay some time ago and was really amazed to discover the juice was still enough in good shape to write about it.
Rumeur is part of the music themed Lanvin fragrances. Together with Arpège, Balenciaga Quadrille, and Piguet Fracas, it surely would have perfectly fitted with a cocktail interpretation among the ones proposed by my friend Marika Vecchiattini during her musical Perfumed Cocktail at Esxence 2015.
In fact, after a gently aldehydic Arpège-like opening that might have become even smoother with aging, Rumeur blooms with a lushious fruity chypre heart. Peach, but above all a ripe plum take the stage empowered by a seamless floral bouquet. It oozes class and power from every pore, it's feminine but not frail.

Rumeur Ad (1934) - source hprints.com

Soon you'll understand this lady fears no man (and no woman either actually) when the basenote starts to sing with its husky voice. If you're familiar with it, you will recognize the same dirt talk going on with Scandal launched right before in 1933. The outspoken animalic fluffiness of costus, the despotic glove of a special Symrise Cuir de Russie base and the mellow booziness of opoponax are there because Margo loves to sip a good drink while troubling you with her cankerous ego and stinging tongue. It's no mystery after all Monsieur Roudnitska had a great admiration for Monsieur Fraysse. Definitely the Lady knows how to lead the game forecasting the olfactory sex bomb of WWII Femme de Rochas.