Henry Jacques: Collection de l’Atelier brings the harvest of rose to nose
Aug 14, 2024
Henry Jacques presents Collection de l’Atelier, a limited-edition trio of fragrances that captures the extraordinary essence of the French haute perfumery’s very first rose harvest
In the world of haute parfumerie, few moments are as pivotal as the discovery of a new ingredient. For Henry Jacques, one such moment came last spring when the maison encountered a rose unlike any other in its nearly 50-year history. This flower was so unique and so special that it inspired what might be Henry Jacques’ purest form of creativity to date – the Collection de l’Atelier.
Roses have of course been a constant presence in the Henry Jacques atelier, their essence woven into countless creations coveted by perfume lovers. But it wasn’t until the company moved into a new laboratory and atelier in the South of France that it started to grow its own roses. With a unique microclimate sheltered by hills, incredible water quality, iron- rich soil, and plentiful sun and rain, the site provided the perfect conditions for cultivating the delicate flower.
Henry Jacques surrounded itself with a family of experts who have been growing roses for several generations. With the benefit of their unique know-how and Henry Jacques’ own unwavering quest to innovate, the maison set out to perfect every detail – ploughing the soil with horses, harvesting by hand and refining the art of extraction. It wanted to allow nature to express itself freely in the field, an approach that earned the cultivation an Ecocert certification.
The Henry Jacques Rose de Mai absolute extracted from that very first harvest possessed qualities so extraordinary it could only be described as a stroke of destiny. “A stunning rose that brought tears to our eyes,” said Anne-Lise Cremona, the daughter of Henry Jacques and CEO of the maison. “This rose will sublime compositions, its introduction will be very visible, it is obvious that she will lead to new creations.”
The Henry Jacques Rose de Mai absolute is indeed unprecedented. “Very elegant, soft, and as natural and pure as it comes”, it has honey notes that melt to a green, herbaceous character before revealing an intriguing spicier aspect. Plunging Henry Jacques into “an ocean of possibilities”, it eventually resulted in three distinct creations presented alongside one another in a handcrafted chest.
Just as Yves Klein celebrated the colour blue, and Henri Matisse sculpted colours and contrasts with collages in his later years, the trio of perfumes begins with a tribute to the absolute’s stunning purity and colour, and then embarks on a journey into bolder, more playful and pioneering works of olfactory art.
The first fragrance, Rose Très Rose, evokes a sense of home – the reassuring hometown, the familiar earth, the centre of gravity we are born from and always come back to. Described as “refined, pure and statutory,” it’s a comforting scent that gives a sense of completion and fulfilment.
Rose Soleil takes a more playful approach, blending the Henry Jacques Rose de Mai absolute with notes of clove, sandalwood, patchouli and ylang-ylang. The result is a sophisticated and complex fragrance that embodies the joy of an unconscious smile – the kind of smile only one who has lived their life to the fullest can make, leading us to lose track of time and enlightening our daily lives.
The final piece of the trio, Rose Azur is charismatic and unexpected. Here, the absolute is enveloped in dry, woody notes and zests, creating an intriguing tension between softness and strength. Fascinating, impalpable, divine, celestial and almost liminal, the fragrance merges different terroirs for a rich and complex identity to which one cannot help but become attached.
Each fragrance is presented in the maison’s signature Les Essences form and its most generous size of 30ml. The three flacons are housed in a handcrafted chest, underscoring Collection de l’Atelier’s status as a true objet d’art.
What makes the collection even more extraordinary, however, is its ephemeral nature. To preserve the beauty of this first harvest, and to leave space for future creations from new harvests, Henry Jacques will never reissue any of the perfumes from Collection de L’Atelier. They will be enjoyed, shared, collected, preserved – and one day, completely disappear.
If nature allows, each annual harvest will give birth to a new limited collection of three fragrances with one considered the purest expression of the rose’s personality from that year and two others guided by the inspiration of the moment. For now, those fortunate enough to acquire one of the 500 sets of the inaugural Collection de l’Atelier will hold in their hands a piece of perfume history and a cherished artefact of a lifetime of creativity.
