“Both the ocean and perfume are made up of natural, living materials with infinite evocations.”
Thanks to his Japanese roots, Issey Miyake cultivates a special relationship with nature, an object of both contemplation and emotion. The designer has brought a breath of fresh air to Parisian fashion. With his poetic approach, he has turned the traditional structure of clothing on its head.
L’Eau d’Issey is a benchmark fragrance. It transcribes the code of an aquatic memory in both a universal and subjective way. Its olfactory approach is quite similar to that of a representation of water, as it can appear through the refined symbolism of certain Japanese prints or literary works. It particularly resonates with me because nature is at the centre of my life and I am a frequent reader of Japanese authors. I’m honoured to be working on the iconic theme of L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme!
It’s a huge task to remodel a classic fragrance. I wanted to rewrite L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme using a new ingredient. I evolved the initial characteristic aqueous note of Calone®, which has great evocative powers, replacing it with Cascalone®. This more intense and contemporary molecule amplifies the aquatic effect. It cascades down, carrying with it fruity micro-notes.
Meeting Alexis made me aware of the invisible, fascinating and highly aesthetic world of the depths of the sea. It’s a mysterious and inspiring world! I discovered an underwater life that I didn’t even know existed, unknown ecosystems. This hidden splendour of life, constantly moving with the currents, was a magnificent source of inspiration for me. Like perfume, water touches the skin, making it highly sensorial. I wanted to capture these emotions in this fragrance.
This fragrance is a composition of fusing materials, of citrus and Sichuan pepper, revealing a watery, woody signature in a dense, bold modernity.
The inspiration for this fragrance came from the beauty of the Polynesian atolls, which I’d already visited, but of which Alexis gave me never-before-seen images. Nestling on thousand-year-old volcanoes, these natural environments, clear and shimmering on the surface, harbour intense life in their depths. I let myself be carried away by these images.
Through this creative process, I sailed mentally from my Paris office to these southern seas… As the fragrance evolved, the concept became clearer and more assertive: exploring different shades of blue reveals a new intensity that reaches deep down. A journey in the form of an odyssey, which involved a great deal of research and detours.
A fragrance is alive, it immerses you, pulsates…Natural materials, in particular, bring their vibrations. The idea of fluidity can be induced by notes that melt their nuances, like cyan blue gradually dissolving into the turquoise of a lagoon. But we can also add rhythm, for example, through a hot/cold effect when notes are juxtaposed in contrasting ways.
In this fragrance, a number of sensations come together, evoking the phenomenon of shimmering water that sometimes makes you blink.
Lemon, grapefruit and Sichuan pepper bring a dazzling light to the top note. In the heart, the masculine character is reaffirmed by aromatic notes. Cypress evokes the seashore, on which crash the powerful waves of Cascalone® (a molecule with an aquatic, freshwater scent that exudes a powerful freshness). The base of the fragrance is enriched by the woody notes of cedar and vetiver; these accentuate its depth. The fire of the volcano that gives birth to the atoll is interpreted by Fir Balsam, with its aromatic, woodsy, and balsamic notes.
I worked on the strength of this fragrance at different levels: at the top, with an electric, radiant pepper note; at the heart, with the aromatic, resinous aspect of cypress; and at the base, with the vibrancy of cedar wood and the balsamic woody inflections of fir balsam. This masculinity gradually asserts itself, going against the grain of prevailing trends.
A perfume should be sprayed on the body’s pulse points (wrists, behind the ears, elbow creases or knees). It can also be sprayed on clothes made of natural fibres so that the air displaced by movement reactivates it.
I associate the ocean with freedom, travel, immensity, horizon, depth and movement.
For me, what the world of perfume and the underwater world have in common is their impalpable and intangible mystery, because they are both invisible to our everyday eyes. Both the ocean and perfume are made up of natural, living materials with infinite evocations. Everything moves, everything evolves, and there’s something ephemeral about this that fascinates me.
The ocean gives you the experience of the fluidity of water in contact with the skin, and perfume gives you the experience of following an olfactory story: both touch our senses and emotions directly, making their exploration very personal.
In our composition maison dsm-firmenich, perfumers have access to an integrated science-based digital impact measurement tool, the EcoScent Compass® Next Generation, which enables ingredients to be selected according to three key pillars: energy expenditure, climate and nature, and impact on people and communities. For this fragrance, I gave priority to ingredients of natural or upcycled origin, such as Italian lemon and Virginia cedar essence. The Sri Lankan cinnamon is of certified origin, and I’ve also opted for ingredients derived from biotechnology, which I’m particularly keen to promote. This science uses natural processes, such as fermentation, to replace energy-intensive industrial methods.
I was greatly inspired by the sight of these reflections on the surface. I’d like this fragrance to inspire people to swim in the waters of these remote atolls and admire the beauty of nature, wherever it may be.
