FIRST FRAGRANCE: Mellerio — the 410-year-old French jewelry house with a roster of clients including Marie de Médici, Marie-Antoinette and France’s Empress Eugénie — has dived into the world of fragrance.
Its first scent, called Couleur Vendôme, was created in collaboration with Roos & Roos, the niche fragrance house launched by mother-daughter duo Chantal and Alexandra Roos, as well as IFF master perfumer Dominique Ropion.
They worked on the fragrance alongside Laure-Isabelle Mellerio, Mellerio’s artistic director and a 14th-generation member of its founding family.
“We would like to have an olfactive signature for the house,” explained Mellerio, adding the idea was to make that be both Italian and French, as her ancestors arrived in France from Italy in 1550.
Ropion said the idea was to integrate elements of the house’s Italian heritage with the fact that it was the first jewelry brand to be located on Paris’ Place Vendôme.
He twisted a classic fragrance structure by putting in Couleur Vendôme’s top spicy notes, such as cardamom and pepper, then constructed a floral heart, with a rose absolute from Turkey associated with jasmine, Iris from Florence and orange flower. The woody-ambry base has notes of patchouli, for a chypre effect, plus cinnamon and clove, among others.
“We added this side that’s elegant, Parisian, a bit sexy and sensual,” said Chantal Roos.
“There are a number of elements integrated,” agreed Ropion, who described the perfume as a floral-oriental.
Christophe Mélard, general manager of Mellerio, said the time is right for the brand to launch into fragrance, following three years of repositioning.
“It synthesizes the [brand’s] ambition, reality and strategic positioning through a juice,” he said.
The first perfume’s name nods to the house’s birthplace as well as gemstone colors it uses. The abundance of flower notes in the scent echoes the floral leitmotifs in Mellerio’s jewelery throughout the ages.
Roos and Roos is heading up Mellerio’s fragrance distribution, first launching Couleur Vendôme in Jovoy Paris. The 100-ml. eau de parfum retails for 185 euros.