Frédéric Malle - The Night - Dominique Ropion
“I have been fascinated with the scents of sophisticated people from the Middle East ever since I was a teenager, when by chance I would encounter them in London, Paris, or the South of France. Years later at perfumery school, when I was first told about “Oriental perfumes” by Monsieur Martin, I was convinced that he was referring to the same magnetic scents worn by ladies from faraway lands.
I was mistaken, as perfumes commonly called “Oriental” are in fact scents that have been composed as interpretations of the Orient by French perfumers since the beginning of the 20th century. In this age of globalization, I believe that the time has come for a more accurate represen-tation of the Orient. This is the essence of our latest project.
My desire to seek out true Oriental scents has driven me to conduct numerous trips to the Middle East over the years, as well as to open an Editions de Parfums in Dubaï. Last year it was in this invigorating Arabic jewel of a city that Dominique Ropion and I met to continue our studies, in hopes of finding inspiration for our new collaboration. After returning from Dubaï, Dominique and I experimented thoroughly with the ideas we had gathered on our trip: together we worked to unravel the exotic beauty of the Orient, one scent at a time.
The Night is Dominique’s first composition for Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle that speaks the language of Middle Eastern perfume. In this part of the world, the “night” means much more than the time of coolness in the desert: it is as well the time of love, and the time of stars that fill the Milky Way. The Night is a naturally fragrant world unto itself.
Unlike perfumes called Oud which contain at best a trace of this precious raw material, if any, The Night is built on an unprecedented proportion of Oud from India which Dominique has mixed with a generous amount of Turkish Rose and Amber. The Night is undoubtedly the most precious perfume in the world.
Without question the perfume with the largest amount of natural Oud, The Night has been mixed by Mr Ropion in accordance with his extraordinary refinement and his encyclopaedic technical knowledge. As always with Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, the retail price of this scent is proportionate to its cost. It is an exact reflection of The Night’s unparalleled richness.” Frédéric Malle
Dominique Ropion
Dominique Ropion trained at the legendary Roure Bertrand Dupont laboratory before going to work with Jean-Louis Sieuzac, one of the perfumery world’s great technicians. Today he is a star perfumer at IFF. What makes Ropion’s work special is the mix of precision and freedom, and his quest to create new, harmonious accords by pairing ingredients, which are polar opposites. An adventurer who abandons himself to instinct, Dominique Ropion is also extremely rigorous in the final stages of the formulation of each of his fragrances.
Editions de Parfums
With the new Millenium Frédéric Malle created a unique new fragrance concept with "Editions de Parfums". Nine great perfumers creating unique fragrances. The most famous "noses" in the world creating exclusive perfumes for Frédéric Malle, which are then sold under their own names.
Creativity, inspiration and the joy of developing a perfect scent - those were the driving forces for each perfumer since the dawn of perfume production. Following this tradition, the olfactory works of art from Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle have arisen. Frédéric Malle leaves the creation of a perfect scent entirely to the perfumer who can to complete his work without any restrictions. Each fragrance creation is filled in a cylindrical bottle which is also the trademark of Editions de Parfums. Far from the mainstream, olfactory masterpieces are created which are exclusively born from the imagination of their composer. They represent a strong link between their wearer and the greatest perfumers of our time.
The fragrances from Frédéric Malle are regarded as absolute insider tips for connoisseurs who find their personality and very intimate longings and hopes reflected here.
Frédéric Malle introduced Editions de Parfums in 2000, a completely novel concept whereby the world’s greatest noses composed exclusive, creative fragrances to be sold under their names. In an era in which most companies value intensely marketed brand names, Malle draws attention back to the product itself: namely perfume. Through a simple “back to basics” approach, Editions de Parfums is challenging all prevailing trends.
Frédéric Malle grew up immersed in the world of perfumery; his grandfather, Serge Heftler-Louiche, was most notably the founder of Parfums Christian Dior. Malle began his career in 1988 at Roure Bertrand Dupont, the prestigious perfume laboratory. Over the years, he acquired a deep knowledge of the raw materials used in the composition of perfumes, as well as a strong sense of olfactive balance. He is an “evaluator,” the professional term that defines a specialist whose deep understanding of fragrance structure and accords enables him to critique a perfume’s composition.
Frédéric Malle’s contribution to the creation of the different fragrances sold under Editions de Parfums varies depending on the perfumers’ desire. Perfumers appeal to him to assess their work in progress and to share ideas. His involvement depends on the project and ranges from complete non-intervention to sleeves-rolled-up creative partnerships with the noses.
The development of a signature scent is a lengthy process, generally lasting between 6 and 18 months. Each fragrance starts with an idea, an “olfactive sketch,” which can either take the form of a material base – the mix of two or three raw materials, like colors in an abstract painting – or of an initial feeling, the desire to translate or convey a specific emotion. From there, the perfumers gradually build a full-scale composition, tinkering and problem-solving until a perfect balance is achieved.
The challenge is to polish and perfect without losing the impact and personality of the original idea.
“Eliminate all that is superfluous or merely decorative” – this, Frédéric Malle’s credo, is the only rule imposed on the house perfumers. Malle requests that each fragrance be designed to uniquely merge with the wearer’s skin rather than to just be a “pretty scent.”
The blend of Frédéric Malle’s ideals with the distinct personalities of each perfumer, and the total freedom provided by Editions de Parfums has created a brand with no definite house style. Its singularity comes from its striking heterogeneity, whereby each nose has expressed and unleashed his or her creative instinct to the fullest.
Similar to the finest literary publishing houses, the current collection is constantly expanding. Out of respect for both clients and perfumers, Frédéric Malle is not interested in ephemeral creations.
