Written by: Patricia Pérez
Guerlain opened its first Maison at the parisian Champs Elysees around 1913. The building process was very slow, and from this Le parfum du 68 was born; with a tortoise shaped bottle because of the delay the construction took.
A century later, the maison has achieved to overcome its own expectations with a new 9500€ perfume, commemorating the first one’s originality, even tough its price its quite unsettling. The reason behind such an exhorbitant number is that two of the most renouned french houses of jewellery and glasswork, Baccarat and Desrues, are the ones behind the new design of the iconic bottle.
The tortoise silhouette is completely handcarved in glass, with a total of 80 facets, by the expert artisans at Baccarat, with the help of the Dames de Table, who are in charge of knotting and combing the silk threads with grace and precision, while Desreus designs the resin bottle cap, with a gilded rim that can be personalized with the buyer’s initials. The perfume artwork is finished by a crystal bell and and a seductive parisian background scenery wrought in fine gold by the Ateliers Gohard artisan, to hold the fragrance inside.
This new and exquisite sensation creation is entitled to Thierry Wasser, perfume artist of the Guerlain maison, which achieves a more floral and fruity fragrance than the original. Wood and flowers are the center of the essence, while its base is built on contraposed warm and fresh spices, pink berries, benzoin, vanilla and tonka bean, while the final note is added by a refreshing mandarin scent.
A grand total of 47 numbered bottles of 60ml are what adds extra value and exclusivity to the perfume.
It’s not simply about the aroma, but about the creation of an art piece carefully bottled.
You can buy it in Guerlain boutiques and online through Guerlain.com.
