Irish Leather is the first perfume in new series of fragrances entitled "Cuir Nomades" from the cult niche perfumery- Memo Paris. While the brand’s inaugural collection Les Echappées was rooted in the mystery of a destination, Cuirs Nomades endeavors to explore the places where leather blossoms. For Cuirs Nomades. Irish Leather is tied to the country of Ireland, where horseback riding is enjoyed in unspoiled nature. An accord that ties the grace of the horse to lush vegetation. A green leather, a gallop through the grasses. Other leather impressions will follow: a floral leather, a gourmand leather, always visited in their sphere of choice. Strong visions. Beautiful places for an encounter. Irish Leather was inspired by the birthplace of John Molloy, Memo's Irish co-founder.
OLFACTIVE PYRAMID:
Pink pepper, oil of clary sage, juniper berry, green maté absolute, oil of flouve, iris concrete, tonka bean absolute, leather accord, oil of birch, amber accord
3 KEY NOTES:
JUNIPER BERRY, GREEN MATE ABSOLUTE, LEATHER
VOLUME : 75 ml
PRICE : 160 euros
Available Memo Fragrances
INTERVIEW WITH CLARA MOLLOY, Creative Director Memo Paris Perfumes
How did Cuirs Nomades come to be?
Clara Malloy : The idea for this collection stems from a desire to develop a material more in depth, as if one were opening a fan. When it came time to decide upon an ingredient, leather was the obvious choice. The history of Memo is tied to travel and leather is the incarnation of this theme. From the very beginning, it has been part of the brand DNA, our presentation stands, and even some of our special-¬‐edition gift boxes are already made of leather.
Why choose to put the spotlight on leather, which is a more complex connoisseur’s note?
CM: Memo has always opted for Haute Couture perfumery that is creative, original and unexpected. Applying this olfactory approach to leather is a highly stimulating project.
Where did the idea for the name come from?
CM: "Cuirs Nomades" takes up the travel theme so dear to Memo. I find the word "nomad" magnificent. A sedentary lifestyle, an overly rooted existence that lacks movement and surprise cannot be creative. Nomadism is a form of freedom, a vital force.
Alienor Massenet
CM: Do you and Alienor Massenet, Memo's perfumer, share the same vision of leather? Or have your different views nourished a Memo leather?
Alienor and I have a meeting of minds, we have similar tastes and we can almost finish one another’s thoughts. Memo leather gradually took shape through discussion and trials. It’s a personal, living material, cultivated by our exchanges of ideas.
CM: What aspect of leather interests you?
Leather is a skin, so its sensual aspect is what interests me most. From caresses to bites, anything is possible, and these myriad sensations are what we wanted to convey through fragrance.
CM: What else raises questions for you, shakes up your ideas?
A smooth leather, with no rough patches, a raw leather… Bare, stripped down leather is surprising, as though it were revealing itself.
Can you recall a specific memory tied to leather?
CM: I have a leather notebook for jotting down all my ideas. I pummel it, gnaw at it, twist it… It’s like my stress-¬‐ reliever.
Women’s leather, men’s leather: do you think leather has a gender?
CM: No more than fragrance. Giving a fragrance or material a gender is a very cultural thing. Leather boxing gloves, leather thigh-¬‐highs: the sheer breadth of the range of leather is what makes it so fascinating.
Alain Souchon sang “J’veux du cuir” (I want leather).
What would be your leather song?
CM: "C'est extra" (That’s great) by Leo Ferré: “A leather dress like a sheath / That’s got what it takes without trying / And inside like a sailor / A girl that sways to an English air / That’s great…”
The most surprising leather combination you can imagine?
CM: Leather baby clothes.
What is the next destination for Cuirs Nomades?
CM: It will be filled with flowers
–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
Source: Memo, interview excerpted from Memo press release