The 19th of May is is a day I will  never forget. It was a first time  I had been in 'Sanctis Sancta' – headquarter of Chanel LLC in the

Paris suburbs. With a group of beauty editors of Russian fashion magazines I was invited to presentation of new Chanel perfume –  №19 Poudre.

 

 

 Yes, the presentation was held 3 (three!) months ahead of its launch, as magazines are so slow compared to web-sites and blogs. I had to wait 2 months with hand o  my mouth respecting the embargo established by Chanel PR team – (while beauty editors had written about it in May and forgot already about the perfume).  It was a  difficult week for  the Chanel team – all the beauty editors from all over the world came to Paris to  learn about №19 Poudre perfume and  to also review  Fall 2011 beauty collections (nail lacques, lipsticks, foundations, eye shades). The presentation area was specifically designed around the fragrance – the creation of a patio which resembled a Japanese garden with blooming irises and a green pond

 Anyway, it was a great chance to be there and I feel myself lucky. We had the opportunity to listen to  a presentation made by Christopher Sheldrake. Can you imagine! He`s a man of great charm, very open and ready to answer every question with a smile.

 

 From the beginning we discussed the original №19 Chanel perfume- green accord galbanum-iris-vetiver and flower accord rose-lily of the valley are its foundation.  It was last perfume that Coco Chanel approved and wore until her death in 1970.

  

 

 

Created by Henry Robert for Gabrielle Chanel in her eighties “this extraordinary perfume appeals to any woman who has ever wished to know what it is to be  in charge. It`s a perfume for strong women, for the woman in control, (at that time women  were first beginning to wear power suits and climb the corpprtate ladder.  Believe it or not – it was just The Second Big Hit of Chanel – for some time there were only two bestsellers in their rooster: №5 and №19.

 

  Green by Michel Roudnitska- courtesy of Michael Edwards

 

 №19.heralded the revival of Green Chypres. Alliage Estee Lauder, Armani (Giorgio Armani), Rive Gauche (YSL), Halston I-12, Inoui (Shiseido), Silences (Jacomo) has been inspired by №19 success and launched after it. Even now, in niche perfumes, one could find some homages’ to №19 – think of green and fresh Papyrus de Ciane (Parfumerie Generale) made by Pierre Guillaume. Think of Infusion d`Iris (Prada) and its flankers, a scent (Issey Miyake), (untitled) Maison Martin Margiela, Le Temps d`Une Fete (Parfums de Nicolai) and alikes – and you find that №19 is  That`s why – Sheldrake explained – Chanel decided to return its territory back again, by launching a new green perfume inspired by legend, but with new modern face.

 

 

 Jaques Polge and Henri Robert

 

So the idea of Polge was – to emphasize the orris part of the perfume, make it more powdery, long-lasting and fresh. New synthetic musks, made by Firmenich (alicyclic biodegradable variety) were implemented in new perfume too.

 

In this part of presentation we had a chance to smell Musk accord (clean, fresh and powdery smell that you could smell in the top notes and in sillage alike), Absolue Celle Iris (orris absolute mixture made from Chinese and Moroccan orris butters), Iris Beurre Noir (smell of orris plus wine and dry fruit accents, it`s made from unpeeled rhizomes of iris. It`s The Perfume by itself!), and alpha-isomethyl-ionone (orris-violet powdery-woody note). I like iris so I did highly enjoy this part of ceremony. I felt myself in a perfumer`s lab actually.

 

 

  

Then Christopher Sheldrake revealed some Chanel`s plans concerning iris growing. As Florentine orris became more rare and too expensive, and new fast technologies of orris absolute production were designed – Chanel decided to save true historical way of orris production. Four years ago the famous Chanel`s jasmine and rose plantations in Grasse were complemented by iris plantations near Pegomas (small French town halfway between Cannes and Grasse). Now it`s not a big area and it`s too early for the first absolute – but in decades orris from Pegomas made through traditional 6-year technology should replace Florentine orris completely.

 

 

 

This part of presentation was complemented in my exclusive interview later – some years ago Sheldrake has explored the problem of endangered Indian Santal de Mysore substitution. The solution of the problem found in New Caledonia and Vanuatu islands – new AustroCaledonian Sandalwood plantations were made there to renovate old forests. ( Bleu de Chanel was the first perfume by Chanel created with new sandalwood material).

 

 

 Then we smelled the new perfume… hmmms and ohhhhs filled the room…  the looks of wonder … and all eyes were staring at Sheldrake. He smelled  the blotter as he was just another beauty editor, enjoying some great perfume. He looked humbly happy as if he was not one of the perfumer-creators! Then, after some pause, our words of delight were alternated with his “thankyou”s.

 While it`s not launched yet – let me describe here how №19 Poudre smells like. I`d say – it`s descendant of №19 composed in the very same manner as №5 Eau Premiere were made for the original №5.

 

  

It`s a time-machine that brings  takes the commanding woman back to her into her innocent childhood again evoking  green meadows under the blue sky, to the happy world of dandelions and grasshoppers, flowering fields and daisy wheels- confidence, calm and peace of mind, etc.

 

 

Sunny transparent hedione and flowery green neroli & geranium, green galbanum softened by clean white musks and powdery iris – the colour of the clouds at daybreak, a dawn tinged with green not yellow. When I smelled №19 Poudre I imagined  the powdery aroma of letters Marquise de Sevigne sent to her departed daughter…

 

 

 

A softer, gentler, easier to wear the 19 perfume but quintessentially Chanel. A new classic.

 The perfume will be launched the 15^th of August worldwide, and the 1^st of August in special corners Espace Parfums Chanel.

 -Sergey Borsiov, Contributor

 

Editor's note : The number 19 refers to Coco Chanel’s birthday, August 19th.