État Libre d’Orange Exit The King (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti)©
“All I’ve ever wanted is to be remembered by everyone until the end of time and then also after the end of time – in twenty thousand years, in two hundred and fifty five thousand billion years… but they’ll forget long before that, they’re all selfish. Just thinking about their own little lives.” (King Bérenger in Eugène Ionesco’s 1962 play “Exit The King”)
When I first heard the name of the new État Libre d’Orange fragrance, it immediately captured my interest even though the scent itself wasn’t yet available to smell. The brand’s founder/creative director Étienne de Swardt told me about a new chypre that would mark “the end of vanity”. The idea came to him after seeing a Douglas Kirkland photo of Rock Hudson shaking hands with Michael Jackson during the shooting of the latter’s “Thriller” music video: a seemingly cordial gesture between two hugely popular entertainers, one sadly on his way out (Hudson was gravely ill at the time, and his career had been declining for years), the other at the peak of his fame – by now, both gone… Monsieur de Swardt envisioned État Libre d’Orange Exit The King as a resolutely modern scent that would bridge the 1970s tradition of green fragrances with some of the most iconic chypres of the 1980s-early 1990s, composed by MANE perfumers Cécile Matton Polge and Ralf Schwieger.
État Libre d’Orange Exit The King (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti)©
The fragrance’s name brought to my mind the eponymous play by Ionesco, master of absurdist theatre; there, an aging King – who believes he can still control the forces of nature, as well as he once did – has to come to terms with his own demise; during his long lifespan he accomplished some great things, but his kingdom is now in ruins, gradually disintegrating like him. His death is inevitable, and so is the end of his universe. Just before King Bérenger expires, his first Queen, Marguerite, says to him: “it was a lot of fuss about nothing, wasn’t it?”. Remembering that line, my mind unexpectedly flew to Peggy Lee, divinely singing: “if that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing, let’s break out the booze and have a ball”... Many of us – who have at times been overwhelmed by life’s various adversities – can testify about the difference that a little sensorial pick-me-up, like perfume, can make. Such was the feeling I got while wearing État Libre d’Orange Exit The King: its cool, gemstone-green elegance exudes bitter-sweet optimism that is cleansing, empowering.
État Libre d’Orange Exit The King (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti)©
État Libre d’Orange Exit The King features a tenacious “soap foam” note (my guess, a combination of bergamot, muguet, aldehydes and white musks) that makes a conceptual statement: what’s after all more appropriate than a crisp, squeaky-clean central accord for a frarance that celebrates fresh starts? Effervescent and fizzy, this soap note not only feels like indulging in a creamy, frothy bubble bath, but also like sipping champagne in the bathtub. The perennial floral duo of rose and jasmine shyly develops, sprinkled by woody-rosy peppercorns and lemony Timur pepper. Meanwhile, the lily of the valley becomes increasingly prominent, infusing the other florals with citron-verbena nuances. Invigorating like a cologne, but with the performance and complexity of an eau de parfum, the fragrance’s heart sparkles green, like an emerald. Underneath it all, a radiant, chypre base of bright oakmoss and clean patchouli enhances the composition’s emotional impact; the fragrance eventually dries down to a soapy/mossy scent that is still detectable even twelve hours after application. Overall, État Libre d’Orange Exit The King gives a little clin d’œil to beloved fragrances of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, like Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Grès Cabotine, Estée Lauder Knowing and Sisley Eau Du Soir.
État Libre d’Orange Exit The King (photo/digital effects by Despina Veneti)©
A fragrance of transition, État Libre d’Orange Exit The King defies gender, age, seasons or social occasions –simply by being suitable for all. Translating the concept of a “clean start” into scent, it radiates a cheerful, mind-clearing energy that lovingly envelops the wearer for hours. Timelessly chic but not intimidating, this is a fragrance for noticeable entrances, as well as graceful exits.
– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor