Two of France’s oldest cultural establishments strive to bring back the grandeur of French royalty, or at least, preserve the architectural remnants of it.
The Palace of Versailles collaborated with the 170-year-old House of Guerlain to launch a limited-edition fragrance Le Bouquet de la Reine, or The Queen’s Bouquet. The perfume is emblematic of France’s heritage and artisanal culture in all aspects of its creation.
Inspired by the palace gardens, this olfactory bouquet is a mix of floral notes including bergamot, lily of the valley, freesia and cyclamen, and highlighting jasmine, Marie-Antoinette’s favorite flower. These combine with base notes of white musk and light amber to create a scent of royal elegance. This feminine fragrance is a creation of Thierry Wasser the first appointed perfumer who is not of the Guerlain bloodline in the five generations since the company’s founding in 1828.
The 4.2-ounce (125 milliliters) Quadrilobé flacon is a resurrection of a 1908 bottle of Rue de la Paix perfume and is handmade by artisanal glassmakers Verreries Brosse. The bejeweled, 23-carat gold-plated medallion pays tribute to Louis XIV, who had chosen the sun as his own insignia. Hand-frayed silk threads in its regal colors adorn the nape of the bottle. This creation truly upholds the spirit of Guerlain’s founder Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain: “Glory is ephemeral, only distinction lasts.”
The proceeds from this creative marketing alliance will fund restoration and renovation of the Versailles Palace, once again manifesting Guerlain’s philosophy of balancing “the richness of tradition with a sense of innovation” and remembering “its origins while moving forward to meet the future.”
Le Bouquet de la Reine is available until May 17, 2016, through subscription only. Click here to add one to your collection.
