COMPOSING A BESPOKE FRAGRANCE
Partnering with a French Fragrance House
The world of scent creation is an extraordinary place. It is one largely invisible to the broader public. Perfumers create scents and identities for products knowing that those who experience and are moved by their artistic creations, will know them only by the names of their clients — the brands that market them.
Within this hidden world, a few select fragrance houses have international reputations. None is higher than the legendary French family held company, MANE- the artists behind some of the worlds most coveted and iconic fragrances. While MANE is perhaps not a household name, we have all experienced MANE’s compositions in countless products. Award-winning and celebrated fine fragrances, high-end home scents and best-selling compositions Atelier Cologne, Jo Malone, Nuxe, Paul Smith and Armani among them. It’s that notable pedigree that led Long & Foster to recognize MANE as the ideal artistic partner for this project.
One of the core attractions of MANE as a partner in creating a signature fragrance for our brand is the way that the firm has embraced its changing world, blending timeless craftsmanship and modern techniques, preserving a balance between meeting new demands and an unwavering commitment to its heritage of the highest artistic standards.
“MANE has been a part of the story of fine fragrances since 1871. Victor Mane established his firm in Le Bar-sur-Loup, which is close to the French Riviera and at the heart of a region known as the birthplace of perfumery, thanks to its rare combination of soil and climate akin to a wine region. In the late 19th century, scent creation was a straightforward soliflore, a single flower or plant, of natural extract. Fine chemistry of the early 20th century provided master perfumers with new molecules to blend, enhance and embellish natural ingredients. It transformed a traditional field into a sophisticated industry.”
Arranging the Composition: a Symphony Begins
Perfumers crafting a fine scent work with a palette of ingredients to create a complex whole—now with about 1,400 recognized ingredients to choose from. MANE draws on the finest ingredients sourced from nature. The goal of a finely crafted scent is an experience that seems both distinctive and teasingly familiar. The art lies both in selecting ingredients and in carefully balancing them.
Within the fragrance field, as with wine-tasting, the building blocks of the fragrance formula are described as ”notes.“ An individual note can come from a complex combination. In turn, the notes call forth an individual’s experiences and memories, allowing a fragrance to powerfully unlock feelings in each of us.
The artist works to fulfill the vision of the client. We tasked MANE's perfumers to compose an evocative scent to balance seeming contradictions: at once comforting and provocative, energizing and calming, uncommon but somehow familiar, with the sense of surprise and inevitability one finds in the finest works of art.
MANE offered Long & Foster several creative expressions for our consideration. Some were more conventional, laying within the territory of popular scent families. However, the team at Long & Foster sought a scent that would be distinctive and memorable for sophisticated customers, offering unique experiences. In the final selection, MANE has created a scent that transforms classic notes in the heritage of fragrance artistry with modern influences. They designed a character that is both everlasting yet surprising, capable of transforming the experience of home and unlocking one’s imagination.
“The brand team at Long & Foster sought a scent that would be distinctive and memorable.”
Creating Signature Scent: The Mind of the Artist
Our perfumers sought to develop a scent character that was everlasting yet surprising, transforming classic notes in the heritage of fragrance artistry with modern influences.
[Q] How were you inspired to use these ingredients to make LF68?
[MANE] Champagne Rose is so sophisticated and elevated, we knew we would build around that. The rose itself has a distinct fragrance profile with facets of lemony freshness, nuances of powder and it conveys a clean yet elegant feeling.
[Q] What is so unique about it?
[MANE] We also used Lavender Leaves Jungle Essence. No other fragrance house can offer this, it’s inimitable, it’s exclusive to MANE and now LF68. It provides a very clean, authentic aspect to the fragrance.
[Q] How did the composition evolve from inspiration to the final fragrance?
[MANE] We knew we wanted a complex olfactive experience, a fragrance designed with many layers that develop over time. We took the heart of Champagne Rose and layered it with the other elements to make it more natural and fresher. Adding the rhubarb is an evolution of course. Not wanting to overpower the fragrance, but rather add a fruity note and body, but not too sweet.
[Q] What elements of nostalgia contributed to the olfactive choices?
[MANE] We wanted to create the atmosphere of a spring dinner party, to recreate the complexities of the scents permeating the home. From the fresh cut roses, bubbly champagne and the freshness in the air by the living room that opens to the garden.