Pierre Guillaume has a very secular church visit for us with his latest Église de Velours No. 20.2. An incense fragrance, that much can already be revealed. But different, unusual and with a new basic idea.
Église de Velours – Haute couture of the soul
The inspiration for Église de Velours was apparently a fashion show in Paris in July 1997. We are not told exactly what it was and whether Pierre Guillaume is processing a personal memory here. In any case, the description immerses us in a very specific space with a special atmosphere:
Paris, July 1997, the final preparations for a haute couture show. Velvet Napoleon III chairs, rolls of precious fabrics lining the walls, wisps of cigarette smoke float in the air. A familiar voice, slow and fragile, breaks the monastic silence that reigns in this place. A model with the face of a Madonna emerges from a room accompanied by two seamstresses helping her with the ruffles of a dress under construction. Barely concealed by a transparent black silk blouse, her breasts vibrate to the rhythm of her hurried steps. There’s something divine about this temple of beauty: the solemnity, the meditation, the fervour of the “Atelier faithful” around the Creator-Demiurge. Doubt and then the miracle: inspiration and the advent of creation. To enter here, is like to enter a church… of velvet (Église de Velours).
The preparation of the fashion show in a religious-looking room becomes an act of creation, a moment of divine inspiration. Opulent furnishings, silence, and cigarette smoke take the place of church, worship, and devotion.
I am curious to see how Pierre Guillaume has realized these moments of concentrated work and creative power.
What does Église de Velours smell like?
I am getting ahead of myself. The text describes Église de Velours as a quiet dialog between soul and skin. No flurry of flashbulbs, no models striding down the catwalk and presenting garish creations. From the fragrance strip, I am greeted by an extremely skin-like, warm and velvety cloud of musk. In the background, I think I can detect white flowers, which, according to the fragrance notes, don’t even exist. To be honest, I can’t smell any incense or hinoki either. So I have to continue testing on my skin. Here is a completely different picture. It starts off green and coniferous, sweet and balsamic creamy myrrh takes the place of the supposed white flowers. Classic incense, on the other hand, is lost to my nose. It was clear that we weren’t getting church incense here. Here we have an incense fragrance that follows a certain idea of incense rather than being a typical representative itself.
Velvet and silk, fine fabrics, fine linen on the warm skin of a model. In the midst of a creative flash of inspiration. I go along with that. The antithesis of meditative or even religious incense. Worldly, human, physical, just too intimate. Magnificently realized!
The fragrance notes
Hinoki cypress, myrrh, frankincense, musk
Incidentally, Pierre Guillaume’s fragrances in his Numbered Collection follow a principle of order. The predecessor fragrances with the incense theme (No. 20) are L’Eau Guerrière No.20 from 2009 and Sorong No.20.1 from 2019.
For which occasion is Église de Velours suitable?
I can well imagine Pierre Guillaume’s interpretation of incense as an understatement fragrance, i.e. whenever you want to smell good but not stand out. For the really grand entrance, there are truly others in a league of their own. This velvety church could be just the thing for a night out or a date. Exciting, quiet, a little mysterious — does that sound good?
So, if you want a classic incense fragrance, you’d better take a look here: Our incense recommendations at For the First in Fragrance. If you prefer the more abstract idea of a worldly incense with green notes, sweet, creamy myrrh and soft, modern musky notes, this is the place for you.
A nightcap at the end
Among my samples was also Mojito Chypre by Pierre Guillaume. Who remembers it? The fragrance is not new, but has been given a new bottle. I described it 10 years ago (see “A Mojito and Heavy Metal“) and have always had fond memories of it. You definitely get what is promised on the packaging. Fresh mint and chypre notes, plus cheerful, exuberant fruity notes. Splendid! And the perfect party summer fragrance to boot.
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