LES INDÉMODABLES
Les Indémodables is a sumptuous collection of perfumes exploring the concept of an olfactive wardrobe, taking time to consider the scents we put on in the same way we curate clothes and accessories.
Some people have been doing this for years, deftly anointing skin with perfumes that reflect seasonal and meteorological fluctuations, mood and destinations. With Les Indémodables, The idea is presented and then expanded upon with style and accessible ideas.
The creatrix behind the brand is Valérie Pulvérail, a woman well-versed with all aspects of the beauty industry. She was teaching in beauty institutes when she saw an opportunity for something a little different and founded Bistro de la Beauté in Annecy in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in 2012, an opulent hub that focussed on the three key elements of French beauty: sumptuous skincare, make-up and luxuriant perfumes.
She has taken the olfactive wardrobe and delved creatively deeper to look at translating a concept of vestiary that speaks with hushed haute-luxe cut, mode and texture. There is a world of difference between lambswool and alpaca or ultra-fine cashmere. Silk, Guipure lace, brocade, organza, chiffon and tweed bouclé made famous by Coco Chanel. All of these are considered exclusive fabrics that walk through rarefied air demonstrating a desirability and exclusivity. The materials used are reflected in the completed garment.
Valérie’s exceptionally high-quality perfumes are composed with what are classified by the Atelier Français des Matériaux as grand cru materials such as jasmine, orris, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver, lavender and mimosa. In simple terms this refers to the processes applied to the materials in order to achieve an exceptional quality of olfaction. This can include the terroir of a crop, the harvest, sorting, extraction and distillation methods.
This attention to detail and application of quality is evident in Les Indémodables, the grand cru materials have a truly elegant form and a sense of impact that renders the compositions both sculptural and radiant. There is seductive lustre in the way the materials have been assembled, with perfumers Antoine Lie and Florence Fouillet Dubois using classic perfumery tropes and infusing them with sublime ingredients.
Valérie is adamant about sharing her commitment to the quality of her materials. There are nine eaux de parfums currently in the line, each of them essentially a study of a material ornamented and exalted with deft charm and desire.
If you look at Vanille Havane for example, described as a woody, leather amber scent, the rich varnish hue of the juice is an excellent indication of how this luxurious perfume might smell. We have expectations and preconceptions about how things might smell, it is the way we are wired, thousands of odour profiles filed away in our memories. If you asked people how does vanilla smell to you? The answers would vary from patisserie and syrupy to golden, nutty and comforting.
One of the delights of quality materials is the unexpected, and the Comoros vanilla infusion in Vanille Havane is such a material, so unctuous and trembling, but also smoky, boozy with a charred stickiness as it settles. The grandeur of the perfume is reflection of the vanilla pod, from orchid flower, terroir, leathered sheath and the gorgeous paste scraped from inside a split pod.
The presentation of a perfumed material like this, as a precious textured element is at the heart of Les Indémodables, a treasury of chic, purposeful compositions that have genuine depth and arresting beauty. Each one has a distinctive personality and perfume lovers are sure to find something that dazzles.