French haute parfumerie Henry Jacques celebrates the inaugural harvest of its first proprietary rose breed with an exclusive and prestigious trio of perfumes
While some may see a rose simply as a flower, to a dedicated perfumer, it reveals a rich tapestry of significance. Each delicate petal holds a narrative woven from the threads of history, culture, and the potential for an aromatic masterpiece. Often associated with love and desire, the rose bears the burden of its thorns, embodying a mix of intricacies and paradoxes. For esteemed French perfumers like those at Henry Jacques, the rose is akin to a precious mosaic of scent elements, even a “language” all on its own.
In Spring 2023, Mother Nature caught Henry Jacques by surprise. The first attempt to grow roses on the land of its new atelier in La Motte, a small historical town in the South of France, resulted in a new breed of rosa centifolia (also known as Rose de Mai) that the house’s perfumers had never encountered before. The harvest yielded an unprecedented approximately 4,000kg of flowers, four times the usual weight for a plot of a similar size.
Anne-Lise Cremona, CEO and second generation of Henry Jacques’ founding family, could barely contain her joy and excitement. She credits this huge blessing from nature to the painstaking efforts, among other things, put in by the caretakers of the rose plantation — two families who have been growing and harvesting roses for around seven generations — for the perfumer’s very first “in-house” rose. As the plot of land was previously used as a vineyard, the properties of the terroir (the unique combination of environmental factors including soil type, topography, climate, and local microclimate) could have well played a part in the creation of Henry Jacques’ unique rose.
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Quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince: “It’s the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important,” Cremona said during her recent visit to Singapore to present Henry Jacques’ latest Collection de l’Atelier. “When you extend love to the Earth, you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts. And in this abundant harvest, we find ourselves truly blessed.”
In this new rose, Henry Jacques saw boundless potential and did what it does best — composing a symphony of scent, while paying homage to the wonders of nature.
Henry Jacques describes the 2023 Rose de Mai absolute as having notes of honey that gradually transition into herbaceous tones, with an unexpected twist of spiciness emerging over time. Surprisingly, the components of its fragrance share similar molecules with Ceylonese cinnamon. A trio of perfumes was created out of the intense absolutes extracted from the entire yield of Henry Jacques’ Rose de Mai harvest, each an interpretation of the purity, playfulness and trailblazing spirit that this rose evokes, and presented in the form of an essence — the concentrated form of the fragrance extracted from natural materials, and also one of the oldest ways of wearing perfume.
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The three exquisite fragrances each capture a unique facet of the Henry Jacques Rose de Mai breed. First, Rose Très Rose aims to encapsulate the purity and distinct essence of this bloom. Its initial appearance is slightly cloudy, with inclusions reminiscent of gold flakes — the result of natural crystallisation from the essence, adding an enchanting allure. Second is Rose Soleil, radiating a playful warmth with spicy undertones. Delicately balanced notes of clove, sandalwood, patchouli, and ylang-ylang intertwine to create a fragrance that is both memorable and full of character. Finally, Rose Azur breaks convention with unexpected dry, woody, and zesty accents, challenging traditional perceptions of rose scents. Remarkably gender-neutral and suitable for both men and women, it offers a fresh perspective on the timeless aroma of roses.
Drawing inspiration from a numbered lithograph by Joan Miro which adorned her living room, Cremona decided to create just 500 sets of this trio of perfumes, naming it Collection de l’Atelier, after the French name for an artist’s studio. For art collectors, owning a lithograph is akin to possessing a fragment of art history — not just art itself. The historical context of the lithograph adds significance to the artwork, metaphorically serving as a time portal connecting its owner to the moment when the artwork was created.
Similarly, this limited edition of fragrances offers an inspired tribute to the passion and creativity that define the world of Henry Jacques haute parfumerie. As the yield and characteristics of each year’s rose harvest is unpredictable, this exceptional trio of rose fragrances will never be reproduced. The Collection de l’Atelier will transcend eras and evoke precious olfactory memories of the inaugural harvest of the Henry Jacques rose in 2023. Offered as a trio in a handcrafted chest, the limited edition Collection de l’Atelier by Henry Jacques retails at $14,220.
