Diptyque - Eau Capitale

Eau Capitale is diptyque's first chypre fragrance, reviving a principle conceived over a century ago. Olivier Pescheux, a renowned perfumer and loyal partner of the brand, has painstakingly revived it for the 21st century. As an "abstract," enigmatic perfume, it embodies that slightly aloof elegance associated with the "City of Lights" and Parisian flair. The fragrance opens with the "green of bergamot," whose freshness complements the prevailing sensuality: naturally fruity, yet vibrant and sparkling, brimming with citrusy juiciness. Were pink peppercorns added to evoke the pomanders (clove-studded oranges) that Desmond brought back from England? Or to orchestrate the eagerly anticipated "olfactory serendipity"? Between the flower and the spice stands an exclamation mark, capital and worthy of a capital city.

At the center of the triangle is a bouquet of flowers, excessive in its abundance. The petals are wide open, just before they fade, releasing an intense, candied fragrance of Bulgarian and Turkish roses, as well as ylang-ylang from the Comoros. Without a doubt, François Coty used the Grasse variety of the Centifolia rose (also known as the May rose).

Sadly, it has almost disappeared today, but botanists have succeeded in replacing it with particularly delicate cultivated varieties planted in Eastern Europe. Even the residual water from its distillation, which is also used in Eau Capitale, still exudes a divine fragrance. Ylang-ylang, on the other hand, with its sensual sweetness, is reminiscent of English sweets, of which one can never have enough. A long-lasting fragrance that proves to be a faithful companion. An essence of cinnamon bark provides the subsequent woody notes. Finally, the perfumer takes the liberty of using not lichen, moss, oak, or pine, but patchouli. Its leaves are harvested and distilled in Indonesia, adhering to all ethical principles of sustainable development. Spiced with a facet of "Akigalawood," which arises from an enzymatic reaction of the plant through contact with bacteria. Finally, a touch of "Georgywood" brings in the earthy and dark aspects of vetiver. Rounded off with Ambrofix, with notes of musk, tobacco and grey ambergris…

Good vision is essential for a better sense of smell.
At the beginning of the diptyque saga are brushes, pencils, paints, paper, and canvases. Long before the fragrances, art was what united the brand's founders: Yves, a former student of the École du Louvre; Desmond, who had studied fine arts; and Christiane, a graduate of the Arts Décoratifs. Yves became a set designer, while the other two were already designing upholstery fabrics together. They painted constantly. Knowing this, it becomes clear how important the visual was, and still is, in the conception of their perfumes—because they all tell a story. Each of the three friends had their own area of ​​responsibility within their partnership: Yves was the director, Christiane the artist with ethereal fingers, and Desmond the natural inspirer. It was his responsibility to design labels, packaging, and signatures.

With his ink strokes, he set black against white, sometimes winding, sometimes symmetrical. His typeface was integrated into the iconic oval: his logo, recognizable among thousands. The trio is no longer with us, but their spirit remains. Every new creation offers an opportunity to remember them. For the design of the Eau Capitale bottle, diptyque commissioned Pierre Marie, an ornamentalist (as he calls himself) and long-time collaborator of the house. His overflowing images, strongly reminiscent of Modern Style and English Art Nouveau, read like a novel: from the front to the back of the bottle, from the outside in, as if turning the page to learn more.

The Birth of the Chypre
A closer look reveals a surprising number of connections between diptyque and this brief era around the turn of the century, in addition to the aforementioned bathroom: The swan, then a symbol of feminine grace, has long been present in the brand's iconography and shapes the identity of l'Ombre dans l'Eau. The same is true for the peacock with its incomparable plumage, another symbolic bird from the Belle Époque, which has featured in the panoramic illustration of the l'Eau perfume since 1968. Orientalism was a true passion of the founders Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Gautrot, and Yves Coueslant. English painters and graphic artists such as Arthur Rackham, Aubrey Beardsley, and William Morris inspired Desmond with their indescribably beautiful, stylized illuminated manuscripts, creating the design templates for the vignettes that would later adorn the perfume bottles. Furthermore, at the same time, the art of perfumery reinvented itself through the use of chemical fragrances and entered the modern era. Joseph Marie François Spoturno, better known by his pseudonym François Coty, is considered the founder of this development. What remains of his work? In physical terms, virtually nothing: a few metal containers in a safe in the fragrance archive, the Osmothèque of Versailles. Culturally, however, it forms the foundation of what for decades was considered the pinnacle of "Parisian chic" and rose to become the most famous fragrance structure in perfume history: chypre.

Here's the concept: Chypre is a fragrance architecture derived from the boiling points and evaporation rates of the raw materials used. In chypre, citrus or green notes like bergamot and verbena initially emerge for 5 to 30 minutes. These are then dominated by floral, spicy, or fruity notes such as rose and jasmine, which carry the fragrance for one to several hours. What remains are woody and root accents, gum resin, and absolutes that sometimes last all day: patchouli and oakmoss. The entire composition takes the form of a pyramid, from the top to the base: head, heart, and base.
© For the love of fragrance (p/hb)