Patrice Revillard drew this flower in August 2017, less than a year before Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Extrait de parfum was revealed at Esxence 2018. Here it is, with Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de parfum, to celebrate a new masterpiece. Drawing ©Patrice Revillard, bottle ©Jacques Fath and photo montage ©Emmanuelle Varron.
My first memory of Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Extrait de parfum was on April 10th. There was an exciting roundtable organized on the “Natural and synthetic raw materials” theme, with Cartier in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent and Parfum d’Empire founder and perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato as speakers. Perfumer Patrice Revillard was present, a small vial in his hands, which he showed discreetly, surrounded by several friends. Having known him for a few years, I decided to approach him to find out why. I don’t think he had a blotter with him; but I remember very well that he sprayed this mysterious perfume on my wrist: “It’s Jacques Fath l’Iris de Fath that we just presented at Esxence. It is an Extrait that will be available in a limited series and in a small size.”
Rania Naim Jacques Fath Artistic Director and perfumer Patrice Revillard – ©Jacques Fath and ©Patrice Revillard, collage ©Emmanuelle Varron
I remember my reaction; it was a real shock! For the first time in my life, a perfume where the iris was featured did not turn bad on my skin. Usually, a disturbing smell of papier-mâché would always come out when I put my nose on it. I thought I was lost for the iris… well, no! Here, I could finally savor the powdery facets with vintage accents that had been refused to me until then. A timeless elegance, a return to what I call “la belle parfumerie”. I owe to Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Extrait de parfum the revelation that I could finally wear and engage myself in the discovery of this noble raw material in order to explore all the wonderful fragrances that celebrate it. What a part of perfumery I had missed! Of course, I haven’t lost any of my enthusiasm since. Better still, the iris has become one of my “reference” raw materials.
Claude Monet 1900 Giverny’s artist garden – ©Musée d’Orsay / Hervé Lewandowski
I was aware that a new version of Fath Iris de Fath was in the works a few years ago: actually, it took Patrice Revillard four years to create L’Eau de Parfum version. The idea was not to make a more affordable flanker (L’Extrait de parfum is €1,470 for 30 ml) but a perfume with its own personality, rewrote, with its august elder Jacques Fath Iris Gris state of mind. I was impatient to discover this olfactive wonder and thanks to an invitation from Jacques Fath’s Artistic Director Rania Naim to the brand’s studio in December 2022, my wait was finally rewarded. But I couldn’t say anything, until now. Apart from a few initiated friends who had also been able to discover Jacques Fath Iris de Fath L’Eau de Parfum in preview and whose enthusiasm I shared. And (kindly) being the envy of those who had not this chance.
Vintage Jacques Fath Iris Gris, in a miniature version bottle I was able to smell thanks to a friend – ©Emmanuelle Varron.
Esxence 2023 was an opportunity for Rania Naim and Patrice Revillard to officially present this new fragrance. I was so happy to finally smell it openly that I visited the booth every single day of the fair; the atmosphere was joyful as the team was so proud of the brand’s new creations (Jacques Fath Jasmin de Toscane, created by IFF Vice President of Perfumery Jean-Christophe Hérault, was also showcased). Many visitors wanted to evaluate this still luxurious but more accessible version (€265 for 30 ml) and left won over. Quite logically, I made it one of my “Esxence 2023 Best in Show“. And as it has just been released, I am delighted to tell you a little more about it.
That is the picture AI creates when you ask for “The most beautiful iris in the world” – © Midjourney / Emmanuelle Varron.
Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de Parfum is revealed from the very first seconds with precious notes of iris enveloping the sweetness of a peach whose fluffy skin is more noticeable than its pulp. Time stops. A status quo impression, however misleading because slowly, the violet leaf intensifies the powdery facet already present. The carnation brings a spicy touch that warms up the composition. The iris selected by Patrice Revillard was obtained using the Orriscience© technology developed by Firmenich, where the rhizome is as close as possible to its olfactory reality, by optimizing the development process of irone (the molecule which constitutes the iris odorous principle). Here it is majestic, sovereign, skillfully enhanced over the minutes by a rich floral bouquet composed of violet, jasmine, lilac, rose and ylang-ylang. Each of these flowers delivers its own facet (tender, suave, fresh and sophisticated) thanks to a meticulous blending, bringing their most beautiful notes without stealing the show from the iris. Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de Parfum is a complex construction of disarming, timeless simplicity. Constantly evolving on the skin, its shades bloom endlessly. The vetiver brings a woody density that gives a youthful touch to this fragrance that respects all the codes of the masterpieces. Tonka bean, benzoin and musk, which assert themselves after an hour, offer a touch of sensuality that is not necessarily predictable, but surely “iris-istible”. This is a perfume that took passion, time and commitment to its composition and to the selection of raw materials. True art has the ability to make beauty even more beautiful.
Notes: bergamot, peach, violet leaf absolute, iris butter, carnation, lilac, violet, Turkish rose absolute, Egyptian jasmine absolute, ylang ylang, Bourbon vetiver, tonka bean, benzoin, musk.
Disclaimer: A big merci to Jacques Fath for L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de parfum sample provided for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Emmanuelle Varron, Senior Editor and Paris Brand Ambassador
Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de parfum 30 ml bottle – ©Jacques Fath.
Thanks to Jacques Fath and Rania Naim, we have a 30 ml bottle of L’Iris de Fath L’Eau de parfum for one registered reader in USA, UK and EU. To be eligible, YOU MUST REGISTER. Please tell how you feel about Emmanuelle’s review and where you live. Draw closes 05/13/2023.
Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath Eau de parfum has just been launched on the brand’s website and will be very, very soon available on Jovoy Paris’s website.
Please read the review and article that editor-in-chief Michelyn Camen devoted to Jacques Fath L’Iris de Fath L’Extrait de parfum in Esxence 2018 “Best in Show”.
From our Young Perfumer Series: Patrice Revillard
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