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Product description

A realistic gardenia scent that can be worn by everyone, recreating the scent of boutonnières and French colognes wafting through the Belle Époque foyer of the Opéra Comique in Paris in 1899. Known as the "Opera Flower" the gardenia was the choice bloom for black tie during the Belle Époque, worn by dandies and beloved by their admirers. Our composition features notes of: Lavender, bergamot, Italian mandarin, gardenia jasminoides/gardenia citriodora duo, genet absolute, vetiver and oakmoss.

A naturalist fragrance declaring the elegance of a single flower worn on a gentleman’s lapel. Crisp, elegant & sophisticated.

Our bottles are of the highest Italian quality with our signature ‘A’ engraved metal cap, as well as the newest technology for an invisible spray tube.

History

May 1899, Foyer of the Opéra-Comique, Paris
During the Opera’s intermission, a group of seven young men gather at the Grand Foyer in search of new flirtations. Women of all sorts are lured in by the crisp, green scent of the men’s gardenia boutonnieres, enlivened with the bergamot and lavender colognes they wear. As they draw closer, the “Opera Flower” exudes its elegant masculinity, the last breath of a bloom sacrificed on a black-tie lapel.

Developed with Rodrigo Flores-Roux

TOP NOTES:

French lavender

Calabrese bergamot

Italian mandarin 

HEART NOTES:

Gardenia Jasminoides / Gardenia citriodora duo

Genet absolute

Violet leaf absolute 

BASE NOTES:

Labdanum

Vetiver essence

Croatian oakmoss

Castoreum 

 

A naturalist fragrance declaring the elegance of a single flower worn on a gentleman’s lapel. Crisp, elegant & sophisticated.

Eau de Parfum. Large 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz. bottle of the highest Italian quality with our signature ‘A’ engraved metal cap, as well as the newest technology for an invisible spray tube.

 

- White flower boutonnières are generally preferred for Black-Tie because of their elegant contrast. Gardenias are top choice for men, as they delight women with their scent. During the Belle Époque, they became known as the “Opera flower”.

- In 1899, a man would select a fresh boutonnière in much the same way he would wear a freshly laundered shirt or a pair of polished shoes. Its glory lay in its fragility; it was picked, worn in the buttonhole and allowed to die.

- In the glory days of the Opéra-Comique, the Grand Foyer was one of the most exciting meeting points of the Parisian elite; champagne would flow with conversation, flirting and gossip.

- The existing Opéra-Comique was officially re-opened in December 1898. It saw the premieres of composers such as Massenet, Debussy, Puccini and Ravel. The beaux-art decoration of the Grand Foyer consists of frescoed walls, gilded woodwork and for the first time, electric chandeliers; the slightly smoky base of Boutonniere no.7 evokes the crowd gathered during intermission.

 

ABOUT CARLOS HUBER

Drawn to architecture and history, and a passionate traveler since young, Carlos Huber first pursued the study of architecture and historic preservation at prestigious universities in Mexico City, Paris and New York, where he graduated with honors in Historic Preservation at Columbia University. His diverse experience includes meticulous residential and commercial projects as well as art installations concerned with the interpretation of historic sites.

Turning to his longtime love of perfumery, Huber studied fragrance development and collaborated with internationally recognized noses to create ARQUISTE®, uniting his love for the world of scent, historical research, and design.

Since its foundation, Huber has worked with perfumers like Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Calice Becker and Yann Vasnier and has garnered acclaim as a fragrance designer, winning awards from the Fragrance Foundation and Fashion Group International.

In addition to ARQUISTE®, Huber has developed fragrances for brands such as Trudon, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, J.Crew, El Palacio de Hierro, Vacation Inc, Tequila Clase Azul and The Sabah Dealer.

His creations are transportive, layered and signature.

*Please note item cannot be shipped internationally*

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