As the house of Issey Miyake launches its new fragrance for men, Le Sel d’Issey, after three decades, we spoke to the perfumer Quentin Bisch about the inspiration behind the fragrance and who is it for
By Sukriti Shahi
Fresh, captivating, and rejuvenating,
Issey Miyake’s new fragrance smells like a beach vacation tucked away in a quaint but beautiful corner of the world. With notes that are refreshing and sensuous at the same time, Issey Miyake launches its first ever fragrance in 30 years and it’s special, “I felt a particular pressure for this project because we had to look for a new signature blend, to differentiate ourselves while respecting the DNA of Issey Miyake,” says Quentin Bisch, the perfumer behind the new fragrance, Le Sel d’Issey. Imagine being on a beach with waves touching your feet, fresh air ruffling through your hair, and the sound of waves calming you down–while we interpret Le Sel d’Issey in our own way, Bisch takes us through the idea behind the blend of notes, the packaging, and how fragrances help us connect with memories.
It took three decades for the fragrance to launch, in your opinion, how is it special?
The inspiration behind creating Le Sel d’Issey is to create the smell of that exact transition point that exists between land and sea, when the waves recede. The memory of the water left on the earth; the salt deposited like an imprint. Launched 30 years after L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme, Le Sel is a tribute to today’s masculinity, reconnected to its senses, conjuring up the image of a beneficent nature that transmits to men the impetus, drive and desire to live intensely.
What kind of men this fragrance complements?
To every human being, in its universality, in connection with the elements and natural movements inherent in the cycles of life. And more prosaically, a man looking for a perfume perfectly balanced between freshness and sensuality.
What is your interpretation of taking inspiration from salt, which essentially has no smell?
Issey Miyake perfumes have always been powerful perfumes. We had to respect the brand and live up to it. It is by working on the contrast within the note that I was able to give the salt all its vibration, momentum, and strength. It is a perfume in tension, which gives the illusion of vibrating eternally, like the uninterrupted movement of the wave.
Do you believe that fragrances have a strong connection with nostalgia?
Perfume is a memory, whether it’s a happy one or not. It can evoke important emotions in any person, thanks to the power of smell.
If fragrances could transport us to another place, where would Le Sel d’Issey take us?
At that exact transition point that exists between land and sea, when the waves recede.
“It is a perfume in tension, which gives the
illusion of vibrating eternally, like the
uninterrupted movement of the wave”
—Quentin Bisch, Perfumer
How has the concept of wearing fragrance changed over the last few decades?
The application of perfume is something personal but also cultural. Some people like to apply it on their hair, others on their wrists or behind the ears. Some even use specific techniques too. Lately, hair mists have become popular among people.
With this launch, what are you looking forward to?
I worked thinking about what Mr Miyake might think of this work and I hope he would have liked it. It seems to me that he could have validated the work on the bottle. The perfume reflects and embodies the purity of the bottle, the light passes through the glass with such fluidity, the movement intrinsically linked to the design affirming the freedom of the lines.
If you could create a fragrance for a popular personality or celebrity, who would you do it for, what would you create, and why?
There are many! I would say Jeanne Balibar, the French actress, to try to find and create a fragrance that will highlight her personality and charisma. It could also be Mélanie Thierry, also a French actress, to try to embody her beauty in fragrance. And then Björk because the project by itself would necessarily be exceptional.
Reproduced with permission from Mansworldindia.com
