In 1921, Jacques Guerlain unveiled a perfume that might change into some of the iconic on the earth of perfumery, Shalimar. Encased in a surprising Baccarat crystal bottle, this intoxicating scent captivated France through the Roaring Twenties, feeding a rising fascination with the mystique of the East. At this time, it stays a cornerstone of Guerlain’s legacy, promoting 108 bottles each hour throughout the globe and is just second to its best-selling perfume after La Petite Gown Noire.
A love story in a bottle
The inspiration for Shalimar traces again to the grand romance of Seventeenth-century India. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was deeply dedicated to his spouse, Mumtaz Mahal, for whom he created the breathtaking Shalimar Gardens. When she handed away, he honored her reminiscence with the Taj Mahal, a logo of everlasting love. This poignant story discovered its technique to Jacques Guerlain via a visiting maharajah in Paris. Moved by the emperor’s devotion, he got down to craft a fragrance worthy of an empress, one which exuded ardour, thriller, and opulence.
Because the jazz age thrived and Paris embraced the unique, Jacques Guerlain sought to seize the essence of this new period. He started experimenting by including ethylvanillin, an artificial vanilla compound, to Jicky, certainly one of Guerlain’s present perfumes. The outcome was a wealthy, heady mix infused with deep oriental notes. To finish the composition, he launched opulent substances: velvety vanilla, sensual sandalwood, resinous benzoin, iris, patchouli, incense, and tonka bean. The result was one thing extraordinary, Shalimar, an audaciously sensual perfume not like something earlier than it.
A bottle as iconic because the scent
Shalimar’s luxurious aroma demanded an equally breathtaking presentation. Raymond Guerlain, Jacques’ cousin, designed a sublime flacon impressed by the cascading swimming pools of Mughal gardens. The crowning jewel was a deep blue, fan-shaped Baccarat crystal stopper, tied with a fragile silk thread and sealed with wax.
The bottle’s design was so distinctive that it received the Worldwide Ornamental Arts Exhibition Award in Paris in 1925.
A perfume that stands the check of time
For practically a century, Shalimar has remained a logo of sophistication and attract. Through the years, it has been reinterpreted by artists and visionaries, from legendary illustrators like Cassandre to photographers akin to Helmut Newton, Jean-Paul Goude, and Peter Lindbergh. In 2008, Paolo Roversi’s iconic marketing campaign that includes Russian mannequin Natalia Vodianova redefined sensuality, echoing Serge Gainsbourg’s lyrics, “She’s not carrying something, other than somewhat essence of Guerlain in her hair.”
Even right now, Shalimar continues to evolve. In 2011, Guerlain’s grasp perfumer Thierry Wasser launched Shalimar Parfum Preliminary, a contemporary interpretation that softened the perfume’s extra intense notes whereas retaining its legendary spirit.
By way of many years of reinvention, Shalimar stays greater than only a fragrance, it’s a legacy of affection, artwork, and timeless seduction.
