It is the most exclusive of vibes. The stellar aroma. Every woman changes with a bit of Monsieur Pogle on her pulse points. Everyone has their preferred Pogle and go-to special occasion Exclusif. Nothing is as inimitable as Chanel.
Be it Sycomore, Les Beiges, Coromandel , 31 Rue Carbon or 1924 Cuir de Russie. All are distinctive and memorable. All benevolent presences.
All the scents in the Exclusive collection have a definite connection back to Gabrielle Chanel herself. The latest is “Le Lion de Chanel”. The lion was her totem. “I am a Leo, and, like a lion, I use my claws to prevent people from doing me harm”, she once said. Her love of lions was so strong that she surrounded herself with bronze, alabaster, and silver homages to the wild animal throughout her 31 Rue Cambon apartment in Paris. This was inspired by a trip to Venice following the death of Boy Capel. Lions are on engraved buttons on Chanel’s tweed suits or on the clasps of her bags. She is even buried under a tombstone watched over by five mighty lions. She designed it herself.
The newly launched $350 “Le Lion de Chanel” by the famous French perfume house is “a fragrance characterized by strength and charm, luxury and elegance.”
Says its creator: “This isn’t about a wild beast – it’s a sophisticated, elegant, regal creature that doesn’t need to roar to command respect. Notes of fiery black pepper and dazzling citrus are sparked by animalistic resin and rich amber, wrapped in smooth vanilla, creamy sandalwood, and musky raw patchouli. The spirit of a lion, coated in Chanel.”
Olivier Polge’s previous Exclusifs include Boy and Misia. He adds “What interested me, and the common denominator is a certain notion of power that is always conveyed with elegance.”
But there is nothing feral about Le Lion. Although Polge says the patchouli is “untamed” and earthy. It has “solar effects” of lemon and bergamot. The key essence is cistus labdanum, a resin from a Mediterranean flowering plant. Polge says he wanted “to concentrate its effects and intensify its velvety and leather facets. And I used an infusion of vanilla from Madagascar, made in-house with exceptional beans. These two ingredients contribute to the sophistication of the fragrance and are what render it inimitable.”
Chanel was founded in 1909. Pogle became its house perfumer in 2013. He has created perfumes for Burberry, Cacharel, Emanuel Ungaro, Jill Sander, Gianfranco Ferre, Salvatore Ferragamo, Viktor & Rolf, Christian Dior, Bvlgari, and many more. His other Chanel perfume includes Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Intense (2018), Chanelle Gabrielle (2017), Chanel Paris-Biarritz (2018), and Chanel Paris-Riviera (2019).
A new range of Rouge Allure Velvet Le Lion click-up lipsticks accompanies the perfume, a limited-edition collection with lion-embossed lids in face-brightening luminous matte shades (€38, limited edition).
