On the Côte d’Azur, light is not simply seen, it is felt. For Véronique Gabai, it becomes a language expressed through scent, texture, and emotion.
In collaboration with Kelly Rutherford, the Riviera-born perfumer introduces Rose Première, a perfume collaboration by Véronique Gabai and Kelly Rutherford, a $360 fragrance shaped by a shared belief in energy, memory, and emotional connection.
The partnership begins in Grasse. There, the two select Rose de Mai at dawn. The moment captures what Rutherford describes as the essence of love in its most immediate form. “To me, scent creates healing and connection,” she says. “It feels joyful, uplifting, and deeply personal.”
The release extends beyond fragrance into object and ritual. A $195 rose quartz necklace, Le Spritz, serves as both adornment and vessel. It allows the wearer to carry scent close to the skin. At the highest tier, a $2,000 18-karat gold Monaco set transforms the perfume bottle into fine jewelry.
Gabai draws on more than two decades in the upper tiers of beauty. Her career includes leadership roles at L’Oréal, Guerlain, and Estée Lauder Companies. Since founding her brand in 2019, she has focused on translating the sensory richness of the Côte d’Azur into fragrance, beauty, and jewelry.
“I wanted to capture the intensity of light, color, and scent that defines the Riviera,” Gabai says. “There is a generosity in that environment, a balance between nature, culture, and glamour.”
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That philosophy extends to the brand’s tactile identity. The packaging draws on Mediterranean cues: sunlit gold, sea blues, and soft whites. Materials include polished glass, textured caps, and embossed papers. Each element invites touch and encourages reuse.
The broader collection reflects this layered approach. Scents such as Lumière d’Iris, Cap d’Antibes, and Jasmin de Minuit explore different moods and settings. Wearers can adjust each fragrance with “boosters,” shifting between brightness and depth.
In Première Rose, that philosophy becomes more intimate. The fragrance does not seek to redefine the category. It refines it. What remains is something quieter and more personal, a presence that lingers well beyond the moment.
