So, orchid accords in perfumery are considered fantasy because we cannot extract anything from orchids to make perfumes. The only orchid that produces a material for modern perfumery is vanilla.

But I have been obsessed with orchids since I was a child, and when learning perfumery, of course, I had to dab on creating something that would take me back to the perfume of orchids on our patio.

I created Element Orchid Light from memory, availing myself of orchids I cultivate at home today. The particular species Dendrobium nobile is one of the most fragrant, and many of the volatile molecules present in its perfume are available in the market. It just takes time to perfect the right proportions to create a fragrance that is close to the scent of the live flowers.

I don't like quick 'n cheap reproductions. I took some time to arrive at a concoction that I would be proud of, sufficiently diffusive and ethereal at the same time, like the real flowers.

I also don't like working with inexpensive materials, or those that would be relatively easy to find, which is what happens in most orchid accords out there. Since they are fantasy accords, perfumers have a great deal of freedom to create what they would consider or call an "orchid accord."

This fragrance was created with some rare materials that help convey the fragrance of these orchids on a Summer evening, just like I remember them from childhood, and just like they smell today in my conservatory.

The collage was created by the wonderfully talented Sèbastien Le Nôtre, an extraordinary artist who is descended from Le Nôtre, the gardener who made Versailles gardens a world sensation.

RHR