In a world where so many creators of fragrances remain anonymous, the fact that Jean-Claude Ellena’s name is so frequently attached to his perfumes provides fragrance fans the opportunity to join in his artistic explorations. Ellena is a man of themes and variations. He introduces a theme in one scent, such as the initial juicy shock of an overripe mango in Un jardin sur le nil, and continues to vary and develop theme within a different context in a subsequent perfume, the suggestion of juicy overripeness in the drydown of Eau de Pamplemousse Rose.
My favorite of Ellena’s themes and variations occurs with two of his lesser known perfumes each created for a different perfume house. His Osmanthus by the Different Company, an outfit Ellena created before joining Hermès, came first. The eponymous Asian flower continued to provide inspiration when he subsequently created Osmanthe Yunnan for Hermès. In both of these fragrances the delicate citrus notes of the flower play a leading role. Osmanthus is very simply a reproduction of the plant following its botanical processes starting with the warm sunshine, which causes chemical reactions within the leaves giving energy to the buds that gradually unfurl and produce their enticing scent. Osmanthe Yunnan is somewhat more refined and more removed from the actual flower itself because with this version Ellena has paired the floral scent with the creamy, earthy flavor of tea. On skin this pairing comes alive: it is one of the first warm, sunny days of spring and you sitting in an Adirondack chair underneath a giant budding tree sipping a freshly brewed infusion.
Theme and Variations November 19, 2009
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