À la page Crosscurrents Aromatic dash Intheburgeoningmarketofmen’s fragrances,onlyinexistenceforsome90yearsorso,eau deCologneandlavenderhavelongbeenTrojanhorses. Popularwithhairdressersandbarbers,theyenvelopmen withaplumeofacceptablescents.Asforrose,gardeniaand patchouli,theyhaveremainedsolidlyinthefemalerealm. Inthelastfewyears,undertheimpetusofalchemistswith theirlabvials,thedomainshaveoverlapped,andboldnew scentsarenowthenorm.Themostrecentisanextravagant versionofDior’ssignaturemen’sfragrance:Sauvage.Worn foryearsbyitsmuse,JohnnyDepp,thisperfumesuccess- fullyembedsitssulfurousnotesintoaworldoftattoosand wolves,thedesert,guitarriffsandsunsets.Butinitsnew manifestation,calledElixir,Demachydecidedtodistillit further,winnowingoutafewofitskeyelements. “IonlywantedtokeeptheessenceofSauvage,”hesays. “IthenrealizedwhatIbelievedtobecrucialtothefra- grance’soverallstructurewasnot,infact,essential. Ithoughtthebergamotwasirreplaceable—thenIeliminated it.Andthisboostedthedissonance,yetretainedthetwist. Ikeptthewoody,spicynotes,butwiththebergamotgone, hadtoaccentuatethepresenceoflavender.”Andhere’s theresult.Thisprocesscanbebestdescribedinthewords ofachefwho,whendiscussingthemagicofhisart,talks about“reduction.” Elixirisstillapowerfulscent,withablendofover 25 elements;itscomplexityisfarfromwhatcouldbefound inourgrandmothers’cabinets.Itsessenceisround,sweet, nearlyunsettlingwithitsdominantlicoricescent.“Iinten- tionallymadethefragranceimperfect,soitsrichscents Inanutshell,it’sanexaggeration.”JustlikeDepp,filmedby andpowerfulconcentrationwouldbedisturbing,”added Jean-BaptisteMondinointheadcampaignforElixir. Demachy.“Inshort,it’ssoconcentratedit’soverthetop. Wrappedaroundhisguitar,pluckingoutroughchords, hecreatesfeedbackloopsthatcareenthroughawildnight ofrock’n’roll.Abitlikeasoundbarrier. A collective venture Sight,smell,sound,touch—there’s allthatinlavender.Forafullimmersion,perhapsit’s necessaryforustoalsocarryoutareduction.Hencethis article;ratherthanreadit,smellitfromstarttofinish.Eyes closed,inhalingdeeply.Captivatedbyitsnarcoticpower, wewouldbesuddenlypropelledtotheLagarde-d’Apt plateau,alongsidethemostimportantpeopleinthissaga. ThesewouldbeStéphane,thefarmer;hissonJohannis, whofollowedinhisfather’sfootsteps;PaulEsmieu, hisyear-roundfarmlaborer;PhilippeSoguel,hisbuyer, determinedtoextractfromthislavenderwhatittakesto fuelthefurnacesofhisdistilleryinNyons;andfinally,the aesthete,theartist,thedesignerandconductor,Demachy. Bylisteningclosely,placinganeardirectlyatopthesmall sachetoflavenderslippedbetweenthesheetsandinhaling deeply,itcouldverywellbepossibletocapturethewords ofStéphanethelavenderfarmer.Standingsolidlygazingout overthepurplish-bluefieldsunderanazuresky,youcould hearhimdeclaim,withsometimesatouchofwearinessin thefaceofsomucheffort:“Thetruthisthatwe,thefarmers, areatthebottomoftheladder.”TowhichDemachy,aware oftheimportanceofmanuallaborincollectiveprojects, respondswithanelegancederivedfromtheelixir:“No, you’renotatthebottom;youarethefirst.” FrançoisDemachy,parfumeur-créateurdelamaisonDior. FrançoisDemachy,Dior’sperfumecreator.