Serge Noire, Serge Lutens

Before starting telling you my experience with one more fragrance of Serge Lutens and perfumer Christopher Sheldrake I would like to emphasize that it was not an easy decision to select Serge Noire to review in this next article. Firstly, because it is a mysterious scent, part of Serge Lutens' journey in the Parisian Haute Couture and, consequently, the oniric fashion athmosphere behind the female black suits which can awake a fragrance inspiration, moreover Serge Noire is an outragerous scent with a very good sense in fragrance concept, beautifully contemporaneous in comparison to the mainstream fragrances nowadays and hard to evaluate. 

When I say "hard", understand that it is not only because of its gray incense, dry and spicy scent, an original "ether of ashes",  but because the perfume, for Serge Lutens, is an answer that someone can find and I agree with him. The answer is inside us. Serge Lutens just provides the fragrance based on his experience and then, now it is up to me to find some answer or, at least, some reflection. 

Usually, it takes times to come to life some answers, however in the case of Serge Noire, just be opened to what an artist can create, mainly artists as Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake and then anyone can find more from this olfactive experience. Second, because I know this is the favorite fragrance of Serge Lutens and he took, according to a source as good as gold, 10 years to compose Serge Noire, what means to me an high responsability to review since, in my opinion, his fragrances are a sublime experience under the point of view of creative daring, composition quality and power of opening noses for new fragrant boundaries. 

They always bring to me a type of olfactory laboratory, thinking out of the box and feeling wonderful sensations, connecting them to fragrances frameworks possibilities. 

And last, Serge Noire is very contemplative when is compared to others Serge Lutens fragrances, I mean,  I still don't imagine myself as its addict wearer, however the fragrance revisites my thoughts with memories of the poetry behind Serge Noire, the Phoenix myth references (stunningly released in the press material) and how it would be related to the athmosphere of Serge Lutens creations.

Above all,  Serge Noire contemplation is a delightful self-knowledge process, if you allow yourself to be involved in the fabulous world of Serge Lutens fragrances.

Given an overview about Serge Noire, the fragrance is part of the export Serge Lutens fragrances collection and released in 2008 as an Eau de Parfum Haute Concentration (20%). The fragrance is described as oriental, light, mysterious, luxurious and ethereal and features ethereal notes, patchouli, camphry note, cinnamon, spicies, woody notes and amber. 

After several applications of Serge Noire, it is clear to me that the fragrance has three moments: the first one is surprising and shocking, different from anything that I have ever worn.

There is an incense slightly resinous and animalic which is very sensual and aromatic. My sudden impression is about something provocative but not extremely carnal one. It is not about  sweat naked bodies, but about a dry incense scent with undertones of spicies as blending ashes, cumin and pepper and let this fragrant aura involve ethereal women which are visioned and photographed by Serge Lutens. These ones whose skins are so transparent, so unique.

Later, Serge Noire is rendered by some slightly powdered, still gray resinous incense, adorable spicy hinted with some very discrete vanillic-cinammon chords. That is the second moment.

After the unconventional opening, the fragrant peculiarity created by Lutens and Sheldrake continues more as a peppery incense scent, however at third moment the fragrance opens some smoky-brightness which reminds me of the rebirth of the Phoenix, from the ashes, the bird flies to the sun.

In its development, the initial strong ashes-like chords are involved by some transparent effect on the skin, something luminous as the sun, a skin scent which reminds me also of the touch of light twill fabrics and fragrances based on cashmeran note.

At least, a peculiar but interesting sensation because the quality of dry woods and incense in the composition is high level and the sensual comfort scent is like to dress an elegant black suit (grey-like ashes chords) on a natural skin (light and ethereal chords). Always a contrast which is harmonized by the talent of these artists of the perfumery-art.

What is the best of the fragrance for me? Many things, but I prefer to say that the best is the personal answer I found in Serge Noire.

There is no doubts, that Serge Noire is a fragrance to be contemplated as a concept, first of all. Only staring it under this focus, I could get the most of the perfume, more than technical ingredients and fragrance developments on each skin.

The concept of Phoenix (and I do love myths in Serge Lutens fragrances) and a "guess" about Serge Lutens purposes before creating Serge Noire helped me a lot to be sensitive to this experience (and I previoulsy say sorry for Monsieur Lutens if my thoughts were too far, but I adore to put my heart on unusual fragrances). My personal interpretation is what I tell you below, dear reader, and I wish you can find some answers or, at least, some reflections on the fragrances of this visionaire called Serge Lutens, no matter if they may be right or correct.  There is no right or correct in the world of perfumery, because our personal choices in fragrances will always be our own answers after thinking about where we want to be lead by perfumes.

Serge is a  old name whose etimology is Greek and means a type of twill textile very used in past centuries, fact which I connect to the fashion background behind the creation of Serge Noire and also my insight in smelling some fabric smell as cashmeran-like scent in the dry down of the fragrance, moreover as very clear, Serge is the name of the master for his favorite fragrance.

Serge Lutens  was inspired to compose the perfume after several years working for Dior Haute Couture and captured the elegant scent which is there behind the catwalks and the glamour of black serge clothings and pale complexions, this scent is the most important thing to be noticed even if the fashion world is so glamourous that loses the track of people's essence.

After this experience, Serge Lutens followed his journey to Shiseido and put his talent on an incredible beauty  world where his female images are japanese-inspired and look like smoky mysterious, ethereal and untouchable women; a new way of picturing the female universe and also the fashion beauty in his career. A transformation. So this scent is, under my sensitive view, the important essence captured by Serge Lutens, the smell  which is under the black serge suits of women and also a scent which would evoke his new steps, evoking the real essence when picturing the beauty in Shiseido, evoking the noire and the flight of Phoenix, which may be Serge Lutens in person.

The release of the fragrance has a gorgeous presentation, the mythical one: "A phoenix, the mythical bird of legend burns at the height of its splendour before emerging triumphant, reborn from the ashes in a choreography of flame, conjuring the shapes of yesterday in a dance of ashes. The swirls of oriental grey enrich the twilight with depth and intensity while windswept memories hint at the beauty of transformation. An ode to everlasting beauty under the cover of night's rich plumage". 

When I read it, I start to think that, in terms of fragrance, it is amazing to realize that the scent, as the rebirth of Phoenix, starts as a burning incense, ashes smell and softly brightens as a twill serge texture, a junction of  the black suit and the white skin, the Phoenix and the sun, the fashion garment and the person's essence, and most of all, the conceptual beauty which represents the Lutensian perfumery, joining to the fragrance the transformation which is also my answer.

Indeed, Serge Noire is very inspirational because I see Serge Lutens perfumery as a type of Phoenix myth, as an ode to the beauty which is in depth and not in the artificiality of the perfume massification.

A niche perfumery which symbolizes the rebirth in this fragrance industry, the possibility of change and of finding perfumes which are real answers, contemplating the beautiful of being back always with a new Phoenix in a bottle, being a Phoenix wearing myself.

For purchasing information, visit Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal

Phoenix myth: Mythology A bird in Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes (Source: The free dictionary)

Images: shaorang, A Silly Person, treefell, frielp

Author: Cristiane Gonçalves (crisgonc)
Fragrantica Member