In Grasse, light clings to a bottle like a star. Novae Vanilla, the new creation from Atelier Des Ors, celebrates the first decade of this unique house, which in ten years has established itself as a maverick in niche perfumery. Its founder, Jean-Philippe Clermont, who comes from the world of cigars and gilding, advocates an intuitive approach: ‘Novae Vanilla is a quest for balance, truth and intrinsic beauty. It is touching the harmony of the universe with your fingertips.’
At Atelier Des Ors, gold is a common thread. Present in each bottle in the form of 24-carat gold flakes, it symbolises perfection, light and the transmission of craftsmanship. ‘You can't imagine a great chef serving an unattractive plate. The bottle is the first contact with beauty, the expression of an idea,’ he says.
Ateliers Des Ors, a perfume house guided by gold and instinct
Since 2015, the house's creations have combined stories and materials: Lune Féline (dark and animalistic vanilla), Bois Sikar (reminiscent of cigars and whisky), Blue Madeleine (olfactory memory of a grandmother) and Nuda Veritas, inspired by Gustav Klimt and the Vienna Secession, which has become a best-seller. ‘We wanted to create a total work of art, like an olfactory triptych,’ says Clermont.
For Novae Vanilla, he reunited with his long-time collaborator, perfumer Marie Salamagne. "I come with images, music, emotions. We share before we even talk about materials. ‘ Together, they revisited the original vanilla: brighter, more solar. A trio of rare vanillas, blue, Bourbon and Madagascar, blends with mimosa, the golden flower of the Grasse region. ’Mimosa is the sun, it is the star. It was obvious to link it to our history," says the creator.
Novae Vanilla: the quest for the golden ratio
Everything in this fragrance is symbolic. The crossed ‘O’ in Novae evokes the Greek letter phi, the golden ratio, the perfect proportion found in art and nature. ‘It's the balance we seek to achieve in life as well as in creation,’ he sums up.
This quest for harmony is also fuelled by memory. In 2024, Blue Madeleine, a tribute to his grandmother, earned the brand the Best Niche Fragrance award in Milan. ‘These were the smells of my childhood kitchen: rhubarb tart, pear jam, custard.’
At Atelier des Ors, perfume is never just a simple olfactory accord. It is a story, an emotion, a light. "A perfume is a work of craftsmanship and spirit. An object made to amaze, to transport and, perhaps, to touch a form of eternity. "
Novae Vanilla, Atelier Des Ors, price: €270 for 100 ml
Composition: Mimosa absolute, trio of vanillas (blue, Bourbon, Madagascar), amber woods, musk
Translated by Bethszabee Garner
