There are things only the French can do.

Arriving in style for a product launch on a Parisian morning in terrible traffic, looking like they've just returned from a weekend trip to the French Riviera.

At least that's what Frédéric Malle does when he arrives on his Vespa for the launch of his brand's new perfume in the Marais district.

His cobalt blue suit echoes the blue hue of the scooter, his haircut fits even after he's removed his helmet, and the scent of the perfume we're about to talk about is already wafting about him.

Maria Wiesner

Style Coordinator.

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It's called "Uncut Gem" and is already the third collaboration with the perfumer Maurice Roucel.

Malle founded his company to introduce the artists behind the fragrances and to give them as much creative freedom as possible.

In 2000, for example, Roucel created a fragrance venture for Malle with "Musc Ravageur", which was completely based on sensual, oriental notes.

Since the fragrances at Malle are always created in dialogue with the perfumers, the two now sit next to each other during the conversation.

When asked how the new fragrance came about, the two men tease each other briefly as to whose initiative this perfume is due to.

Then Malle says: “Maurice Roucel always smells fantastic because he has this fragrance that he created for himself.

And I persuaded him

give me this perfume and play with it a little.

So that his fragrance remains unique, but we were able to make this perfume out of it.” The fresh and spicy notes of the original have been retained, he continues, but complemented with warm amber notes, which now result in a sensual leather tone.

When you talk to Malle, you very quickly get talking about perfume history.

Here, too, he gets enthusiastic about the quality of the ingredients: "In the past 45 years, there has been a race with these woody amber notes in perfume production, the manufacturers have pushed it further and further in this direction and now we have notes that are in the would have blown our noses in the 70's because they're so strong and lively and good.

The best comes from Symrise, Ambrocenide Crystal, and there's plenty of that in the perfume.”

"It was fantastic back then"

Roucel is also enthusiastic about this, after all he is a trained chemist and has spent years dealing with this side of fragrance production.

Next to Malle he seems calm, almost shy, but when he talks about the nature of the scent molecules, he warms up.

“I was still an intern when I experienced this molecule for the first time.

An older colleague let me smell it on a test strip and even then it was fantastic.

Very exciting,” says Roucel and then describes the long process until this new ingredient was also approved for use.

"It's a bit like in medicine: you can only use it once all the tests have been completed," he says.