Year: 2000
Notes: mandarin, melon, coriander, pepper, nutmeg, violet, rose, jasmine, plum, leather, cedar, vetiver
Originally created in the 1950s, by the late Edmond Roudnistka, Le Parfum de Thérèse was a well-kept secret – previously never commercially available and named after his wife, Thérèse, who was the only person allowed to wear it at the time.
As Frédéric Malle had relished this fragrance throughout his childhood, years later, he sought permission from the Roudnistka family to release it commercially. Interestingly enough, without their consent, this French niche house would never have come to be, as Malle considered Le Parfum de Thérèse to be a crucial creation for his newly proposed 'publishing house'.
Le Parfum de Thérèse is considered to be the blueprint for Edmond's later compositions, particularly Christian Dior's Diorissimo. However, Le Parfum de Thérèse also shares key accords with an earlier creation, Diorama, which was released in 1949 (i.e. melon, pepper, nutmeg, violet, lily of the valley, jasmine, plum, leather, cedar and vetiver). Based on this, it's clear that Edmond Roudnistka had already established his own unique olfactory style by this point.
With a spicy fruitiness, alongside a herbaceous-ozonic backdrop of coriander and lily of the valley (unlisted but still discernible), this fruity-floral could have been considered ahead of its time back in the day. Exhibiting a hint of violet, a juicy plumminess and a worn-in leather note, all these aspects are impeccably blended, alongside a resounding cantaloupe-like freshness.
Effortlessly exuding a Parisian chic aura, one's only reservations are that it lacks sufficient projection and could have had better staying power. But, irrespective of its flaws, Le Parfum de Thérèse serves as a reminder of just how magical the golden age of perfumery once was.
It's a beguiling masterpiece, which makes Frédéric Malle's all or nothing ethos all the more poignant.
As Frédéric Malle had relished this fragrance throughout his childhood, years later, he sought permission from the Roudnistka family to release it commercially. Interestingly enough, without their consent, this French niche house would never have come to be, as Malle considered Le Parfum de Thérèse to be a crucial creation for his newly proposed 'publishing house'.
Le Parfum de Thérèse is considered to be the blueprint for Edmond's later compositions, particularly Christian Dior's Diorissimo. However, Le Parfum de Thérèse also shares key accords with an earlier creation, Diorama, which was released in 1949 (i.e. melon, pepper, nutmeg, violet, lily of the valley, jasmine, plum, leather, cedar and vetiver). Based on this, it's clear that Edmond Roudnistka had already established his own unique olfactory style by this point.
With a spicy fruitiness, alongside a herbaceous-ozonic backdrop of coriander and lily of the valley (unlisted but still discernible), this fruity-floral could have been considered ahead of its time back in the day. Exhibiting a hint of violet, a juicy plumminess and a worn-in leather note, all these aspects are impeccably blended, alongside a resounding cantaloupe-like freshness.
Effortlessly exuding a Parisian chic aura, one's only reservations are that it lacks sufficient projection and could have had better staying power. But, irrespective of its flaws, Le Parfum de Thérèse serves as a reminder of just how magical the golden age of perfumery once was.
It's a beguiling masterpiece, which makes Frédéric Malle's all or nothing ethos all the more poignant.
