Florabotanica, the latest olfactory delight by Balenciaga; ultimate perfume of the Ghesquière era.
This work is botanical in nature, not just an attempt at a fragrance. It’s a borderline experimental olfactory creation that has entered into physical reality through the imagination of Nicholas Ghesquière, donning an authentic classicism where science-fiction bumps elbows with fashion in a chaotic aerial space. A contemporary and Romanesque atmosphere envelop the perfume’s case, enclosing the memory of a collection previously imagined in 2008 that made use of a number of mesmerizing flowers. It is precisely this visual emanation that perfumers Jean Christophe Hérault and Olivier Polge attempted to capture with their hybrid rose dubbed: “Rose expérimentale”.
What they have to offer this time around is a liberal interpretation of floral extract that could even be construed as masculine upon first whiff: a starting note driven by vetiver, amber, and caladium leaf comes into concordance with rose mixed with mint and carnation. A mysterious effluvium, just like a woman’s seduction tactics. In short, it’s a charming sensory delight, backed by an advertising campaign that has a few questions to ask. The flask dons false airs of a test tube besieged by a myriad of strange plants in lively neon colors. Lying in wait, the typical Balenciaga girl, solitary and rebellious, mesmerizes those around her. She’s incarnated by no other than Kristen Stewart, with no smile to be found on her face as per usual. All in all, Florabotanica is a daring exercise in rose-based chemistry, achieved through a budding new breed of alchemy.
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