SCENTS AND STORIES

As Louis Vuitton master perfumer, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud expands its ‘Art of Travel’ codes through sensorial fragrances. Amy Yasmine meets the innovative visionaire, whose free-spirited yet inquisitive nature feeds into a new exciting chapter at the maison.

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An unknown fact: while it seems that Louis Vuitton only recently explored the realm of scents, in 2016, the French maison actually crafted its first line of fragrances nearly 90 years ago. Although none of them are known to exist anymore, it had taken master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud only five years to consolidate the house’s olfactory library once again, comprised of prized ingredients of precious and exotic origins.

As the maison enters a new decade in the midst of a paradigm shift, it made complete sense for CavallierBelletrud to go beyond the norm, and explore the unknown. This inquisitive spirit eventually culminated in the process of CO2 extraction–a technical revolution primarily reserved for the food and beverage industry. And so, at the turn of this new millennia, the visionaire has perfected the art of perfume-making in the 21st-century, blurring the lines between centuries-old savoir faire, and future-forward innovations.

Take for example its 2019 ‘Les Colognes’ collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist Alex Israel, a unisex series which brought new meaning to Vuitton’s ‘Art of Travel’ ethos. Evoking the spirit of California through exotic bouquets like Calabrian bergamot and South American mate, such unconventional formulas are what set the master apart. “I’m amazed by colours like of the skies, the energy of people, and the spirit of creativity, sustainability, and wellness,” he said to me on our first encounter in Paris.