Meet Ines de la Fressange: the Parisian style icon launches her first fragrance line
Ines de la Fressange has always represented the ultimate personification of Parisian chic. There’s no need to introduce this laid-back, feminine icon admired by the entire fashionsphere! To mark the launch of her very first fragrance collection, Paris Select caught up with the former supermodel-turned-author, designer and fashion icon.
Was the idea of creating a perfume suggested to you, or was it something you’d been thinking about for a while?
“I wanted to do it because I didn’t really like what I was finding in perfumeries lately, and then I dreamed of a traditional perfume. Great French perfumery, something elegant but not boring! So the idea was suggested to me, but I knew it was going to be difficult… I arrived at the first meeting with the noses and told them ‘listen, I’m a terrible pain in the ass, I hate everything, I don’t like these bottles, these aggressive smells… I don’t like anything that’s being done. I’m willing to create a perfume, but it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to take years!”
How did they react?
“Oh, they didn’t seem to mind! They were very calm, smiling. They took notes of everything I said, what I liked, what I didn’t like… And by the second appointment, they had already prepared samples for me to smell. I was amazed, because I really liked them. They took the whistle out of me!”
Speaking of noses, Delphine Lebeau and Sophie Labbé told us that you chose them?
“Yes! In fact, I’d looked vaguely at the perfumes they’d made before without knowing much about them, but in the photos they looked super friendly! Then as soon as I met them, I loved them straight away. They were really caring and talented.”
Do you prefer woody, fruity or floral fragrances?
“So I like woody fragrances… I love old perfumes.”
Are you a loyal perfumer?
“Yes, once I find a fragrance I like, I don’t change. I don’t understand these women who have a day perfume, a night perfume, a summer perfume, a winter perfume… It would be like changing my opinion! “
Is there one that’s followed you all your life?
“Yes, for a very long time I wore Mitsouko by Guerlain, in fact when my daughters were little they would say ‘mommy you wear moustiko’ so they absolutely didn’t want me to wear it!”
So, is this the one that defines you the most?
“Hmmm, I’d say it’s a bit of a decade with perfumes. You wear one for 10 years and then you change! Today, the one that defines me the most is Blanc Chic. I feel like it’s been around forever, it’s subtle, elegant and very refined…”
So in the signature collection, Blanc Chic is your little darling. What about the travel line?
“In travel, I really like Indigo Kimono, it’s very pretty and I could perfectly wear it too. “
Model, fashion designer, perfume designer, author… In which field are you most fulfilled?
“You know, for me, as soon as something is creative it’s interesting. To design something whether it’s a shoe, a bag or a garment, then afterwards to see the prototype it’s always a magical experience.”
You never stop! What are your future projects? Are there any new collaborations in the pipeline?
“Well, last year I did a book on portraits of men, Parisians, and it did really well, so I’d like to do the same thing with women. I’ll have to discuss it with my publisher! In parallel, I’ve been working with Frédéric Périgot for Monoprix for 2 years. It’s decorating, outdoor furniture for camping, but super glamorous and, above all, at Monoprix prices! Proving that it’s possible to do things well and cheaply is really what I love. Then there’s my 13th collection with Uniqlo… It’s the longest collaboration we’ve ever seen! Every time, my way of proceeding is to say to myself ‘what would I like to find at so-and-so’s’.”
It’s very nice to see that you’re interested in what’s accessible.
“Yes, that’s really what I like: to show that you can do well at reasonable prices and that luxury and elegance can be democratized. It’s very important for me, coming from a world of great luxury and couture. I find the stylistic exercise of doing something well and making it accessible very interesting. Look, if I design a 10-thread cashmere sweater, it’s going to be sumptuous but it’s going to be sold at an exorbitant price… It’s very easy to do that! So, for me, all these collaborations are a real challenge. “
Discover Inès de la Fressange perfumes here!
