Interview: The Secrets Of Orphéon
1. A second highlight in your year of celebration is the encounter – the meeting – as a key element of creation. Why?
diptyque: This year, as we celebrate the Maison’s 60th anniversary, we have chosen to emphasise the notion of the encounter because it is part of our very foundation. diptyque is a collective: several parts make up the whole. In the beginning, in 1961, were three creatives from the worlds of theatre, architecture and painting; all three of them idealistic, curious and open-minded, all three free and cultivated poets, aesthetes and artists united by a sense of beauty: Christiane Gautrot, Yves Coueslant and Desmond Knox-Leet. The story of diptyque’s founding is a story of an encounter as much as it is one of friendship – one where all three founders naturally gravitated to creating together, to sharing their enthusiasms, dreams and desires. A sketch would bounce off an idea, a memory would call to the surface an intuition; their talents multiplied, their skills developed and grew. This was how, from its very beginning, diptyque became unique.
“We were artists. We were not driven by money or ambition, but, rather, by passion, imagination, creativity and the desire to do something with true integrity.”
2. What is the origin of the name “Orphéon”? Where did you find your inspiration?
diptyque: In Paris in the early 60s the Saint-Germain quarter was alive with the rhythm of all-night jazz club sessions and artistic encounters. People would discuss the world, dance and laugh in a warm atmosphere as vibrant as it was elegant. Orphéon was one of those bars, filled with joyful effervescence, where the three founders of the nearby diptyque boutique liked to meet up. At the junction of 34 boulevard Saint-Germain and the rue de Pontoise, it was right next to diptyque – and even became part of the boutique, when the trio later bought it so they could enlarge their space. Today, the only part of the bar that remains is a faceted blue column in the shop.
3. Why did you consider paying homage to this place and this period, particularly in 2021?
diptyque: diptyque was created in the Saint Germain quarter in the ’60s, in a time of cultural effervescence. The three founders of the Maison liked to meet at Orphéon, a place of creative encounters and joyful effervescence, to discuss their ideas, to share their thoughts and to imagine together. More than a simple place or a period, Orphéon is a tribute to creative encounters and friendships, which make up the very essence of the Maison and with which every creation today continues to be infused.
4. How would you describe this fragrance?
diptyque: Orphéon eau de parfum is the olfactory portrait of the place. It is enve- loping, woody, spicy and floral, recalling the décor of wood and velvet, the waft of alcohol and tobacco, the perfumed trail of elegant ladies and dashing gents.
5. Why did diptyque decide to develop a new fragrance in the woody family? What makes it special?
diptyque: As wood was the main element in the interior decor of the space, a woody accord was the obvious choice. diptyque’s collection of fragrances already includes, among others, two woody scents that are icons in perfumery: Philosykos, a fruity, green woody scent that pays tribute to the fig tree, and Tam Dao, whose woody scent is composed around a creamy, spicy sandalwood. With Orphéon, we wanted to explore a new facet of this olfactory family so intrinsically linked to the idea of the place: a luminous, floral woody scent that, more than ever, is also gender-free. As the venue no longer exists, diptyque had to reinvent its olfactory memory.
6. You are collaborating once again with the perfumer Olivier Pescheux. How did you come to work with him, and how did the creation of Orphéon evolve?
diptyque: Olivier Pescheux is an old friend of the Maison. From the meeting of minds between Olivier and diptyque were born, among others, the fragrances Eau des Sens, Vetyverio, Fleur de Peau, Tempo and, more recently, Eau Capitale. Olivier is also very familiar with the work of capturing a memory, a souvenir or a fragrance of a place. In the eau de toilette 34 Boulevard Saint Germain, he successfully encapsulated that of diptyque’s historic boutique. This is one of the reasons why the Maison has once again put our trust in him for this new creation. Olivier has a special sensibility when it comes to creating fragrances – even more so when they have to evoke the notion of a place.
7. Orphéon is therefore also a celebration of co-creation – of the bringing together of several disciplines in order to create with passion. Olivier Pescheux, what does co-creation mean to you? Does it come naturally to you?
Olivier Pescheux: Every creation of a perfume is a work of co-creation. The perfumer proposes an idea or an accord to the brand, which must then be able to make it its own – to find itself in it. Co-creation is an integral part of the perfumer’s work, the way he or she functions. With diptyque, co-creation allows for the translation of the Maison’s desires, inspirations and ideas, and requires a constant dialogue.
8. Tell us how you came to collaborate with diptyque. How long have you been working together?
Olivier Pescheux: diptyque and I have been writing a beautiful story for 13 years. We share an intellectual affinity and an artistic sensibility that has deepened over time, since the creation of the first eaux de toilette (L’Eau des Hespérides and L’Eau de Néroli).
9. What are the main ingredients of Orphéon? diptyque fragrances usually have an olfactory accident. Which one did you choose for Orphéon?
Olivier Pescheux : Orphéon is the transcription, all at once, of a festive atmosphere, a happy era, and a distinctive, yet familiar atmosphere, as well as a tribute to Saint-Germain – that lively, multicultural neighbourhood blessed with its characteristic modernity, freedom of expression and mix of styles. For me, Orphéon also resonated with the magnificent Franco-Brazilian musical, Marcel Camus’s Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus), which made a great impression on me. Its music is superb and its images are incredible. The film supported and inspired me in this creation.
IN ORPHÉON INTERMINGLE:
• A woody accord, evoking the wood-dominated space itself, along with numerous other famous cellar jazz clubs. Cedar, vetiver and patchouli illustrate this olfactory accord.
• Tobacco, represented by the sharp accents of mastic and galbanum.
• Floral or powdery women’s perfumes, which we find in the ylang-ylang of the Comoros, the Chinese magnolia and the Turkish Damask rose. Concentrated Arabian jasmine introduces the olfactory accident in the woody composition
• The lipstick of these same women, recalled here by raspberry and violet.
• Men – dandies – who smell of musk or amber.
• The lighting that accentuates the decor: soft, warm red, with a tonka bean and benzoin accord, plus an overdose of ambroxan.
• Drinks, with a note of juniper berries as a wink to the gin and tonics sipped at the bar – an intoxicating element that passes under our nose before taking us by the hand and leading us to the dance floor.
The ingredients I use come from all over the world. The selection perfectly matches the multicultural aspect of the fragrance. You’ll find green mandarin from Italy, pink peppercorn from Madagascar, violet leaves from France, eucalyptus from China, roses from Turkey and vetiver from Haiti, to name a few.
10. What were some of the obstacles you might have encountered during the creation of this perfume?
Olivier Pescheux: I didn’t really encounter any difficulties. The challenge was to translate what diptyque wanted to highlight in the history of the Maison, while also remaining faithful to its spirit, 60 years later. diptyque has been with me since my youth and throughout my adult life. For those of us in this line of work, it is a Maison that has a special significance. It’s not difficult to immerse yourself into it.
11. With what kind of personality would you associate this fragrance?
Olivier Pescheux: I would associate Orphéon with a jazz singer, a man or a woman, who has a deep voice and who tells simple stories of life.
12. As is the case with every diptyque fragrance, the oval of the bottle was created in collaboration with an artist. How did you come to work with Gianpaolo Pagni on this new fragrance?
diptyque: To illustrate Orphéon, we wanted a modern reinterpretation of the Maison’s historical motifs: our emblematic oval, certainly, but also patterns from our fabric archives – the core business when our three founders launched diptyque in the ’60s. Gianpaolo Pagni is a cosmopolitan visual artist, Italian by birth and Parisian by adoption. His very modern work focuses on the notions linking memory and marks made, through the use of patterns and repetition. The collaboration is a perfect fit for diptyque.
13. What is the inspiration behind the creation of this oval? What are the key elements that make up Orphéon’s graphic universe?
diptyque: On the front, Gianpaolo has reinterpreted the ovals of our archival fabrics. These offbeat shapes appear as if caught in the rays of light reflected by the festive spirit of the place as well as by the only remaining vestige of Orphéon: a pillar with blue facets that stands, today, in the boutique at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain. On the back, Gianpaolo and diptyque decided to update another historical pattern from our archives, which had never before been put to use: three different profiles juxtaposed in three shades of grey. We like to think these represent Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Gautrot and Yves Coueslant and their prolific partnership, or even those invigorating encounters that inspire creation. The idea was also to recreate the atmosphere of a smoky room with low light, expressed here by the cloud of dots on the upper right-hand side of the oval.
14. Gianpaolo Pagni, this is your first time collaborating with diptyque. Tell us about how you met. What’s it like for an artist to enter into a process of co-creation?
Gianpaolo Pagni: The meeting took place with my agent, Guy Mestrallet, in the diptyque offices in Paris. I arrived at the meeting carrying a large bag full of my drawings and work. It’s never easy to collaborate or co-create with someone on a project. I think of it as a kind of labyrinth. It’s a game – a journey – with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The goal is obviously to find the right direction and, in the end, to congratulate each other for having succeeded.
15. Is perfume a source of inspiration for you? Which notes, in Orphéon, most moved or transported you?
Gianpaolo Pagni: Perfume, and scents and smells in general, are a source of inspiration for me. A few years ago, I started on a personal project that consisted of soaking the blotters of various perfumers in ink, then printing their forms on white paper. I thus created a sort of formal and colourful catalogue of the world of perfumery at that given moment. As for Orphéon, what most seduced me, besides its fragrance, was the goal of creating the olfactory sensations of a place, and going back in time to 1960s Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Transcribing the mix of smells of wood, cigarette smoke, perfume and alcoholic beverages – the intrinsic components of an intimate, festive and musical place that was also a space where ideas were shared and exchanged. A place that is sorely missed these days. All we have to do is smell Orphéon, close our eyes... and there we are.
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