True to his new house style, Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele launches The Alchemist’s Garden, a new whimsically nostalgic collection of fourteen fragrances composed by perfumer Alberto Morillas, available in Australia from December 2019.
Michele having been handed creative carte blanche by Gucci’s marketing department, and Morillas not constrained by the price of materials he chose to employ, together the pair created seven Eaux de Parfum, four Precious Oils and three Perfumed Waters. Each assigned a Gucci animal identity, each composed around a hero material – oud, amber, violet, iris, mimosa, rose and woods – the fourteen fragrances are intended to be layered to “alchemist” effect, according to Michele.
Housed in flacons that echo the style of Italian farmacia per Florentine taste (think Santa Maria Novella and Farmacia SS Annunziata dal 1561) with gilded embellishments and illustrations to match the “animal personality” of each scent, the packaging is, true to contemporary Gucci form, very editorial. Personally, the packaging doesn’t appeal to me one iota, but I know I am in the minority on this!
So what of the scents, I hear you ask. Well, having worn each and every one of the 14, my thoughts are below.
A Song for the Rose (Eau de Parfum) – An astoundingly beautiful Bulgarian rose soliflore with only the slightest touch of white musk and woodiness to enhance the composition’s overall rosy velvetiness. Ethereal rose, not at all smutty or timeworn in the way of potpourri.
The Voice of the Snake (Eau de Parfum) – Leathery, saffroned oud with patchouli that paints a picture of antiquated Chinese medicine shops and the snake oils they hawk. This seems a step farther into the realm of niche than the already niche-esque Gucci Absolute Pour Homme of which I detect many similarities. One of my favourites within the collection, it layers with Winter’s Spring to marvellous effect.
Tears of Iris (Eau de Parfum) – Florentines do so many things well: leatherwork, papermaking, goldsmithing, art, gelato and iris cultivation. Here, the latter is celebrated in full purple-sashed glory. Iris-powdered sandalwood bespeckled with bittersweet angelica seeds and white musk for light-as-air balance. One of those rare iris perfumes that isn’t just another disguised violet.
The Last Day of Summer (Eau de Parfum) – This could be the mostly aptly named release in the whole collection; a smouldering composition of cedar, cypress and nutmeg nuanced with the fusty, earthy notes of patchouli and vetiver to paint a picture of leaves metamorphosing from summer’s shade of helio green to autumnal hues of orange, red and brown.
Winter’s Spring (Eau de Parfum) – A florist shop’s vegetal-green aroma set against the fleshy, waxy pom-pom blossoms of mimosa, sharpened in the top by black pepper. Almost greener than it is floral, cold and dank too. Beautiful, if wholly peculiar.
The Virgin Violet (Eau de Parfum) – Woody violet wrapped in silvered candy cellophane. Violet, cedar, oodles of vanillin, musk and violet leaf for metallic tinge and sharpness. Very sweet in the “candied” style most violet perfumes don, with classical undertones. One for violet enthusiast to seek out.
The Eyes of the Tiger (Eau de Parfum) – Morillas took inspiration from ancient Chinese mysticism for this one… who knew it would smell like travel sickness medicine? Kwells to be precise. I expected a dark, dense amber, instead we get amber sweetened to near gourmand proportions with labdanum, vanilla and almondy tonka. Soft and easy to wear, just not terribly memorable.
A Forgotten Rose (Precious Oil) – A Song for a Rose indeed forgotten in a vase and left to dry long after the vase water has evaporated. With notes of Bulgarian rose, pink pepper and musk, this smells of potpourri, albeit the kind of fine potpourri one might procure from a hallowed Florentine purveyor of such things.
Nocturnal Whisper (Precious Oil) – Oud, leather and saffron with benzoin to add lift to what would otherwise have been quite the dark composition. There is a woody, almost animalic intensity here, but it wears a little muddled in its oil form.
Ode to Melancholy (Precious Oil) – Much more vibrant than the name would suggest, Ode to Melancholy opens rich in cedar, cypriol and patchouli before evolving into a green-tinged, gently spiced sandalwood base of enveloping cosiness. Ripe for layering.
A Kiss from Violet (Precious Oil) – This is a violet fragrance I can get behind! Cut iris stems and white musk with only a soupçon of violet; there is a damp, earthen atmosphere here I find entirely agreeable.
Fading Autumn (Perfumed Water) – A pine needle-carpeted forest floor – that is the metal picture I have of Fading Autumn. With notes of cedar, cypriol, patchouli and sandalwood, this is woody without any of the rough edges cedar and patchouli often carry.
Moonlight Serenade (Perfumed Water) – This might be the easiest to wear lavender on the market. Bright, invigorating lavender balanced by the hazy softness of sage and sweet, almondy tonka bean. Like a classic Gucci loafer redux with bee embellishments and a fur sole, there is a retro familiarity here hidden beneath all the “newness”.
A Winter Melody (Perfumed Water) – A wholly unappealing opening of freshly hewn, camphorous cypress makes way for a an achingly beautiful budding rose accord with all the right citrus and green nuances before the composition devolves into a melange of nondescript woody notes. Something isn’t right here.
The Alchemist’s Garden Collection is available from David Jones, Gucci boutiques and www.gucci.com internationally, from $470, 100ml for the Eau de Parfum; $345, 150ml Perfumed Waters; and $580, 20ml Precious Oils.
Wonderful review! I’ve tried the iris one, the violet and the leathery (The Voice of the Snake), very interesting scents! Stunning presentation!
Author
The Voice from the Snake is very good, as is Winter’s Spring. Overall, I think the collection is well done. There is something to please everyone.