Subtle Intensity

Creative director of Hermès perfumes Christine Nagel tells Tatler about the unique allure embodied by Barénia Intense, the house's latest fragrance

- By Ahy Choi

Scent takes us on a sensory journey. When Christine Nagel decided to create a perfume inspired by Hermès's signature Barénia leather, that journey promised to be as intricate as you'd imagine.

“The first Hermès handbag I bought was in Barénia leather,” Nagel recalls. “I cried at the first scratch, the second scratch and the tenth scratch. Then the bag began to develop a patina and I realised it becomes more beautiful with time.” This transformative quality of the leather inspired her to create a fragrance that would similarly evolve on the skin.

In leading this evolution, Nagel turned to chypre—a classic perfume structure dear to her heart, in which fragrances unfold from citrus top notes through floral centres to base notes of moss. From its first spark of inspiration to its final unveiling, the perfume's journey spanned a decade, one of the longest development periods in Hermès’s fragrance history. Barénia Eau de Parfum became the house's first-ever chypre fragrance when it was released last year.