A Grecian Daydream

Hermes new fragrance Un Jardin A Cythère, smells just like the perfect summer holiday. A spritz will sweep you away to the greek island of kythira

- CAROLINE SUGANDA

How does one create an engaging experience around something as intangible like a scent?

It’s a tall order, but Hermès rises to the challenge in this instance by initiating an exploration of the relationship between nature and Greek culture, as they take us on an olfactory journey through the scents of Kythira island, which has inspired the latest addition to their Parfums Jardins collection — Un Jardin à Cythère. The range features a growing collection of fragrances centred around gardens and landscapes, each one encapsulating the house’s interpretation of a specific aspect of nature. These scents have been extremely popular, being softly evocative of places we have never been to but can easily imagine. A spritz is enough to trigger a memory and transport you to a remote idyllic setting or a faraway garden.

Like the recent HermèsFit event in Singapore which married fitness with fashion, this perfume launch was equally creative and offbeat. It took place in Athens, the capital of Greece, where Hermès set up a lively agora (a Greek marketplace) to display locally produced wares and gastronomic delights. There was everything from wild thyme flowers from Amorgos to beeswax candles from Athos, and every item had a slip of paper that explained its origin and significance in the local culture. Guests were given market bags and encouraged to browse through the 13 stalls to bring home their own Greek keepsakes.

Among the offerings were olive wood, fresh pistachios and bouquets of dry golden grass — three very important ingredients that we learned lend the new Un Jardin à Cythère its sun-drenched kiss. But the new perfume (and its golden bottle) was nowhere to be seen.