The Niche Player

Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel introduces new members to the Hermessence collection. Terence Lim sniffs them out to understand why the scents remain top of the olfactory game despite a shift in the line’s direction

- Terence Lim

IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE fragrance industry, nearly every major fashion house has its own niche perfume line. But Hermès does scents like it does everything else—by playing by its own rules. In 2004, it launched the Hermessence line, a collection of high-end perfumes it billed “olfactory poems”. Every Hermessence fragrance comes with a unique personality and an interesting story of its own, similar to that of a poem. From an olfactory perspective, it is always captivating, refined but never run-of-the-mill even when the key ingredients used are common in high-end perfumery.

Over 14 years, what started off as a quartet of eaux de toilette has grown to a substantial family of 16 fragrances. Joining the collection this year are two essences de parfum, Cardamusc and Musc Pallida, and three eaux de toilette—Agar Ébène, Myrrhe Églantine and Cèdre Sambac.