The first Jil Sander fragrance collection under the creative direction of Lucie and Luke Meier combines botany and technology in six minimalist unisex compositions. The formulations combine natural ingredients with the olfactory attributes of aldehydes, which give the fragrances unique silhouettes and volumes.
The creation was about a change of perspective that questioned traditional relationships. The groundbreaking compositions focus on the essentials: the fragrance, which is made up of 3 central, natural ingredients, the synthetic molecules of aldehydes, alcohol from CO2 upcycling* and water. For maximum olfactory clarity and expressiveness.
The scents have been formulated using the best technologies available to awaken the profound resonances between Mother Nature and human nature and express our deepest emotions.
The invisible self.
As an olfactory interpretation of Lucie and Luke Meier’s design philosophy, the Olfactory Series 1 focuses on individuality. Intimacy and presence, the feminine and the masculine, day and night, humanity, nature and technology are in harmony here. The creation was carried out with awareness and care, the highest quality standards and an enthusiasm for innovation.
At Jil Sander, precious details are often hidden, so that they are only noticed by the person wearing the creation. The lining of a garment or the finish on the inside of a bangle play just as important a role as the external appearance. Because who has never worn something because it feels good or smells good – and not just because it looks good?
When a person leaves a room, their scent lingers – creating a point of contact on a completely different, intuitive level. This scent can instantly transport us back to an environment, an image, a sound, a word, something forgotten. Longings, scents that make us perceive ourselves differently – with a subtle, very own strength.
The fragrances were developed by five international, emerging and established talents in the art of perfumery under the creative direction of Lucie and Luke Meier.
Their shared vision was to transform the everyday into aesthetic experiences and to ensure the highest level of expression through the fascination of personal memories, revelations of life in nature or familiar environments, places and things. The aim was to create surprising and memorable fragrance experiences with absolute freedom of design.
The formulations created in this way are characterized by the striking olfactory signature of aldehydes. Sparkling sparks reinforce the central notes and the harmonious interaction of the ingredients and bring out the natural materials optimally and in a new way. The result is scents with a vertical structure that are as unexpected as they are pleasant and in which nothing is left to chance.
This pioneering type of composition makes use of subtraction and specific accents – through precise formulations in which the immediacy of the result makes one forget the complexity of the creative process. A key feature of Lucie and Luke Meier’s work.
Because the fragrances are formulated using only alcohol, water and fragrance, their color may change over time. However, this change has no influence on their olfactory properties.
1. Jil Sander Leaf – in collaboration with Julie Massé
Jil Sander Leaf is a cloud of green nuances – fresh, unexpected and captivating.
The memory of a freshly picked Black Krim tomato, fruit and leaves in a Mediterranean garden.
Upcycled real lime, CO2-extracted cardamom and a hint of field mint from India vibrate through the aldehydes with a citrus and tangerine-like tingle.
The scent would be soft and velvety if the creative use of aldehydes did not highlight the green facets with an impressive, hyper-realistic electricity. This gives the composition a sharp, but at the same time gentle character: bright, green and piquant.
2. Jil Sander Coffea – in collaboration with Paul Guerlain
The floral, amber scent impresses with notes of coffee beans obtained through CO2 extraction, upcycled orris root and Peru balsam from El Salvador.
The lively, shimmering facets of the aldehydes ensure that two worlds collide in a synthesis.
It’s white and quiet outside. Inside, people sit in a paneled room that is bathed in the morning light. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the air. Jil Sander Coffea brings out both the green and roasted notes of the composition. Orris root releases all the powdery scents created during the three years of its growth. Peru balm lies sensually on the skin and gives the scent an amber, nuanced character. An unusual combination with tiny, continuous movements that give the entire work depth. And inspire the imagination.
3. Jil Sander Miel – in collaboration with Mathilde Bijaoui
Woody, spicy, magnetic. The clear molecules of aldehydes cut through the essence of upcycled cedarwood, vetiver from Madagascar and CO2-extracted jasmine grandiflorum, transforming them into bright, vertical notes.
Buckwheat honey served as the olfactory inspiration for the scent. Its nuanced intensity, the flowers hidden beneath the surface and the accents of aldehydes play a key role in this original, elegant fragrance.
Jil Sander Miel reminds us of the home environment where everything is peaceful and clear. Where we feel safe and strong and can use our freedom to make a change.
4. Jil Sander Smoke – in collaboration with Berenice Watteau
The intensity of woody, decidedly smoky, spicy notes of upcycled cedar, Spanish juniper and CO2-extracted elemi are cut through by the pure, vertical lines of aldehydes.
An interplay of light and shadow, heat and cold, refined by the notes of freshly washed laundry and permeated by Oud facets
The smell of clothes drying by a fire. An interplay of light and shadow, heat and cold, refined by the notes of freshly washed laundry and permeated by Oud facets. The smell of clothes drying by a fire.
5. Jil Sander Black Tea – in collaboration with Nathalie Lorson
The modern, amber-spicy scent is determined by unexpected associations. The aldehydes highlight the warmth of osmanthus from China, upcycled cinnamon bark from Sri Lanka and black tea. The tea notes were obtained through CO2 extraction to obtain an intonation that is as identical as possible to the natural note.
A game with a deep, intense subject, a journey without movement that uses the ability of our senses to transcend the ordinary. A journey that leads to foreign worlds. The cinnamon note provides a woody, clove-like element. Osmanthus gives the scent a warm, silky and pleasant facet. Jil Sander Black Tea is characterized by the smoky tonality of black leather.
6. Jil Sander Earth – in collaboration with Julie Massé
The smell of a rain shower, small puddles of water, the memory of a matsutake mushroom, the generosity of the earth.
The meticulous combination of damask rose Absoflor Up extract from upcycling processes, Rosa Centifolia from Grasse in France and patchouli obtained through CO2 extraction turns inspiration into reality. The aldehydes ensure absolute detail – the high-resolution representation of something that is wet, organic and in motion. Nature and innovation.
With the surprising formulation that fuses the delicate properties of the two roses, the dense facets of the mushroom and the wet and earthy notes of the patchouli leaves, Jil Sander Earth is a modern interpretation of the iconic chypre rose structure.
