The debut of Maison Margiela’s Scentsorium collection marks the cult brand’s first foray into luxury perfumery after years of winning fans with its Artisanal collection of time-and-place-inspired fragrances. According to the brand, the six scents in the collection are executed with ‘surgical sensoriality’, a way of saying that the maison’s perfumes are inspired by the creation of its clothing: materials are stripped back or deconstructed, with accents added on top to add definition.
It’s a method that creates tension between raw elements and refined craftsmanship, a juxtaposition which is classically Margiela, and, like the brand’s fashion, will appeal to consumers who prefer products with a conceptual bent. That’s not to say these are fragrances that are difficult to wear, but they are niche – each scent is inspired by specific and sometimes unusual emotions (for example, 'the tension between desire and infatuation'), with an intriguing metallic accord running through each.
The collection took over three years to develop, with Maison Margiela’s past creative director, John Galliano, leading the conception and development of the Scentsorium collection by establishing its haute couture approach. Following Galliano’s departure, current creative director Glenn Martens became involved and contributed to shaping elements of the collection.
During its evolution, the line underwent 'countless iterations', according to Sandrine Groslier, the global president of Luxe Fragrance Brands at L’Oréal. 'We don't count in luxury – we refine until reaching the most exceptional juice possible. Some chapters required over 70 versions. Chapter six’s [Fit of Folly's] futuristic patchouli alone took 18 months. We pushed suppliers repeatedly, customising molecules, fractioning materials. When developing true luxury, you iterate to absolute perfection. The number doesn't matter – only the transformation achieved.'
Below, we break down the scents and offer an honest review of each.
Maison Margiela's Scentsorium Collection
Blaze of Stillness
This is the lightest scent in the collection and the closest it has to a skin fragrance. Its blend of neroli blossom, fig and musky suede creates a creamy, powdery quality usually associated with white flowers, but cut through with a particular metallic quality that conjures associations with steel or chrome. In the initial notes we made for the fragrances (and before reading the brand’s descriptions), we wrote down ‘knives and flowers’ – fitting, perhaps, for a scent designed to evoke ‘the feeling of hope in a moment of suspense.’
Silent Fury
The most iconic scent from Maison Margiela's longstanding Artisanal collection is a scent called ‘Jazz Club’, a boozy, smoky blend inspired by the scent of drinking cocktails in leather armchairs. One way to think of Silent Fury is a more accurate, and artful, expression of what a jazz club might actually smell like: the metallic tang of sweat and metal instruments, the cloying scent of spicy colognes, leather jackets and the mustiness of cigarettes clinging to artificial fabrics.
Anguish and Awe
Anguish and Awe will likely be the biggest crowd pleaser from the collection. An opulent floral infused with resinous, fruity notes, it’s the kind of fragrance that conjures the word ‘expensive’. Inspired by ‘the tension between desire and infatuation’, the fragrance aims to be the olfactory equivalent of a black rose, with the initial punch of its dark, sweet qualities eventually settling down into a lighter, more recognisably floral composition.
Tender Defiance
This fragrance is a combination of liquorice, incense and smoke that, despite the darkness of its ingredients, has a candy-like quality that made us write down the word ‘pink’ in our testing notes. The explanation for this is probably down to the refined treatment of the liquorice and gentle heating of the resin, which creates a strange metallic sweetness. If Anguish and Awe was inspired by the black rose, Tender Defiance is a dark red one – still dramatic and romantic, but a little on the lighter side.
Delight in Despair
This is one of the most intriguing scents within the collection. Inspired by the feeling of euphoria, the fragrance takes an experimental approach to cypriol and saffron by experimenting with the distillation temperature to give the ingredients novel qualities. The green, grassy quality of cypriol is intensified and infused with the creaminess of saffron for a scent that is both clean and warm with a slightly sweet dry down.