Hedi Slimane knows what he nose in Celine’s Paris perfume boutique
The artistic director unveils his new fragrance collection for Celine with a perfume boutique in Paris

Renowned for his all-encompassing approach to artistic direction, Hedi Slimane has extended his vision for Celine into fragrance with the unveiling of 11 Celine Haute Parfumerie unisex scents; nine released this month with two more to follow in 2020. In-keeping with Slimane’s vigilant approach to branding, the designer has created a standalone store to house them, located at 390 Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Celine’s first real foray into fragrance (there was a short-lived dalliance in 1964 with Vent Fou), Slimane fans will delight in the brand’s olfactory offering that tickles much more than just the nose.
The fragrance names recall a geographical and personal meander through Slimane’s own life: Black Tie, Nightclubbing, Dans Paris, Eau de Californie, La Peau Nue (Naked Skin), and Rimbaud being just a few. In fact, Slimane implies the perfume itself should be ‘nomadic’, made to be carried — or worn — everywhere. Split into ‘day’ and ‘evening’ notes, the fragrances are intended to be worn at any time of day or night, and similarly, by either a man or woman.
Borrowing elemental notes from Parisian 60s and 70s parfums, rose, tree moss and iris are present. A powdery essence that runs through all eleven scents is said to evoke a veil placed on the skin, a memory captured in time.
The boutique itself tantalises the senses. Dramatic antique black and white marble, raw wooden square pillars and slabs of alabaster are offset with precision details characteristic of Slimane, such as polished brass faceted door handles embossed with the new Celine logo. Perpendicular mirrored surfaces are cleverly underlit so that they ‘hover’, creating an endless ‘hall of mirrors’ illusion on the eye. The space is punctuated with art work and sculpture, some specially commissioned, by artists including Luisa Gardini, Rochelle Goldberg, Camilla Reyman and Søren Sejr. The pieces have been fittingly curated for their use of raw materials that evoke a visceral sensation: wood, leather, paper, burnt earth, milled bronze.
Like specimens of unearthed amber, rectangular glass bottles — with sharp fluted edges and a black lacquer top — are displayed in formation on the mirrored shelves, filled with perfume ranging from golden syrup umber to stained glass yellow. Each bottle is attributed a leather case in top-stitched tan calfskin, or printed with the double C emblem and finished with polished brass hardware. An artfully curated fragrance destination worth sniffing out.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Tilly is a British writer, editor and digital consultant based in New York, covering luxury fashion, jewellery, design, culture, art, travel, wellness and more. An alumna of Central Saint Martins, she is Contributing Editor for Wallpaper* and has interviewed a cross section of design legends including Sir David Adjaye, Samuel Ross, Pamela Shamshiri and Piet Oudolf for the magazine.
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 shows
The Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to know
Designing the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spot
Heritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
Celine’s new fragrance Zouzou is inspired by 1960s heroines
Celine debuts a new fragrance, Zouzou, inspired by Hedi Slimane’s obsession with 1960s youth culture
-
Home fragrances to reset the mood of your living space
These home fragrances will refresh and reset your living space for the year ahead, with scents by Frédéric Malle, Celine, Diptyque, and more
-
Celine’s bath and body line expands with hand cream, hair mist and more
Celine launched its first bath and body range last year. Now the brand has expanded its offering, with a selection of new products designed to enhance the Parisian bathing
-
These California-inspired perfumes are perfect for summer
California-inspired perfumes from Celine, Louis Vuttion and more are an ode to the multifaceted personalities of the Golden State
-
Luxury scented candles to intrigue the senses, as selected by Wallpaper*
The Wallpaper* edit of luxury scented candles spans from Celine and Bottega Veneta to Diptyque and Le Labo
-
Jasmin Bonheur is a new perfume from Guerlain and Maison Matisse
Guerlain Jasmin Bonheur is the fragrance house’s colourful collaboration with Maison Matisse. Perfumer Thierry Wasser tells us more
-
A glimpse inside the strange and secretive world of Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens – whose career encompasses fragrance, beauty, photography and film – has launched his first home fragrance collection. To mark the launch, we tour Lutens’ sprawling Marrakech foundation, a kaleidoscopic complex of beautifully decorated riads
-
New Cartier fragrance laboratory recalls a chic Parisian apartment
Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent unveils her art- and design-filled fragrance laboratory in Paris