A feng shui-inspired fragrance house opens on Melrose Place
Could a spritz of eau de parfum help to realign your personal energy and create inner harmony? New luxury French perfume house the Harmonist is touting that belief with a collection of 10 unisex fragrances by perfumer Guillaume Flavigny, inspired by the ancient Chinese principles of feng shui. The company’s first boutique debuted in Paris on Feb. 15 followed by a U.S. flagship store on Melrose Place in Los Angeles in early March.
“Los Angeles is maybe the most feng shui city in the world because the elements are so concentrated here — the fire, the earthquakes, the mountains, the desert, the ocean, the trees,” says the brand’s chief operating officer, Virginie Amourelle, who resides in Paris. “That is why we chose L.A. for our second location. Many feng shui masters explain that the success of Hollywood creativity is due to this high concentration.”
Ten scents (in the form of eau de parfum starting at $270 and candles starting at $85) reflect the five feng shui elements — water, wood, fire, earth and metal — and were created in pairs to mirror the dualism of yin and yang.
Offering a fresh take on scent personalization, the company defines each customer’s “personal element” (such as Yin Wood or Yang Metal) based on birth date, time and place (you can input the data on a tablet computer in the boutique or online at theharmonist.com) to steer a person toward a scent horoscope of sorts — perfume pairings that are intended to enhance wisdom, creativity, prosperity, socializing or seduction, depending on what a person is seeking.
According to Amourelle, two fragrances associated with the earth element (Royal Earth for yin and Desired Earth for yang) are said to draw out creativity if your personal element is Yin Fire.
“Beauty is not for us only a matter of physical aspects; it’s rather the importance of being in harmony within yourself, with your environment and with other people,” says Amourelle. “That brings confidence and charisma so you become radiant…. We believe that harmony is a source of beauty.”
The company’s creative director, Aymeric Wuidart, former international marketing director for Coty, is also the co-founder of Art & Sens, a confidential, Paris-based service that creates bespoke perfumes for private clients.
Flavigny, the nose behind scents such as Balmain Ambre Gris and Black for Comme des Garçons, crafts the Harmonist fragrances from rare botanic oils and natural ingredients that are sustainably sourced from around the world. Amourelle notes that packaging is eco-friendly and fragrance refills (starting at $170) come in glass bottles that resemble test tubes to encourage reuse.
Parisian product designer and interior decorator Alnoor of Alnoor Design (alnoordesign.com), who has worked with luxury brands such as Christian Louboutin and Hermès, created the glass fragrance flacons (in black for yin and white for yang) and designed the interiors, including the malachite countertops, Murano glass chandeliers and lacquered wood furnishings, using materials that represent all five feng shui elements. Amourelle says every aspect of the boutique is precisely positioned according to energies within the space, mapped out by a consulting French feng shui master who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to Amourelle, travel-sized fragrances are in the works, due out later this year, and the brand plans to open another U.S. boutique – this one in New York – in 2017.
The Harmonist is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 8483 Melrose Place (323) 653-5452, theharmonist.com.
