Vilhelm Parfumerie founder Jan Ahlgren, working with perfumer Jérôme Epinette, wanted to conjure “an old hotel on the Left Bank in Paris…blooming wallpaper in hushed hallways with heavy black doors….” The result, Dirty Velvet,¹ was supposedly inspired by the Hôtel Villa d’Estrées in Paris. After perusing the hotel’s online photo gallery I’m confident not one piece of dirty velvet lies within its lovely walls. I’m pretty sure any dirty velvet brought into the hotel by guests could be sniffed out by staff at the front desk, confiscated and burned off-site.

I’ve come to associate certain fragrance houses with personalities, not locales such as cities — or hotels. For instance: let’s say I need help with an important personal matter and seek a Brand’s input. (An “I-need-advice”-type question). Timid Jo Malone and Atelier Cologne would be appalled I even asked the question; they’d wrinkle their noses, bite a lip and whisper a non-committal/exasperated response: “I really don’t know, Kevin. I’m so sorry. Can I go now?” Amouage will open its therapy lounge to me, but only if we’re covering important topics such as Man/Woman relationships, Epics, FATE, Myths and the like. Guerlain would fidget: “I have to get back to the laundry room…I need to put more scented dryer sheets in with my towels! I love scented dryer sheets!!!” Hermès and Frédéric Malle would widen their eyes…

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