A realistic gardenia scent that can be worn by everyone, recreating the scent of boutonnières and French colognes wafting through the Belle Époque foyer of the Opéra Comique in Paris in 1899. Known as the “Opera Flower” the gardenia was the choice bloom for black tie during the Belle Époque, worn by dandies and beloved by their admirers. Our composition features notes of: Lavender, bergamot, Italian mandarin, gardenia jasminoides/gardenia citriodora duo, genet absolute, vetiver and oakmoss.

May 1899, Foyer of the Opéra-Comique, Paris.
During the Opera’s intermission, a group of seven young men gather at the Grand Foyer in search of new flirtations. Women of all sorts are lured in by the crisp, green scent of the men’s gardenia boutonnières, enlivened with the vetiver, bergamot and lavender colognes they wear. As they draw closer, the “Opera Flower” exudes its elegant masculinity, the last breath of a bloom sacrificed on a black-tie lapel.

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Name: ARQUISTE Boutonnière n° 7 EDP 100ml
Brand: ARQUISTE
SKU: 20544
Price: 180.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

ARQUISTE Parfumeur

Founded by Mexican-born architect, restoration expert and fragrance designer Carlos Huber, ARQUISTE Parfumeur is a scent collection that transports you to evocative moments and historical sites. The name is a combination of words arquitectura (architecture) and artiste (artist), signifying the driving influence and inspiration behind the collection.

Each scent restores a particular olfactive experience by using rare ingredients identified through meticulous research. Interpreted with master perfumers, this background translates stories, landscapes and architecture into top, heart, and base notes. Using high quality, sustainable and responsibly sourced materials, the ARQUISTE scent collection allows you to unlock personal revelations and experience history in a most intimate way.

Drawn to Mexico’s architecture and history, and a passionate traveler since young, Carlos Huber first pursued the study of architecture and historic preservation at prestigious universities in his hometown of Mexico City, in Paris and New York, where he graduated with honors in Historic Preservation at Columbia University. His diverse experience includes meticulous residential and commercial projects as well as art installations concerned with the interpretation of historic sites.

Turning to his longtime love of fragrance, Huber was mentored by master perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, studying perfume history, evaluation and fragrance development. Bridging the worlds of architectural and perfume history through the lens of restoration led him to collaborate with Flores-Roux and perfumer Yann Vasnier to create ARQUISTE, developing scents that restore authentic historical experiences.

ARQUISTE has garnered awards from organisations like the Fragrance Foundation and Fashion Group International as well as international media, establishing Huber as a fragrance designer dedicated to meticulous storytelling, authenticity and sustainability. By the hand of perfumers like Flores-Roux, Vasnier and Calice Becker, ARQUISTE’s creations are rich, transportive and layered.

View ARQUISTE Collection