Blending History and Architecture : Arquiste Parfumeur

I first came across Arquiste Parfumeur when I was looking for an original gourmand fragrance. Most of the dessert-inspired blends crossing my path were of the cotton candy and crème brûlée variety, and I wanted bitter chocolate. “Why not try Anima Dulcis?” suggested a friend, and gave me a small sample of cognac-colored liquid. It turned out to be the treat I was craving—dark, smoky, spicy, and properly indulgent.

Arquiste Parfumeur is a niche line conceived by architect Carlos Huber in 2012. In his original métier Huber specialized in the historical preservation of buildings, and his proclivities are obvious in the way he interprets history through scents. In Fleur de Louis, a graceful blend of jasmine, orange blossom and iris, he paints a picture of the engagement between Louis XIV and Infanta Maria Teresa of Spain. The citrusy L’Etrog promises to show me the 12th century Calabria, while my favorite Anima Dulcis is a glimpse of the Royal Convent of Jesus Maria in Mexico. Helping to realize Huber’s vision are perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier. Flores-Roux and Vasnier teamed up on Anima Dulcis and L’Etrog, while Fleur de Louis is a solo project by Flores-Roux, a perfumer who shares Mexican origins with Arquiste’s founder.

One interesting exploration by Arquiste has been Mexico of the 1970s. Huber worked with Flores-Roux on a fragrance pair, Él and Ella. Inspired by Acapulco of the disco era, the perfumes have a sultry character. Él is meant as the masculine counterpart, a fougère rich in herbal notes. If you throw a dart at the men’s fragrance counter at any department store, chances are you will hit a fougère.  It’s among the most popular styles for men, citrusy, herbal, often loaded with tinny pineapple and lavender.

Él offers a novel approach. It’s rooted in the classical herbal fougère accord with its blend of sage, rosemary, geranium, orange blossom and moss, but it adds the sensual sweetness of honey and the warmth of animalic notes. The opening is bright and shimmery, while the drydown is dark and languid. But for all of its drama, I can imagine Él in a variety of circumstances, none of which require champagne and disco balls. Arquiste is anything if not refined.

Similarly contrasted is Ella. The limpid accord of freshly picked jasmine segues into a seductive darkness of honey, patchouli and amber. Flores-Roux is respected for his impeccable technique and understanding of perfume classics, and with Ella he shows how to reference an iconic theme—a green, mossy chypre of the 1970s—without falling too much under the spell of retro. Ella is radiant, layered, airy, with an earthy, smoky finish that gives it an intriguing twist.

Another fragrance that stands out for its original blend is Nanban, a dark woody composition inspired by Japanese incense. Japanese incense has a sweet-spicy scent, with a velvety undertone, and while there are many brands and styles, more than 70% of all of incense in Japan comes from Awaji Island south of Osaka. This gives Japanese temples a recognizable fragrance. Nanban takes that idea and embellishes it with the aroma of aged wood, sun-warmed osmanthus and fruit offerings, as if the whole temple experience has been distilled and then refracted through perfumer’s imagination. In a word, magical.

Painting1: Juan van der Hamen y León’s Still life with flowers and fruit (Madrid 1596-1632), via the Met and Christie’s.
Painting 2: Miki Suizan, Kiyomizu Temple on a Spring Night, 1924, via wiki-images, some rights reserved.

Do you enjoy Arquiste’s perfumes? Which are your favorites?