By Silvia Manzoni.
Have you ever wondered what the sun smells like? For an answer, go and smell LVERS, the perfume that music producer and popstar Pharrell Williams created with the brand whose men’s fashion he heads as creative director, Louis Vuitton.
The designer, who has always stood out for his innovative ideas, chose this celestial element as the inspiration for his first fragrance, composed by the great master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, the group’s in-house perfumer. «Pharrell’s debut fashion show was bathed in sunlight on the Pont Neuf in June 2023, which resonated with the essence of the entire project. We started talking about it just in the days following the show. And it all made sense; photosynthesis is the genesis of everything », the perfumer explained.
For Pharrell Williams, the sun motivates all human experiences. The energy of light is also a metaphor for love, which is why the fragrance is named LVERS, after the artistic community Pharrell is linked to, as well as the concept of Lovers and loving and the idea of living life to the fullest. The fragrance was created in Grasse, in Vuitton’s olfactory atelier, Les Fontaines Parfumées, which is at the core of the group’s olfactory creativity. To highlight the intergenerational approach, Jacques’ 25-year-old daughter Camille Cavallier, who is also a perfumer, was involved in the creative process. For the first time, she participated in all stages of creation, contributing fresh and innovative ideas. «I would say that the initial idea, which immediately made an impression, came from her», her father proudly confessed.
The unique ingredients that define Pharrell’s perfume LVERS’ sophistication
So, what was the spark of creativity?
«I imagined the light passing through a forest», Camille explains, «So the rays that make the green shine and fade on the wood of the trees. A strong image that immediately appealed to Pharrell». The first ingredient that came to her mind was galbanum, a root of Iranian origin that has a green, crunchy aroma. «We paired it with ginger native to Africa», Jacques Cavallier resumes, «extracted from fresh and not dried roots to preserve the somewhat intense and gritty side, with Virginia cedarwoodsymbolising the forest, to wrap everything in a soothing cloud. These are raw materials with a strong personality, tracing a fluid, multifaceted masculinity and, above all, great sophistication. But what bodes well for this fragrance is that there is little difference between the initial idea and the final result. When the fragrance undergoes too many changes from its primary form, it is not a good omen. One should never lose the thread.»
Camille Cavallier’s fresh perspective in perfume creation
After coming up with the idea, the creative process was very quick in this case. «We got together with Pharrell and submitted our ideas to him», Cavallier revealed. «The meeting lasted almost four hours, during which he listened, sniffed, and asked questions while drinking Diet Coke. When we found the right formula, he immediately said yes. He is an open-minded person and impressed me with his eagerness to explore new territories. It’s this curiosity that sparks creativity. He has a keen interest in scents and had already worn a Louis Vuitton creation from the Extraits collection, Stellar Times, with amber notes. However, Pharrell told us right away that he loved green notes».
Pharrell Williams’ collaborative spirit in creating LVERS
For young Camille, working with this star «has been surprisingly easy. Pharrell is a very pleasant person, easy to discuss things with, and not the unapproachable star on a pedestal».
Jacques Cavallier chose three words to define Pharrell’s personality: «Kindness, humanity, tolerance. These are values that a perfume can embody very well through its raw materials and aesthetics, expressing their universality».
Louis Vuitton has also designed a special travel case and trunk for this fragrance of love and light, which comes in an iridescent bottle. It can hold up to three bottles featuring the green Camouflage motif, the motif that reflected the artistic director’s stylistic vision from the beginning.
