I grew up speaking French and regularly visiting family in France. My aunts, grandmother, and family friends all wore the gorgeous classics of French perfumery. My memories of the subtle architecture of those fragrances are at the heart of how I think about creating perfume. The classics are bold and daring. They were made when artists like Picasso and Matisse were re-inventing art. We didn't see that boldness again in perfume until niche fragrances arrived.
Au Delà - Narcisse is my interpretation of a classic floral chypre: floral but earthy, bold, and subtle. While composing it, I listened to Olivier Messïaen's symphonic masterpiece, which is full of contrast, dissonance, harmony, and beauty.