Description
The reconstruction of the legendary Iris Gris by Jacques Fath was based upon a competition of several perfumers and perfume experts who smelled the original in its perfect form. Luca Turin on the version of the winner and why he chose it: “What made the (winning) version special was that it seemed to magically put together all the different facets of the – very different – samples of Iris Gris we had available. Naturally, their submission smelled wonderfully of iris, but more importantly it had that extra message of style and refinement which made Iris Gris unique and far more than a mere ‘iris fragrance’.”
L’Iris de Fath was launched in 2018. The nose behind this fragrance is Patrice Revillard.
Mebwi587intitytek – :
After reading several great reviews, including some here on fragrantica, and smelling a paper strip of the orris-laden recreation at the Osmoteque, it is my long-term goal to acquire atleast a little 5ml bottle of this stuff. Decant sites take note, invest in a full bottle and sell it in parcels. You have my preorder!
Darinochka – :
Mon Dieu je n’ose même pas y penser !! Je suis tellement folle que je suis capable de l’acheter même si le prix est exorbitant !!
Mais rien que de savoir qu’il existe cela me rend folle !!
panfilov-av – :
I was able to test L’Iris de Fath on paper and on skin during the 2018 Esxence show. I haven’t had the opportunity to smell vintage original Iris Gris, nor the reconstructed version of Osmothèque. So I can only assess this fragrance on its own merit.
On paper, the majestic orris root immediately took my breath away: the almost buttery milkiness, the violet-tinted woody backbone, the slightly carrot-like rooty undertone, all the fascinating features of iris raw materials are here, satisfyingly rich without feeling weighed down by itself. The peach was initially quite shy, like the first sunshine at dawn barely through the substantial cloud of iris. When much later on, the dried peach-like, decadent and mature fruitiness finally gains the upper hand, the lactonic aspect of the peach makes a natural transition to the creamy iris. An intriguing bitterness also hides within, recalling both the peach pit and the rootiness of iris.
Whereas it’s already fairly enchanting on paper, L’Iris de Fath really blooms on the skin. While the exquisite orris still leads the way during the opening, the peach comes through much earlier with its succlulent fruity sweet-tartness. This immediately creates a contrast between the plush, almost unctuous orris and the lively, glowing peach, and renders the fragrance a somewhat 3D effect compared to its performance on paper.
Then, at around 30 minute mark, something unexpected (to me) happens: a vivid oakmoss starts to spread underneath the peach-iris and eventually becomes an equal player starting from the 1 hour mark. At this point, it actually smells to me like a technicolor Mitsouko with a big dollop of luxurious orris! I say technicolor, because the 90s EDT, 2014 EDP and 2015/2016 EDT versions of Mitsouko all smell more or less sepia to me, with the dried peach barely illuminates the dry, slightly leathery and faintly mossy base like candlelight reflecting on a sepia-toned vintage photo. But in L’Iris de Fath, the peach is more exuberant and luscious, while the oakmoss is greener and more lush, as if the saturation parametre is dialed up in this picture. A soft veil of powdery spicy carnation gently hovers upon the mossy base, like a distant echo of 1940s when this flower was in its prime in perfumery.
The moss retreats to the background about 4 hours in. It now essentially provides a velvety, plush texture to the tender duo of peach and orris. L’Iris de Fath then remains this silken, cozy yet elegant skin scent of peach and iris till the end. The sillage is mostly close to my skin, while the total longevity is around 8 hours.
Personally speaking, I’m very fond of L’Iris de Fath. The bright, colourful peach and the sumptuously buttery orris make an enticing contrast yet are still harmoniously, seamlessly blended together. The coral glow of peach shines upon the thick, almost grey cloud of orris, yet when the peachy light and the orris cloud expand towards the horizon, the edge is blurred into gorgeous sunset afterglow. Numerous references from vintage perfumes can be picked out in L’Iris de Fath, from the peach-mossy Mitsouko association, the powdery kiss of carnation to the overall elegant and abstract style of classic perfumery. However, the fragrance itself ultimately feels contemporary, even timeless, partly because latest releases seem to favour buttery orris than metallic, rooty or starchy types of iris, partly thanks to it using modern raw materials, but most importantly, I think it retains the kind of harmonious beauty with a broad appeal that has the potential to transcend time.
When compared to other iris or iris-peach fragrances, I also find L’Iris de Fath quite unique. Iris Silver Mist exaggerates the rooty, carrot-like aspect (which I dig), while Xerjoff Irisss skews a bit powdery violet lipstick-like after its initial creamy opening, but L’Iris de Fath really puts forward the buttery texture of iris without forgetting its woody and rooty undertone. When set side by side with Sultan Pasha Irisoir and DSH Scent of Hope, the biggest difference that I perceive is the mossy base and the subtle carnation touch in L’Iris de Fath. Regarding the peach-iris duo itself, I find that Scent of Hope has a more dominant peach and Irisoir has more emphasis on the woody iris (I enjoy both too), whereas L’Iris de Fath has a more balanced peach-iris and is more buttery in comparison.
However, as much as I enjoy L’Iris de Fath, I have to admit that its 1470 euros/30 ml price is indeed a very steep one. Reading the interview conducted by Fragrantica, it seems to me that its pricing and limited distribution are at least partly a deliberate choice to keep it rare. While I certainly would like that it fit into my range of budget, based on what I smelt, it has a certain level of quality and artistry that I personally don’t feel shocked if people are willing to pay for it. After all, it’s a purely subjective issue depending on one’s taste, value and personal circumstances. That being said, with 150 bottles produced per year and at this price, to sample it would probably require much effort and money, and along with it, an extremely high expectation which will be very difficult to live up to, like any legendary unicorn in perfumery. However, if you’re prepared on this front, I personally would definitely recommend giving L’Iris de Fath a try, especially if you happen to be around the boutique where it will be available.
HeawnTrarma – :
I had the opportunity of smelling it at Esxence 2018. In my opinion this iris is not worth all the hype around it.
The opening is a recognizable almost predictable powdery note that soon turns into a sugary, candied peach. It’s incredible how at Fath they managed to translate what’s praised as one of their historical masterpieces in a contemporary boring “solifruit”.
30 ml extrait in crystal bottle price tagged at 1400 euros and a performance that rating “poor” is euphemistic: Iris de Fath disappeared from my skin after 20 minutes. Not bad for such a concentration.
I’ll stick to L’Erbolario Iris if I want something smelling better at a microscopic fraction of the price and, without doubts, with more than a decent performance.
Chrono36 – :
I was sorry to see 3 “I don’t like it”, it got out 3 days ago and was present at Esxence only, in Milan.
Luckily no consistent reviews were posted, at least!!
I have tried it today. I first read the article (posted here on Fragrantica) so I was able to understand what this was all about, why it was brought back to life, how it was made, and just because of this, it deserves like hits only.
This is Art! Regardless of whether you are on Iris, peach, sandalwood, oakmoss or not.
Iris and peach play a big role. The flower and the roots of Iris stand out, very classical, elegant and cozy. It all smells natural, not too loud, stay close to the skin (didn’t spray it, didn’t dub it, but only transferred from the paper strip to my wrist).
10 minutes in, a juicy peach kicks in and from that moment on, any time I smelled my wrist it was an alternate dance of the 2 stars.
Couldn’t smell the base notes, it all disappeared after 4 hours, but this is to blame only on how I have applied it.
Anyhow I will give a proper try as soon as it hits one of the few boutiques that’ll be chosen in the next weeks. And I can’t wait!
TubOptOmbip – :
This bottle is stunning like a beautiful crystal attar flask,I hope I can acquire this in the near future I would love to try this remake of iris gris since i havent tried the legendary original and probably never will.
kaka1212 – :
Where i can find this one “Iris volé”? it’s not released anywhere!!!!