1. fashionism | montale paris 87
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86 fashionism | montale paris
Spray It
Don’t Say It
With a founder who shuns the public eye and a practically non-
existent marketing structure, Montale Paris is as mysterious as
its east-meets-west scents. Brimming with oriental influence,
the Parisian shop transports even the most jaded of noses.
WRITER: Joanna Reid
I
t may be one of the best-kept secrets in Paris. There are no
glossy ads promising romance and no savvy press releases
announcing the latest scent. There are no press agents to be
found or viral ad campaigns for that matter either. There is just a
website and a few simple social media accounts touting Montale
Paris’ latest creations, and these are about all you’ll find on this
13-year-old company.
The mastermind behind the brand, Pierre Montale, is just
as much of an enigma. There is no background about him, no
previous work experience, no glowing testimonials, not even a
single picture, let alone an interview.
“That’s why people love us so much, when you buy a perfume
from Montale you know that you’ll be the only one wearing it,”
explains the sales assistant at the brand’s Parisian flagship store,
located on Rue Pierre Charron, between Avenue George V and
the Champs Elysées.
Still, there are various reports that the real Pierre Montale
has been spotted by customers in his Paris shop, helping clients
discover his mouth-watering scents. That we find this old-fashioned
way of doing business unusual is telling about the day and age we
live in. And the fact that Montale Paris is thriving, with a glossy
shop in a swanky neighbourhood, in addition to a solid distribution
network, is indicative of the quality of their products. Perhaps this
mystery, this sense of secrecy, even adds to the appeal.
The unknown man behind Montale, and for that matter,
another stealthy brand – Mancera, is in fact Pierre Montale. After
some thorough investigative work, we uncovered a telling trail.
Pierre Montale’s real name is in fact Pierre-Louis Reppelin, and
Reppelin’s half-sister is none other than Marie Josée Fournier, the
founder of Comptoir Sud Pacifique, an equally inspired perfumery
brand, launched in 1975 but sold in 2002, around the same time
that Pierre headed to the Middle East.
After a year spent researching, sniffing and soaking up the
culture in Saudi Arabia, where he reportedly created perfumes for
the royal family, Montale returned to Paris, his suitcases brimming
with bottles and potions he intended to share with the world.
Recreating the oriental scents with a European mind-set resulted in
the aromatic birth of Montale Paris in 2003, for which he opened a
flagship store on Paris’s prestigious Place Vendôme.
What Pierre Montale did before anyone else was to introduce
the natural element oud to the established world of French
fragrance. Commonly referred to as ‘liquid gold’ or ‘wood of the
Gods’ in the parlance of perfumery, oud is one of the rarest and
most expensive raw ingredients on Earth. Extracted from the
wood of the Southeast Asian agar tree, the Montale collection is
drenched in the stuff.
Words can only begin to describe the complex harmony of
notes that make up the large collection of Montale perfumes and
only a visit to their shop can do them justice. But don’t head to
Place Vendôme, as the brand moved to its new address off the
Champs Elysées in May last year. Finding it should be a breeze, as
before you even broach its large gold doors, you’ll be captivated
by the aromas that waft along the street, persuasively luring you to
come and discover the treasures within. Once inside, you’ll find
a vast array of signature potions, each contained within a unique
looking aluminium bottle. The reason Montale eschews glass
bottles is actually twofold: firstly, it’s a subtle reference to the way
Comptoir Sud Pacifique used to package their scents and secondly,
the metal containers protect the precious essences, promising a
stable product for at least ten years.
Judging by the breadth of their distribution channels, it seems
the brand has garnered a sizeable following of international clients.
One such client, Lucy Silver, who lives in Paris and works as the
Executive Assistant to Global Advertising and Commercial Support
for the New York Times, happened to be replenishing her
supplies on the same day as our visit. “What struck me most about
the perfumes was how unique each and every one was, not only
the scent but also the packaging. The coloured aluminium bottles
are a pleasant change from the standard glass bottles favoured by
other brands,” she explains before revealing her personal favourite
is Rose Elixir.
Clearly there are numerous original scents on offer and we are
told that Montale likes to produce as many as nine new products a
year. But if you want to play it safe, Rose Musk is as close to a sure
fire winner as it gets. Pure but punchy, the floral scent is underlined
with jasmine and amber and a consistent Montale bestseller.
Interestingly, 80 per cent of the brand’s fragrances are unisex but if
you are looking for something distinctly masculine, then Black Musk
is a worthy candidate. Strong, powerful, sensual and sweet, it’s
pretty much what every man should aspire to be.
Whether or not you buy into the mystery is beside the point
because what matters is the products. Pure, exotic and far less
known than any mainstream player, Montale is a masterstroke by a
founder who prefers to remain in the shadows.