CDM's Nicole Mather launches luxury fragrance - House of Sillage
The eye-opening aroma of brewing coffee. The faint smell of freshly cut grass. The scent in the air after a rainfall. All of these fragrances bring to mind nostalgic memories.
Fragrances take you to another world and play an emotional part in capturing the utmost moments. “It can stir the heart and soul and evoke emotion in ways other senses cannot,” says Nicole Mather, founder of Corona del Mar based perfumery House of Sillage.
House of Sillage truly defines and surpasses the definition of luxury by capturing alluring scents without sacrificing the true craftsmanship of pure fragrance. Founder Nicole Mather shares her passion and inspiration for scent in her interview with us.
Lets start from the beginning. Why fragrances?
Our sense of smell is often overlooked but it is critical to our well being. Just as a symphony, a poem or a painting, our sense of smell can transport us to a world unto itself. Scent is also an automatic trigger to the brain. It can be a great source of pleasure and stimulate the mind along with our senses. A great perfume is the most intimate expression of style.
What inspired you to open House of Sillage?
I observed that the fragrance industry has become very mass market oriented at the expense of quality and originality. Much of the art of perfumery had been lost in the rush for high unit volumes for global distribution. It had become much more about celebrity endorsement than the appeal and power of the fragrance itself.
In creating House of Sillage, I wanted to return to the art of fragrance making, as it existed many decades ago; using only the best ingredients to produce exciting new scents that stand apart from mass market perfume.
Speaking of inspiration, how do you develop each scent and its packaging?
In developing the fragrance, we look to incorporate notes from many rare ingredients that are no longer used in the mass-market industry. We create and test combinations in order to assemble a fragrance that will be exiting and be further enhanced after interacting with a woman’s body chemistry throughout the day.
The bottles are designed to be works of art in their own rite. Our limited editions are hand crafted and use many of the techniques and materials normally reserved for jewelry making in order to product a luxurious product. For instance, the Tiara bottle is presented in a Swarovski crystal encrusted cap and each bottle is individually numbered.
And why have you decided to produce your fragrances in limited numbers?
Our fragrances are expensive to produce and commercially viable in only limited quantities because our products represent a departure from the mass-market fragrance industry. We represent a triumph of quality over quantity.
Legendary perfumer Francis Camail was the “nose” to your debut perfume Tiara; who will be the master perfumer for the house’s future fragrance?
Yes, I was very fortunate to work with legendary master perfumer Francis Camail on Tiara. Francis’ decades of experience as a master at the top of the craft combined with his base at the historical center of the fragrance industry in the south of France make him the idea partner for House of Sillage. We have several other scents we are working on with other master perfumers, each with a different focus and scent palette and it’s very likely that some of those will make the House of Sillage cut for final product approval.
Describe the personality you think Tiara would appeal to.
Tiara appeals to the sophisticated and discerning woman who values cutting edge modernity and originality in fragrance. It is a sensuously magnetic fragrance composed of rare Madagascar vanilla and musk notes and infused with delicate florals. Tiara is a perfume that captivates and is designed for the woman that appreciates the emotive power of scent and uses the fragrance as her ultimate expression of style.
