This is an invocation for all who wish to quell the need to escape to some far-off place, outside time. Boundless. Without seasons and months and without the constraints of convention. This is an invocation for those looking to elevate beyond what is expected or required and step into something truly undefinable and remarkable. Claim it, it’s yours for the taking. This grand gesture may seem overt and verbose but believe me when I say I’m barely scratching the surface.

Scent has always been the sense of evocation and action. Passive, to be sure, but powerful and able to both strike fear and delight in equal measure. It’s often a nebulous task seeking the scent that will set your soul on fire. I for one am constantly fluctuating between notes and find it hard to settle. What enchants me one day will leave me wanting the next. Such is life, I suppose. There are of course fragrances that never disappoint. Tracking them down, however, isn’t as simple as popping down to the chemist and picking up whatever celebrity endorsed, watered down nonsense is lining the shelves. This is a task of precision and research with many of the finest on offer available offshore. That is why we are here, to distil what was once nebulous and offer you the best. My verbosity is in response to Salle Privee, a luxury brand from the Netherlands representing the timeless. No item produced is designed to crumble under the time fall, instead each and every item is designed to withstand, which for a fashion and lifestyle brand is extremely uncommon. That goes double for their fragrances, which are at once confounding and thoroughly implicit in their message.

Taking cues from the design innovations of the 70’s, a period credited as revivifying and the true start of the postmodernist era, Salle Privee grounds itself in solid aesthetics. With a staple of five fragrances in tow, Salle Privee represents a divisive cut from what you would normally expect from a fragrance designer. The regular cast and crew are here, don’t get me wrong. You still have the astutely citrus notes, or you may prefer something with a little more wood, which is also available if you swing that way. There is just a higher precedence taken for the historical cues and the real-life tangible elements each fragrance is inspired by. ‘Monochrome’ from Salle Privee, which I have been wearing obsessively, in its descriptors says, “Expressive of style and the arts…explore[ing] the use of one colour and the expressivity of texture and nuance, in expressing a wide variety of emotions, intentions and meanings.”. In relation to a fragrance, this may seem like a disconnect, but in reality, it is very much in line with how the scent makes you feel and what the scent makes you think of. This is the key to the underlining point of difference of Salle Privee. The dedication to perfecting the nuanced notes and combining it all in such a way that renders any updates redundant is, simply put, a marvel.

The ethos of Salle Privee is of respecting heritage while reappropriating to a modern audience. There is a hint of old-world charm nestled in each piece while the heart is resoundingly modern and if I may be so bold, thoroughly timeless. Salle Privee feels like something I will always carry with me and has become intrinsically linked with myself. I was instantly won over by Monochrome and it’s strange yet intoxicating allure, combining the rooted, natural wood scents with the harsh, fabricated sharpness of metal. For you though, this of course ay be different. Salle Privee offer a discovery set to newcomers for you to fall in love with, which is a very nice touch. Now, get discovering.

For more on Salle Privee, visit salle-privee.com