Thirty years after the iconic and symbolic evocation of water that revolutionised perfumery with the worldwide launch of L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme (1994), a great classic combining transparency and elegance, Issey Miyake once again draws inspiration from an essential element of nature: salt.
A tribute to today’s masculinity, reconnected to its senses, Le Sel d’Issey* conjures up the image of a beneficent nature that transmits to men the impetus, drive and desire to live intensely. A condiment of life, salt awakens the senses and stimulates energy, that vital impulse that animates us and gives flavour to our existence.
In nature, salt has effectively no smell. Like an alchemist, perfumer Quentin Bisch (Givaudan) has succeeded in giving it more than just a smell: a fragrance. Since there is no such thing as a salt extract, the perfumer has created his own personal interpretation.
“Salt is the memory of a wave on the earth and on the skin. My intention was to tackle the element salt, which responds naturally to the element water, previously interpreted by the brand, as well as the movement of nature”, explains perfumer Quentin Bisch, a great admirer of the Issey Miyake maison.
The fluidity of this fragrance, with its incisive freshness, and both woody and marine notes, constantly moves from sea to land in a reciprocity that gives the fragrance a pulse, like a heartbeat.
The sea is expressed in the extract of laminaria seaweed and oak moss, which was once a seaweed and migrated to dry land several thousand years ago; both are of natural origin. This marine focus is sublimated by the freshness of the salt accord and enhanced by a note of natural ginger sparkling with life.
The earth is embodied in a natural vetiver with powerful mineral facets, cultivated for the first time in sand, as well as in cedarwood of natural origin, upcycled from wood shavings from the furniture industry. All these woody notes give the fragrance its incredible density. It is the reciprocal interaction between these two points of focus, the sea and the land, this infinite movement, that makes Sel d’Issey so vibrant, and ultimately so alive.
The bottle was designed by Japanese artist and designer Tokujin Yoshioka, who is often inspired by the phenomena of nature and who has been collaborating with Issey Miyake for twenty years on the design of objects and flagship stores.
Of an absolute purity, the masculine curves of the bottle reveal the radiance of light and the energy of salt. The elliptical shape gradually fades towards the bottom of the glass in perfect fluidity. This is a bottle evoking movement rather than form, in line with Tokujin Yoshioka’s intention. The light reflecting off the chrome metal cap gives the design an impression of energy and movement. This object is quite clearly made to last: the 50ml and 100ml formats are both refillable. This is the first refillable bottle in the brand’s range of men’s fragrances.
In its constant quest for innovation, for its clothing and fragrances, Issey Miyake has always favoured eco-designed components offering reduced environmental impact. A symbol of minimalism, the bottle, made from up to 20% recycled glass, retains a purity and exceptional brilliance.
The “certified vegan” formula is made up of 95% ingredients of natural origin, including a unique extract of upcycled cedar in the concentrate used to obtain the final formula. The alcohol used for blending with the perfume concentrate is also 100% natural, derived exclusively from French beetroot.
Finally, the packaging is made from 10% upcycled seaweed. Its textured, matte feel is reminiscent of the roughness of a salt crystal.
Le Sel d’Issey 100ml RRP. £101. Available at The Perfume Shop from 26th August 2024 and nationwide from 11th September 2024.
