Bois d'Iris

Its name alone is enough to make stars appear in the eyes of men and women around the world. An exceptional guarantee of quality, Van Cleef & Arpels is one of the finest jewelers in the world. As if to carry over its jewelry-making expertise into perfumery, Van Cleef & Arpels decided to create the Collection Extraordinaire. It brings together exceptional fragrances, including Bois d’Iris.

Bois d'Iris Collection Extraordinaire by Van Cleef & Arpels

The Collection Extraordinaire by Van Cleef & Arpels is crafted in the same manner as the jewels of this exceptional house. To create the fragrances in this collection, the house selects the finest ingredients from around the world. Bois d’Iris is a juice that contains raw materials emblematic of perfumery, worked with surgical precision and presented here in their finest expressions. It should be said that iris is a legendary raw material in perfumery and is even among the most expensive raw materials in the entire perfumer's palette. Here it is worked in its purest and most accomplished form. Bois d’Iris delivers a scent full of poetry and emotion, of remarkable precision. As the name of this fragrance suggests, it is about uniting the subtlety of a flower with the tenacity of a woody note. The result is an unexpected resonance. Bois d’Iris plays on contrasts and thus suits men and women alike. It is a fragrance that is both minimalist and authentic while being rich and highly elegant.

Bois d’Iris, a contrasted fragrance of softness and character

Bois d’Iris was launched in 2009 and was created by perfumer Émilie Coppermann. Naturally, iris sits at the center of this composition. This highly elegant, opaline flower delivers a powdery scent that signals refinement and elegance. It is paired here with driftwood, very warm, as though heated directly by the sun. Bois d’Iris thus carries a nuance that is both warm and humid. Its sensuality, meanwhile, is revealed in the exoticism of ylang-ylang. Likewise, incense, myrrh and labdanum only heighten the fragrance's air of mystery, wrapping it in a seductive breath. Finally, ambergris rounds it off by heightening the animalic quality of the whole, making it absolutely irresistible. Like each of the fragrances in the Collection Extraordinaire by Van Cleef & Arpels, Bois d’Iris comes in a rectangular, upright bottle. It is poured into heavy glass, a sign of refinement. The whole rests on a solid base engraved with the initials of the house Van Cleef & Arpels. Bois d’Iris is decidedly a fragrance crafted with great care in every detail.