Rive Gauche pour Homme, the masculine reinterpretation of a legendary YSL Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, born in Oran, Algeria in 1936. His father wanted him to become a doctor, but the future couturier followed his own path. In 1954, Yves Saint Laurent joined Dior as a modelist.
“Rive Gauche pour Homme” was born in 2003, following the immense success of “Rive Gauche pour Femme”, released in 1971. At that time, the feminist revolution was in full swing, and the couturier, ever the provocateur, was glad to take part in it. By whispering in women’s ears, You are free, Yves Saint Laurent secured his place in history. While “Rive Gauche pour Homme” offers a return to 1970, it remains, above all, the fragrance of free men.
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche pour Homme, a timeless reinterpretation signed Jacques Cavallier
To compose the fragrance of free men, the house of Yves Saint Laurent chose Jacques Cavallier Bellestrud as perfumer. Born in Grasse in 1962, Jacques Cavallier grew up amid fields of flowers. He began his career at Charabot, then joined Quest and Firmenich in Switzerland in 1990. Since 2012, Jacques Cavallier has been the official perfumer for the Louis Vuitton brand. Jacques Cavallier is a devotee of raw materials. In 2000, he earned the title of master perfumer, then, in 2004, he received the Prix François Coty. Jacques Cavallier is a very discreet perfumer with an exceptional expertise. He states that his ambition is not to create rare and exceptional fragrances, but rather fragrances that will appeal to as many people as possible. Jacques Cavallier is behind many great fragrances, including “Poème” by Lancôme, “Nina” by Nina Ricci, and “Rose des Vents” by Louis Vuitton.
Rive Gauche pour Homme, a fragrance between elegance and power
“Rive Gauche pour Homme” takes flight on the power of aromatic notes such as lavender, rosemary, and star anise combined with bergamot. Rosemary is native to countries around the Mediterranean. Its name comes from the Latin “Ros Marinus”, meaning “dew of the sea”. Rosemary has been used since antiquity for its medicinal properties. In ancient Greece, young people made crowns of rosemary to improve their memory and their intellectual faculties. This is why a saying states that rosemary is to the mind what lavender is to the soul. During major epidemics, people wore small bags of rosemary around their necks for protection and burned rosemary in the rooms of the sick. Today, rosemary is used in cooking, as an essential oil, in herbal medicine, in infusions, and in perfumery. There, it releases notes that are at once fresh, aromatic, herbaceous, camphoraceous, and woody. Then, the heart of “Rive Gauche pour Homme” combines geranium and clove to give the YSL man his full sense of freedom and complexity. Finally, the base of “Rive Gauche pour Homme” is woody and sensual, blending oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, and guaiac wood. The precious nectar is held within the iconic bottle of the house of YSL’s “Parfums Classiques” collection. Clean-lined and cube-shaped, the bottle is wrapped with a large black label, the couturier’s signature color.