GENTLEMAN JOURNALIST YVO VAN REGTEREN ALTENA
LAUNCHES HIS SECOND FRAGRANCE: YVRA79 L’ESSENCE DE PRÉSENCE
The Fragrance
After the launch of Yvo van Regteren Altena’s first fragrance L’essence de l’Essence, two years ago, Van Regteren Altena now unveils L’essence de Présence: woody, aromatic and sophisticated with a long-lasting capacity. His predecessor L’essence de l’Essence is characterised by freshness and is perfect to start the day with. L’essence de Présence is warmer and more powerful; it is both elegant and comforting.
Both creations of YVRA offer an alternative to the synthetic aggressive scents predominant in the world today that induce a hasty retreat rather than a passionate embrace.
L’essence de Présence is reminiscent of the classic perfumes with European flair that dominated the end of the last century. It’s the perfect follow up after the launch of the fresh L’essence de l’Essence. L’essence de Présence is more mysterious with peppery, patchouli and woody notes. After an opening cord of bergamot, lemon and black pepper, the patchouli and cedar wood appear and are slowly taken over by hints of amber, moss and musk.
Design and Packaging
The packaging of YVRA79 L’essence de Présence had to embody the subdued yet indulgent character of a niche fragrance with a high perfume concentration. Hattink was also requested to connect Yvo’s love for the past to the present using a nostalgic yet timeless color scheme and typography. Hattink: “Inspired by the woody nature of the fragrance, a chocolate brown color was the obvious choice. If you look closely at the details of the box, you can see Yvo’s love for subtle striping. However designing the flacon presented a whole new set of challenges. When I asked Yvo what our allowed expenditure was, he told me ‘budgets are made to be broken.’” And that is exactly what happened. Transforming the most precious materials into our vision of YVRA 1958 L’essence de Présence requires a high level of craftsmanship and commitment.
