“Be heavenly wonder, for that beauty that I can’t grasp, but of which I can perceive the essence, through my senses, in my dreams, in my soul and beyond the endless dimensions of skies“

Olivier Royère, Sylvie Loday and Benoît Verdier
(ph. credit Ex Nihilo Paris)

Cuir Celeste is the latest fragrance by EX NIHILO, a Parisian Maison of artistic perfumery founded in 2014 by Olivier Royère, Sylvie Loday and Benoît Verdier. A brand that never ceases to surprise thanks to unconventional creations characterized by an aura of elegance, eccentricity and refinement, projection of a visionary beauty of which the latest creation, Cuir Celeste, is a brilliant example. Composed by Quentin Bisch, Cuir Celeste pays tribute Mathieu Cesar’s works, a young and talented photographer whose black and white images have already gained the pages of leading fashion magazines and have seduced celebrities such as Daft Punk, Natalie Portman and Lana del Rey. The focus is on the B3 bomber jacket, which has become an integral part of the artist’s image, and on his passion for combat aircraft and speed; the visual inspiration is a shot, realized by Cesar in his Los Angeles studio, which portrays a young woman with innocent and delicate features dressed as an astronaut. A game of contrasts that underlines the unisex imprint of the fragrance and leads our imagination beyond the horizon, towards the celestial space: the outfit is a suede and titanium armor, the means is the sense of smell, the destination is infinity.

(ph.credit Ex Nihilo Paris)

The spicy and bracing start of black pepper and galbanum, softened by the thin translucent green-metallic patina of the violet leaves, creates the propulsive thrust towards heavenly and unknown dimensions. The “body” surrenders to the vivid emotion of the osmanthus, gently hovering on a soft carpet of ambrette clouds profiled by very delicate floral-fruity nuances and giving shape to the dreamlike and surreal landscape that is offered to a high-altitude traveler. Linked by a common denominator, the leathery facets of the osmanthus and the ambrette acquire dimensional stability in the earthy embrace of Cypriol to which the wood of Akigala, an enzymatic secretion of the patchouli, and the patchouli itself give depth. Cuir celeste abandons the classic temper of the leather component to venture into a more discreet, soft and intimate dimension where the absence of gravity changes its consistency allowing it to melt into the skin with a suède touch. Each element finds its continuity, harmonizes and completes itself, merged by a thin silver mesh of musk.

Sober and sophisticated, Cuir Celeste could be defined as a high-concentration skin scent, thanks to a discrete sillage and a high persistence that allow the fragrance to blend naturally with the skin, wrapping it with the elegance of a haute couture garment and the comfort of a tailored suit.

This creation marks the debut of the new Visionnaire collection through which Ex-Nihilo undertakes a collaboration with rising stars of art and craftsmanship. The artist edition of Cuir Celeste – available by reservation at the Ex Nihilo flagship stores in only 10 numbered pieces – offers a few discerning collectors the chance to gain, in addition to the 100 ml perfume bottle, a triptych box set that hosts an A4 print signed by Mathieu Cesar.

Cuir Celeste is available from September 10th, in 50 ml and 100 ml spray or in the practical travel pack that houses 5 vials of 7.5 ml. Eau de Parfum Concentration.