Guerlain Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Shalimar
On November 4th and 5th, Guerlain celebrated the 100th anniversary of a legendary fragrance, Shalimar, on the Champs-Elysées. The history of Shalimar is closely connected to that of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his lover Princess Mumtaz Mahal. For her, he built the Shalimar Gardens, meaning ‘Temple of Love’ in Sanskrit, as well as the Taj Mahal after her passing. This tale inspired perfumer Jacques Guerlain. A pioneer in the amber family, Shalimar opens with floral top notes, accentuated by bergamot and an accord of iris, jasmine and rose. The richness of the tonka bean and vanilla established the ‘Guerlinade’, the iconic olfactory base note of Guerlain.
The perfume was officially launched at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, four years after its creation. Designed by cousin of the perfumer Raymond Guerlain and manufactured by Baccarat, the Shalimar bottle itself is a work of art. Its design recalls the pools of the Mughal gardens, while its blue fan-shaped stopper reminds of the water jets in their fountains.
During two exceptional dinners retracing this fantastic story, we met Natalia Vodianova, Léna Mahfouf, Aurélie Saada, Camélia Jordana, Mathieu Forget, Djanis Bouzyani and many others.
Photos: Jean Picon and Tomy Do
