I don’t like making grand announcements, especially when we’re only half-way through the year. But it’s a pretty safe bet to declare that Hermès H24 is the most anticipated release of 2021.
It’s the French luxury goods company’s first brand-new male fragrance since the award-winning Terre d’ Hermès. That 2006 release created by Jean-Claude Ellena went onto become a modern classic. It re-affirmed the house’s reputation for top quality. So expectations of Hermès H24 are massive, to say the least.
Christine Nagel succeeded Ellena as the in-house perfumer in 2016. Since then, she has produced standouts such as Eau de Rhubarbe Écarlate, Twilly d’Hermès and Galop d’Hermès for the brand.
For the creation of Hermès H24, the Swiss perfumer (pictured, below) wanted a blend of nature (botanicals) and technology (man-made molecules). “I had to open up other, less predictable paths, to move away from the conventional woodiness of men’s scents,” she says.
The notion of nature meeting technology is evident from the grey and lime green paper box (100% recycled and recyclable). The aerodynamically shaped glass bottle (refillable and recyclable) designed by Philippe Mouquet (he also designed the Terre d’ Hermès bottle) echoes that theme in typically elegant Hermès style.
SO WHAT DOES HERMÈS H24 SMELL LIKE?
Herbal clary sage (essence and absolute) introduces this EDT. It’s aromatic in a big way, with grassy accents, and makes its way throughout the scent.
Narcissus can be unruly and dominant at the best of times. But in Nagel’s accomplished hands, the absolute version of this floral reveals its crisp, green, slightly bitter, tobacco-ish aspects. Sustainably sourced from Peruvian producers, citrusy rosewood essence builds on the freshness of the narcissus absolute.
And now for the definitive (and trickiest part) of the composition – sclarene – a molecule that brings the technological part to the equation. Metallic (in a warm and sensual way), Nagel partly chose this note due to its evocation of hot irons in the Hermès sewing workshops. It’s certainly intriguing but will not be to everyone’s liking.
And perhaps that’s the point of this brave release. It’s not going to be an immediate pleaser or classic like Terre d’Hermès. In fact, it might take some time to come around to it, especially with the dominance of the clary sage. So best give it time to develop on your skin to appreciate all its facets.
Hermès H24 EDT is available at Woolworths.