In Paris, Moda Operandi and Vogue100 Hosted a Fragrance Masterclass With Matiere Premiere

Jessica Matlin, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Arden Fanning-Andrews. Photographed by Joseph Bishop

On Monday afternoon in the 8th arrondissement, Vogue100 and Moda Operandi gathered a flock of fabulous guests to kick off the Haute Couture festivities on a floral note. The luxury French fragrance brand Matiere Premiere hosted an intimate masterclass with founder and 7th-generation perfumer Aurélien Guichard at Riviera Paris. Joined by Moda Operandi’s beauty director, Jessica Matlin, and Vogue’s beauty editor-at-large, Arden Fanning-Andrews, the discussion covered a range of topics from the start of Guichard’s career as a talent nose to the sensory process of creating a fragrance from farm to bottle today.

Native of Grasse, Guichard founded the Domaine de Chautard perfume flower farm and is the only perfumer to produce his own ingredients. Most notable are the rose centifolia and tuberose, both of which can be discovered in the current line under the names Radical Rose and French Flower. “For Matiere Premiere, when I created French Flower, I wanted to take the tuberose to a different place,” Guichard explained. “Instead of dark, deep, and intense, I wanted to take the flower somewhere bright, light, essential, and in a way that is easy to wear.”

A portfolio of Matiere Premiere perfumes greeted guests upon arrival. Glittering attendees included Olivia Palermo and Tina Leung. Of course, Lauren Santo Domingo—Moda Operandi’s founder, the artistic director of Tiffany Co. home, and former Vogue editor—played hostess. Once the masterclass began, this personal scent guidebook proved to be a powerful learning tool by allowing guests to ascend on an intimate journey through the world of Matiere Premiere.

“Crystal Saffron delivers a cool factor that I’ve been looking for in a fragrance for a while,” Fanning-Andrews added. “I’m a loyalist to my scents, and I never go backward because I want them to capture a moment in time, a way to recall memories through smell.”

Following the conversation, the soirée shifted into cocktail hour with glasses of rosé and canapés floating about. Naturally, everyone was equally focused on finding their Matiere Premiere perfume match with the trusted help of Guichard and his team of experts. Instead of narrowing in on just one fragrance to take home, guests were able to curate a personalized trio of travel scents that will undoubtedly come in handy during one of the busiest and hottest fashion weeks of the year. Paris has never smelled so good!