A La Russe Rouge

by: Serguey Borisov

If you do not live in Moscow, the expression "À la Russe" for you could mean something done the Russian way, like Russians do. For example, drinking tea from a samovar—it's "à la Russe." For gourmands and lovers of haute cuisine “service à la Russe” means the way of Russian table serving, which now spreads in all modern restaurants. But if you belong to a group of Russian fashionistas or fashion editors, then for you the same expression means a clothing brand created by Anastasia Romantsova.

After Vogue Fashion's Night Out 2014), A La Russe is also a fragrance name. More precisely, the fragrance is called A La Russe Rouge. It was presented September 4, 2014 for the first time in the boutique A La Russe Anastasia Romantsova, and a few other places. The very first perfume of the brand, A La Russe Rouge, is devoted to the mysterious Russian soul.

”We developed the perfume for a long time, the main task was to show through the smell of the Russian soul, to make a perfume that would be a trigger for everyone to recall something intimate, personal, intimate and touching,” designer Anastasia Romantsova shared. "Perfume should work as your old favorite songs or black and white movies that one wants to see/hear again to find something new, not seen before."

The bottle looks older than its years, just like Anastasia Romantsova's fashions, inspired by Tsarist Russia. Either intentionally or just by accident, the shapes of the bottle and the label refer to the past. The composition of A La Russe Rouge perfume is also permeated by some Russian retro-chic.

I was able to try a pilot version of the fragrance, and it is mostly devoted to frankincense, with its camphor sharpness of incense oil at the start, a warm, resinous woody heart and a dry, reserved drydown. The refreshing sharpness is supported by black pepper at the start, the heart goes with some pine oil, and the sillage is extended by a soft and sweet vanillic touch. For greater similarity with the historical Eaux de Cologne Russes (which we have already discussed in another article), A La Russe Rouge perfume would need a stronger citrus start (incense oil has a light lemon-like facet that perfectly combines with any citrus) and the accented soft, cozy, ambery accord in the basenotes that makes Eau de Cologne Russe so distinctive from its French and Italian relatives. However, now in its frankincense glory, it fits into the trendy niche fragrance category as well—selective brands adore making incense-centered fragrances because of its sacred religious status, its prominence in virtually all cultures and its bohemian roots. Not to mention that frankincense and the mysterious Russian soul are inextricably linked to the Western world.

I do not know how Anastasia Romantsova chose Florentine laboratory and shop Aqua Flor among many other independent perfumers: on a friend's advice, after Internet surfing or a happy accident of stumbling upon the Florentine boutique, on the way from the Basilica of Santa Croce to the Arno waterfront. After all, Florence is full of fairly well-known perfumers and successful niche perfume brands with laboratories, enough to spend a whole week in the city to choose the best one.

However, I am glad that with her choice Anastasia revealed to us the hidden gem of all the tourist attractions of Florence perfume—the boutique is located in the 15th-century palazzo on Borgo Santa Croce. Aqua Flor was opened in Florence just three years ago, to complete for the international tourist clientele with Santa Maria Novella di Firenze.

Most likely, Anastasia took advantage of the custom perfume service. A La Russe Rouge is sort of a personal perfume, made in some hundred bottles. Hence the shape of the bottle—it's typical for all Aqua Flor Firenze perfumes. The same bottle shape was used for the new Mariella Martinato fragrances, the Orobianco perfume collection of five scents and some other custom perfumes. You can also pay a visit to the Master Perfumer Sileno Cheloni, Aqua Flor Firenze's owner and create your own version of a fragrance, be it À La Russe, Á La Francaise, or Á L'American (and colognes, soaps, creams, lotions, candles, fragrant salt bath, and more). However, the name A La Russe Rouge is already taken by Anastasia Romantsova.

Anastasia Romantsova A La Russe Rouge: Frankincense, Black Pepper, Vanilla.

Pictures from the website alarusse.ru