Fragonard Iris

by: Sandra Raicevic Petrovic

IN 2016 FRAGONARD CELEBRATES IRIS Iris - Symbol of Nobility   Iris is one of the oldest raw ingredients and also one of the most precious ones. It has a special nickname, 'the Blue Gold of Florence', because the Iris Pallida grows and thrives in the sunny climate of Toscana.   Iris – Flower of Kings   Its fragrant power and graceful and refined looks contribute to its irresistibility. The iris flower has been a symbol of nobility since the age of Clovis, while it was accepted by Louis VII as the official coat of arms. In the 17th century, the powdery iris was used for  numerous perfume products, and was planted particularly for the needs of scenting the famous gloves of Catherine de Medici.

Iris Flower as perfumers’ "Blue Gold" There are about 120 sorts of iris in the world, but only three of them are used in the perfume industry: IRIS PALLIDA (Toscana iris), IRIS FLORENTINA (iris blooming on the hills between Sienna and Florence) and IRIS GERMANICA (iris originally from Verona, but now growing and blooming in Morocco and China).   Extraction Method   Iris rhizome must spend almost three years in the ground, in stony soil, if possible. After that, it is dug up by hand, separated from the roots, washed and dried. The fragrant component receives its final form in the long process of drying, which also lasts three years, making the whole period of gestation six years long. Once dried, the rhizomes are cut into pieces and ground to a powder. The solid substance called Orris Butter is obtained by steam-processing the pieces of dried rhizome for 20 to 36 hours. It is then purified by molecular distillation, to obtain iris absolute. From 1 ton of iris rhizomes one can obtain only 200 grams of iris absolute, which costs €100,000 per kilo! Iris absolute is characteristic for numerous facets: it has a scent similar to violet, mimosa and woody notes, as well as flavors of carrot or fruity shades of raspberry.

IRIS / FLOWER	ORRIS ROOT

In the year when FRAGONARD celebrates its 90 years of existence, perfumers of the house are celebrating IRIS! In the past few years, Fragonard introduced a special collection that celebrated and singled out one ingredient for that year, so over time we enjoyed the fragrances and accompanying collections Mimosa (2010), Fleur d'Oranger(2011), Violette (2012), Muguet(2013), Pois de Senteur (2014), Jasmin (2015) and now the precious Iris.

The top notes of Iris provide a luminous-bitter union of citron and bergamot, announcing a feminine bouquet of violet and heliotrope in the heart. The base, composed of tonka,  is warm and resinous, and provides an extremely powdery chord of iris absolute. 

FRAGONARD IRIS edition 2016 top notes bergamot, citron heart violet, heliotrope base notes tonka, iris absolute

Besides a 50 ml EDT flacon, illustrated with iris flowers, the collection offers a set of 4 soaps, a glass soap plate, a room scent with 10 sticks, as well as a specially designed set that includes a purse, a hand towel and mini flacons of shower gel and EDT. All products in the set are decorated with lovely iris flower illustrations. The iris-dedicated collection can be ordered on the official website Fragonard.com or purchased in Fragonard stores.

FRAGONARD IRIS COLLECTION

Iris Eau de Toilette 50ml 17 EUR
Iris Set with iris illustrations (purse - hand towel 30x50cm, mini soap 30gr, mini bath 35ml, mini EDT 12ml) 18 EUR
Iris Room Diffuser with 10 sticks 28 EUR
Iris set with 4 soaps 11 EUR
Iris plate for soap, made of glass, illustrated with iris flowers  6 EUR