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Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud chats with Abdurrahman Karim about his latest creations for the maison, Pur Ambre and Pur Santal
<figure id="attachment_102288" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-102288" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-102288" src="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JACQUES-CAVALLIER-BELLETRUD_04_-rights-until-Oct-1-2024.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="853" srcset="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JACQUES-CAVALLIER-BELLETRUD_04_-rights-until-Oct-1-2024.jpg 640w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/JACQUES-CAVALLIER-BELLETRUD_04_-rights-until-Oct-1-2024-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-102288" class="wp-caption-text">Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud</figcaption></figure>
Born in Grasse, the epicenter of France’s perfume industry, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud joined <a href="https://daman.co.id/tag/louis-vuitton/">Louis Vuitton</a> in 2012 and has since become the mastermind behind 40 of the house’s olfactive delights, including Ombre Nomade, Météore and Pur Oud. Following up on the success of the latter, Cavallier-Belletrud unveiled two creations for this year, Pur Ambre and Pur Santal, which pay homage to two of nature’s most precious ingredients: ambergris and sandalwood.
DAMAN: Can you tell us the story behind your latest creations for Louis Vuitton, namely Pur Ambre and Pur Santal? 
Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud: The story started with Pur Oud three years ago. I wanted to offer to our clients, especially the perfume lovers, the possibility to have Louis Vuitton’s oud. It’s a very rare and exceptional material. I also wanted to offer the experience of perfume layering like Middle Easterners do, which is the practice of mixing perfumes together and applying personal oud as the final touch. We were very successful in the past three years and that’s why I wanted to continue the history by first creating Pur Ambre, which is the ambergris note that I use for all Louis Vuitton fragrances. It’s a combination of two materials: ambroxan and the natural ambergris. The latter is a material we collected on the beaches in New Caledonia, India and Scotland. The scent of this fantastic material is very sensual, slightly animalic, deep and mysterious.
Pur Santal follows the same idea and the same process. Sandalwood is one of the most ancient ingredients used for perfumes, as well as for religious rites and many other occasions. It has a pure, creamy and woody note, which creates sophistication in fragrances and brings lots of volume without being overpowering or too aggressive. I use natural sandalwood oil from Sri Lanka and I add some ingredients around it in order to reveal the creaminess of this wood. And that’s exactly the sandalwood that I use for Louis Vuitton perfumes.
These two creations are also amazing because they’re highly concentrated. I want to break the rules by offering them at maximum concentration, and it works.
<figure id="attachment_102287" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-102287" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-102287" src="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PURE-PERFUMES.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="537" srcset="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PURE-PERFUMES.jpg 640w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PURE-PERFUMES-300x252.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-102287" class="wp-caption-text">Louis Vuitton’s Pure Perfumes</figcaption></figure>
DA: Can you elaborate further on what makes ambergris and sandalwood so precious? 
JCB: Ambergris is a universal, central material appreciated all over the world. It represents sensuality, sexuality or something incredibly strong that comes from us. The scent is very complete and enveloping with lots of facets. That’s why it’s a star among ingredients. At Louis Vuitton, for example, we have Imagination or L’Immensité for men, where ambergris creates something different that redefines sensuality in the 21st century.
As for sandalwood, it’s been precious since a thousand years ago. It exudes sophistication and was once a very expensive material, but in the first half of the 20th century, sandalwood was everywhere and in every fragrance. There is creaminess in its woodiness. It’s not aggressive nor acidic, which is quite exceptional. This character comes naturally, and that’s why it is appreciated by everyone.
DA: Can you recommend some pairings for these fragrances along with other creations from Louis Vuitton? 
JCB: A combination between Pur Ambre with Imagination, L’Immensité or Météore is fantastic. Combining Pur Ambre, Pur Santal and Météore altogether also results in an amazing scent. For Pur Santal specifically, you can go with Heures d’Absence, which is 100-percent floral to get something delicious. If you want to try the cologne, Pacific Chill and Pur Ambre will make something fresh, yet more sensual. I’m still experimenting, but what I personally love the most is to have Pur Ambre with some sprays of Pur Santal.
TEXT Abdurrahman Karim

In conversation with Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud

Abdurrahman Karim,

Jacques Cavallier Belletrud,

Louis Vuitton,

Pur Ambre,

Pur Santal