The name comes from ‘caxixanath’, meaning ‘hidden flower’. This was the first name ever given to the vanilla flower by the Totonac people of Mexico.
The legendary vanilla
In the 16th century, the conquistador Hernán Cortés encountered the Totonacs when he landed on the beaches of Veracruz. They believed him to be Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, a god who had been sent back to Earth and reappeared sailing east after travelling through the underworld. The noble Totonacs and dignitaries shared a drink called ‘xocolatl’ with Cortés, which consisted of a cocoa mixture flavoured with chilli and vanilla.
Seduced by this aroma, he hurried to bring this mysterious xocolatl spice, which the Totonacs called ‘caxixanath,’ meaning ‘hidden flower’ (French: ‘Fleur Cachée’), to the Spanish court.
‘I dreamed of a caravel laden with spices and precious woods, docking in the harbour to unload its cargo. I dreamed of vanilla, as elegant as aged alcohol, which softens and gains complexity and bouquet. Vanilla permeating the barrels that carry it to the courts of Europe with its fragrance. I dreamed of a vanilla conquistador sailing around the world to conquer the palates of gourmets and fine noses. Trapped in Provence, I wanted this travel diary to offer a means of escape, allowing us to travel to a foreign place. Come aboard the long voyage of ‘Fleur Cachée’, the legendary vanilla.’
Just as Vasco de Gama explored and mapped the world on his ship, Anatole Lebreton's sensual journey offers us a kind of olfactory travel poetry, designed to transport you on an imaginary journey to distant lands. The carefully selected natural raw materials trace an imaginary route that takes the wearer on an adventure, floating through a spicy, vanilla-scented cloud.
An original creation
As an independent perfumer, Anatole Lebreton strives to explore new olfactory horizons and discover new ways to interact with the enthusiastic community of his first customers.
This creation was developed in an innovative way, using crowdfunding. During the development phase, Anatole sought opinions on various notes that could complement the central vanilla note, as well as on the name of the fragrance... Project participants were able to pre-order the bottles and take part in a journey of discovery to find the raw materials that ultimately make up the perfume.
With Fleur Cachée, Anatole Lebreton wants to work as a brand to make the world a better place for everyone. He is aware of the importance of being both creative and environmentally friendly, which is why this work by Anatole Lebreton also has an ethical dimension: the new box is made from kraft paper, using as many sustainable raw materials as possible. For every bottle sold, one euro goes towards reforestation through the organisation One Tree Planted.
The spice caravel
Our journey begins in Nepal, where we discover the Zanthoxylum pepper plant, also known as Timut pepper. Its notes of grapefruit combined with cinnamon provide a fresh and tingling start. Next, we stop in India with the essence of turmeric, extracted from the well-known orange root. Thanks to its nuances of parsley and green banana, its floral freshness makes the top note of the fragrance shine. Indian fenugreek absolute adds distant echoes of caramelised hay and hazelnut coffee, forming a bridge between sandalwood and vanilla. We then linger in New Caledonia, where sandalwood is harvested. This warm, soft, milky and spicy wood envelops us and intoxicates us with its softness. Finally, we arrive in Madagascar, where the delicate vanilla is transformed from the black glittering pod into the golden spice. The fragrance contains two different extracts, a CO2 extract and the more floral absolute.
