Nomenclature - lumen_esce - Eau de Parfum
Capturing the scent of violets in a lab was one of the earliest triumphs of fragrance chemistry and ever since, ionones have been a pillar of perfumery. Violettyne is the 21st century’s answer to their wistful, powdery fragrance: a preternaturally bright violet with a metallic vibration, edged in fluorescent green. Patented in 2000 by Firmenich, the cutting-edge captive molecule turns scent into light with lumen_esce.
The Scent: Electric Violet
It is the color of majesty and mysticism. Of mystery and magic. Of inspiration and harmony... Associated for millennia with the most elevated states, violet is also the highest frequency of visible light. In lumen_esce*, Frank Voelkl plays on both meanings of the word, expressing the color’s radiance by exploring the full spectrum of the flower’s scent. Boosted by a cool-as-cucumber essence of violet leaves, the sizzling Violettyne shoots high-voltage current from bloom to roots. Petals aquiver, the flower scatters scented powder on a springtime posy (freesia, jasmine, iris and rose). Patchouli Prisma, a high-tech natural ingredient distilled and reassembled to enhance its woody warmth, sheds black light on the radiant bouquet.
*Named after the lumen, the unit of measurement of light.
The Packaging
Like the lab-designed molecules that inspired the fragrances, Nomenclature’s packaging offers elegant solutions to a series of practical problems. Namely: protecting the bottle; showcasing the scent; expressing the concept. The result is a statement of design and modernity: spare, beautifully functional, and unique in the world of fragrance.
The Bottle & Sprayer
The flacon is inspired by the pure, simple lines of the classic Erlenmeyer flask, as a tribute to the chemistry labs where aromatic compounds are designed. As the bottle moves, stunning hologram-like effects rise from the “impossible molecule” patterns embossed at the bottom. To keep the overall design as spare as possible, there is no cap: the brushed stainless steel sprayer is equipped with a coil spring that prevents it from being pressed by accident. The sprayer can be unscrewed, so that the bottle may be repurposed.
The Box
Conceived as a 360° cradle that protects the bottle while displaying it, the box is made up of a white cardboard “shell” that folds around the bottle like origami, held together by a white paper sleeve. No ink, no colors: only essential white. The sleeve is adorned with a metallic logo. To add a tactile experience, both shell and sleeve are debossed with an “impossible molecule” design.
Nomenclature’s Impossible Molecules
The patterns adorning the box and bottle are “impossible molecules” that follow none of the laws of chemistry. These were designed to avoid referring to any specific ingredient, while conjuring the elegant, evocative abstraction of molecular diagrams.
