The second fragrance by gentleman journalist Yvo van Regteren Altena: Yvra 1979 - L'Essence de Présence.
The fragrance
After Yvo van Regteren Altena's first fragrance L'Essence de l'Essence, he now presents L'Essence de Présence: a woody, aromatic and sophisticated fragrance with a long-lasting body. Its predecessor, L'Essence de l'Essence, is characterised by its freshness, making it the perfect way to start the day. L'Essence de Présence is warmer and more powerful; it is both elegant and soothing.
Both YVRA 1958 creations offer an alternative to the synthetic aggressive fragrances currently prevalent around the world, which are more like a hasty retreat than a passionate embrace.
L'Essence de Présence is reminiscent of the classic perfumes with European flair that set the tone at the end of the last century. The perfect successor to the fresh L'Essence de l'Essence. L'Essence de Présence is more mysterious with its pepper, patchouli and woody notes. After an initial accord of bergamot, lemon and black pepper, patchouli and cedarwood appear and are gradually overlaid by ambergris, moss and musk.
The design and packaging
Yvo already has a lot of experience in working with art director Durk Hattink. The packaging of YVRA 1979 L'Essence de Présence needed to embody the subtle yet rich character of a niche fragrance with a high perfume concentration.
Hattink was asked to combine Yvo's love for the past with the present, using a nostalgic yet timeless colour scheme with matching typography. Hattink says: ‘Because of the woody nature of the fragrance, a chocolate brown colour was the obvious choice.
If you look closely at the details of the box, you can recognise Yvo's love of fine lines. However, designing the bottle presented us with a whole new set of challenges. When I asked Yvo what the budget was, he told me: ‘Budgets are meant to be exceeded’.’ And that's exactly what happened. Turning the best materials into this vision of YVRA 1979 L'Essence de Présence requires a high level of craftsmanship and dedication.
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