Yahoo Lifestyle Frédéric Malle says he was "completely wrong" about Portrait of a Lady
We often associate perfumes with a period of time. Thierry Mugler's Angel, the first gourmand fragrance of its kind, and the iconic Calvin Klein CK One are quintessentially nineties. Daisy by Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue are synonymous with the 2000s. Other perfumes – that perhaps didn't align with specific trends – are trickier to date, using classic notes to create contemporary scents with a story.
Despite its 2010 release date, Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum is a fragrance that appears timeless. Its creator, Frédéric Malle, describes it as an "old world meets new world" scent. Combining the classic elegance of rose with a modern patchouli and sandalwood base, it has maintained its head-turning reputation for more than a decade, with a fan base that just keeps growing.
With more than 30 years' experience, Frédéric Malle is a powerhouse in modern perfumery. He has a rich olfactory heritage; the Paris-born businessman's grandfather, Serge Heftler-Louiche, was the creator of Parfums Christian Dior, launching the exquisitely feminine floral bouquet, Miss Dior, in 1974.
In 2025, Éditions de Parfum Frédéric Malle will celebrate Portrait of a Lady's 15th anniversary with an exclusive limited-edition release. The reimagined classic will boast a new bold exterior, designed to mirror the scent's statement rose-tinted aroma.
“Perfumes work a little bit like collage – we often begin from either a scent of nature, a raw material or even an existing perfume,” Malle explains. “The idea for Portrait of a Lady came from a perfume that we had just finished called Géranium pour Monsieur. The dry down of Géranium pour Monsieur, which is far warmer than the rest, is something that we had built quite patiently: a bit of musk, sandalwood, benzoin, a touch of patchouli and a bit of ambrée.”
Appointing himself as the “publisher” and his perfumers as the “authors”, Malle labels each scent with the name of the nose behind it. Owners of Portrait of a Lady will, therefore, know its perfumer by name: Dominique Ropion. Ropion is also the nose behind Géranium pour Monsieur, Carnal Flower and Vetiver Extraordinaire.
“We always have this maniacal idea that we're going to reinvent the wheel. I thought that this was maybe our chance to create a whole new breed of warm, round, skin-like perfume,” he says. “We were sort of pleased at the beginning but then we went in circles, as one often does. It became a little bit generic. It was like one nice rhythm, that repeated itself – like lounge music. And so, we were wondering what to do.”
Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady Limited Edition
The deliberation and experimentation around Portrait of a Lady continued over the course of six months, Malle continues. “We had a conversation about a perfume by Guerlain called Nahema and about the rose accord in it. My theory was that it was made in a certain way, Dominique's theory was that it was made in a different way. And then we sort of looked at each other like, oh, maybe we just take that rose accord and put a huge part of it in the product. It was the probably the biggest eureka moment in my thirty-plus years in perfumery. It was amazing, to completely turn the thing around.”
Portrait of a Lady's exuberant Turkish rose top note is what it is recognised for today – 400 flowers per 100ml to be exact. Its heart notes are blackcurrant, raspberry and clove, which add a sweet balance between the elegant floral top note and the warm patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense base that sparked Malle’s initial concept.
“What's interesting with this perfume is that usually I'm right when it comes to its potential success. And with this one, I was completely wrong and it gave me lots of hope.”
Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum
Beyond the notes, Portrait of a Lady is a perfume that tells a story; sophistication, a certain amount of sex appeal and "endless grace" is the mood that Malle describes. He credits Richard Avedon’s Dovima with Elephants, first published in September 1955’s Harper’s Bazaar, as one of the key references. “The way I see it is that a lot of women are using this as a weapon. It's like an armour to fight the day.”
And it doesn't stop at a spritz. From comforting shea butter hand care to lightweight scented hair mists, the empowering Portrait of a Lady perfume has also been encapsulated in a range of luxurious fragrant textures for body and hair.
Frédéric Malle Portrait Of A Lady Eau de Parfum
Frédéric Malle Portrait Of A Lady Hair Mist
Portrait of a Lady Hand Crème
Frédéric Malle Hair & Body Oil Portrait Of A Lady
While nostalgia is always a valid reason to revisit your favourite scent, it is a tall feat to be able to label a perfume as truly timeless. Yet, between its decadent vintage references and clever reinvention of core notes, Portrait of a Lady has maintained its modern classic status effortlessly year on year. Not only is it one of Frédéric Malle’s greatest olfactory creations, this is a perfume we’re certain will remain stylish across a lifetime.
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