Curations: Hermès unveils H24, a signature men’s fragrance developed with a nose for luxe fashion
- The French maison launches its first major follow-up to Terre d’Hermès after 15 years with a scent that fuses natural essences and biotechnology
- Perfumer Christine Nagel was inspired by the label’s ready-to-wear line for men, using a synthetic molecule to evoke the smell of a tailoring workshop
After a 15-year wait, Hermès has revealed its new signature fragrance for men – a blend of nature and technology called H24. Created by Christine Nagel, the French luxury brand’s in-house perfumer, it translates the textures of contemporary men’s fashion into a distinctive olfactory experience.
H24 is the maison’s first major launch of a men’s fragrance since the 2006 debut of Terre d’Hermès, developed by Nagel’s predecessor, acclaimed perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena. Nagel worked alongside Ellena prior to taking the reins of Hermès Parfums in 2016, learning about his experimental approach that saw the formulation of Terre d’Hermès using Iso E Super, a synthetic woody scent.
Nagel herself is a nonconformist in the world of fragrance, with a keen interest in biotechnology and its development of new scent molecules based on enzyme reactions. “I like to go towards natural, very classic raw materials, and work them using technologies that give them other renderings, other textures,” she explains.
“To create this new Hermès signature fragrance, I had to open up other, less predictable paths to move away from the conventional woodiness of men’s scents.”
One path led Nagel to an unusual source of inspiration – the work of Véronique Nichanian, Hermès’ artistic director of menswear. “When I attend one of Véronique’s runway shows, I am always struck by how I am able to feel the texture, the very weave of the fabric, with my eyes,” Nagel says.
The duo collaborated on the development of H24 – named after Nichanian’s ready-to-wear collection for men – by drawing from their mutual love for fluidity, proportions and materials. The result is a disruptive fragrance that layers scents into an almost tactile sensation for the olfactory system – similar to the feel of a finely crafted garment.
H24 starts with a botanical note of clary sage, a flowering herb native to the Mediterranean Basin. The aromatic essence is reminiscent of freshly cut grass and hay, with an invigorating amber base that creates a sense of what Nagel calls “urban nature”.
Next comes the heady note of narcissus absolute, an aromatic flower with a powerfully crisp, green scent that appeals to men. “I have softened it without stripping it of its lively, electric character by having it co-distilled with another material,” Nagel says, choosing not to name her secret ingredient.
The fragrance is also laced with rosewood essence, a rare ingredient extracted from a South American tree. “I chose it for its simple and natural botanical freshness,” Nagel says. “We were lucky enough to be able to source it from producers in Peru, whose eco-responsible initiative ... involves harvesting it and replanting the species in a way that respects the environment.”