Swiss luxury house Chopard has added three new scents to its fragrance collection, all with sustainability in mind.
It’s been nearly a decade since Chopard started its journey toward sustainability. It now guarantees all of its gold is ethically sourced, and its sustainability ethos extends to its fragrances, which it says is in full force for its three new woodsy fragrances: Santal Odeyar, Bois Nomades, and Patchouli de Sumatra.
“Since the launch of The Journey to Sustainable Luxury, we have been improving the sustainability performance of our production processes, building a responsible supply chain and playing our part in catalysing positive change for the communities and people affected by our business and our products,” Chopard president, Caroline Scheufele, said in a statement.
Clean fragrances
The label developed the fragrances with Swiss fragrance house Firmenich after more than 20 years under the Coty umbrella. The in-house parfums focus on natural, responsibly-sourced ingredients.
In January, Firmenich partnered with startup Jungle, which has produced the first true commercial extract of Lily of the Valley through a sustainable vertical farming operation that extends the blooming period, allowing for the extraction of the elusive scent.
Chopard launched its first scents with Firmenich in 2017 as part of the fragrance house’s ‘Naturals Together’ initiative—a move it said represented a new chapter in its sustainable luxury journey. The brand’s philosophy “places ethics at the heart of aesthetics.”
The scents produced for Chopard contain no artificial colors, include ethically sourced ingredients, and come packaged in FSC-certified paper packaging.
Working closely with Firmenich is essential to ensuring the fragrances are made ethically, Chopard says. It’s a move other luxury houses are embracing as well. French beauty giant Lancôme recently opened its own horticulture site where it’s growing organic roses and other botanicals for its fragrance and beauty lines.
The new Chopard collection represents the commitment to sustainability through the fragrances themselves, too—the woodsy, earthy notes of oud and sandalwood conjure forests rather than the floral and metal scents common in the West.
“I decided to work with perfumers I knew—Alberto Morillas and Dora Baghriche—because, just like in my jewelry studio, I surround myself with people who are dear to me,” Scheufele says, explaining that perfumes are deeply personal.
“They are the embodiment of a vision, that of Caroline Scheufele. This vision is not projected on a white screen, but on the skin, on a cashmere jumper, in the hair or in the air around us, and everyone can tell the story in their own way,” explains the house notes.
Santal Odeyar delivers floral and fruity top notes rich in Italian bergamot and mandarin orange, as well as pear and mango. Middle notes are floral—Orange Blossom from Tunisia and Morocco, Jasmine Grandiflorum Infusion from Egypt, Jasmine Sambac from India and Damask Rose from Turkey. And bottom notes include white sandalwood from Australia, cistus absolute from Spain and benzoin gum from Siam. And Atlas Cedar from Morocco, Oud Assafi, Frankincense from Somalia, Cypriol Nagarmoth from India, Myrrh from Ethiopia and Somalia, Opoponax from Somalia, and Styrax from Honduras make up the background.
Nomadic Woods opens with cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Black pepper from Asia, Hookah accord, and clove bud oil from Indonesia are the top notes. Middle notes are truly floral—Turkish Damascus rose. Moroccan Atlas cedarwood from Morocco, Oud Assafi, Frankincense from Somalia, Cypriol Nagarmoth from India, Myrrh from Ethiopia and Somalia, Opoponax from Somalia, and Styrax from Honduras make up the dry down notes. “Its ingredients make up travelers of the past and the continents they passed through,” Chopard says.
Patchouli from Sumatra’s top notes include Calabrian bergamot from Italy, kaffir lime and patchouli from Indonesia. Middle notes include Sweet Orange oil from Brazil, Juniper Essence from the Balkans, Cardamom from Guatemala, Clary sage from France, Patchouli heart from Indonesia, and Geranium essence from Madagascar and Reunion.
Chopard sustainability
The longtime Cannes award producer launched its Journey to Sustainability initiative in 2013 and by 2018, 100 percent of Chopard’s gold was ethically sourced following a partnership with the Swiss Better Gold Association in what was deemed a groundbreaking project at the time.
It has since made all of its gold fully traceable, and increased its work with artisanal miners, especially women, which make up half of its miner partners.
In February, Chopard’s sustainability commitments were the focus of a line of upcycled jewelry creations made in partnership with French eco-fashion house, Bilum. It salvages “forgotten” materials for its collections.
“Having the trust of a great luxury Maison is extremely precious because it proves that together we can change the rules of the game using an ancestral concept as the basis. To us, this represents the future,” Hélène de la Moureyre, founder of Bilum, said in a statement.
“Sustainability is a moving target, it’s a Journey which never ends and we are delighted to be part of this exciting new partnership with Bilum, marking a new milestone in our Journey to Sustainable Luxury,” Scheufele said.
