MANILA, Philippines??My first mistress wore Mitsuko (by Guerlain) when I was very young, and so for me that lady is forever Mitsuko,? says Phillippe Charriol, the man behind the success of Charriol, the luxury brand best known for its cable designs on watches and jewelry.

Together with fellow Frenchman and good friend Jean-Pierre Grivory of Cofinluxe, Charriol was in Manila to launch his latest offerings: Parfums Charriol for both men and women.

Both men strongly believe in the power of scents. ?The power of smell is such that it reminds you forever of a person or a circumstance. The personality of a fragrance is very important,? says Grivory.

As such, Charriol and Grivory endeavored to create fragrances that reflect the Charriol spirit.

?I told him I wanted something classy and elegant for men, sensual and voluptuous for women?not too spicy,? Grivory says. ?A few parameters. After that we saw each other a few times in Paris and together we tried to figure out which fragrance would be the best, the most appropriate to reflect the name and the nature and the personality of Charriol.?

It was not a difficult task for Grivory given their relationship. ?Both the brand and the man have very strong personalities. And by sharing impressions, feelings and so on, we have translated the Charriol universe in a product,? he says.

True reflection

The product, as it turns out, is a true reflection of the Charriol brand. Starting from the packaging dominated by prune, or aubergine, the color of the season and the brand?s corporate color, mixed with gold for the women?s fragrance and silver for the men?s.

The cable design, which Charriol calls the brand?s DNA, is also incorporated in the bottle designs. More important, the fragrances evoke the impressions that Charriol wants the consumer to experience?a timeless elegance for men and sensual glamour for women.

Impressions

The scents are composed of various ingredients such as passion fruit, freesia and vetyver for the women?s fragrance, and Tuscan lemon, rose and amber for the men?s.

But according to Grivory, it can be restrictive to speak about ingredients. ?Generally, I prefer to speak about the impressions. There are nearly 90 different ingredients in different concentrations, and if one would be missing, the other ones wouldn?t be smelling the same way.?

Asked why he finally decided to come up with the brand?s fragrances, Charriol says, ?There?s always a time for everything and today is the 25-year anniversary of the Charriol brand and the right time for my brand to launch a fragrance, especially in the Philippines where the name is so well-known.?

Together with Grivory, Charriol is kicking off a tour (starting here in the Philippines) to introduce his new products to consumers around the globe. ?We?re starting a world tour in a country where the name is most respected,? says Charriol. This will soon be followed by trips to Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

E-mail the author at afashion@inquirer.com.ph