PERFUME Archives • T Australia

The Atelier Versace perfume collection is a fragrant ode to Gianni Versace, a visionary and a disruptor whose haute couture collections are priceless. Handmade in rich and luminescent fabrics, these gowns were often embellished with lace, crystals and metal threads.

In the same way, the 12 perfumes in the Atelier Versace Eau de Parfum collection are handcrafted with the finest raw materials and artfully layered by some of the world’s most exciting perfumers. In the words of Donatella Versace, the fragrances “embrace all the values of haute couture”.

Highlights of the collection include “Cédrat de Diamante”, a sparkling, fruity fragrance that was inspired by the fresh aroma of citrus fruits of the Amalfi coastline. It’s a joyous scent with notes of pink grapefruit and natural woods, which was created by master perfumer Marie Salamagne.

Standing out for its dry woody notes, “Iris d’Élite” has a touch of spice that highlights the scent’s powdery feel. Its warmth comes from a fusion of tonka beans and musky amber tones. Full of bright contrasts, “Gingembre Pétillant” is another memorable fragrance from the award-winning perfumer Jordi Fernández. Pungent red ginger from Laos is cut with the sweetness and warmth of cinnamon, while the notable presence of the delicious praline accord makes this gourmande eau de parfum intoxicating.

Rumoured to be one of Donatella Versace’s favourite perfumes, “Jasmin au Soleil” was created by Nathalie Lorson and showcases Indian jasmine flowers, which were picked at sunrise to preserve the integrity of their scent. The genius here is the addition of French beeswax with balsamic and honey notes, along with hints of hay and tobacco. The result is a light, velvety, sensual perfume that is cut with lemon and cedarwood.

The exceptional attention to detail, which is embodied in the Atelier Versace fragrances, includes the sculptural handmade glass bottles. The softer eau de parfums are poured into clear sculptured glass bottles, whilst the more deeper scents flow into sculptured, gleaming black glass bottles. The name of each fragrance is scripted in gold, while the glistening, golden cap features the iconic Versace Medusa. The attention to detail can also be found in the packaging, which is embellished with a golden, hand-painted Greek Key border and amplified with a mirrored surface, showcasing Atelier Versace painted in gold tone.

To unwrap each Atelier Versace fragrance is to experience the excitement and sense of anticipation in stepping into one of the world’s most luxurious and original fashion houses.

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When the time comes to pick the right fragrance for an important meeting, to see friends, or to go on a date, Yasmin Sewell believes the decision should be based on emotion and feeling. Enter Vyrao, Sewell’s fragrance brand, through which she aims to equip people with energetic potions to take on the world through scent.

Sewell is a veteran in the fashion and beauty industry. She’s held the most prominent jobs in the business for companies like Browns, Liberty, and Farfetch, to name a few, and launched fragrance names like Frédéric Malle in the UK. After leaving her role as Vice President of Style and Creative at Farfetch in 2019, Sewell felt ready to do something for herself. “I was just going through a change in my personal life. I have two boys. I wanted to focus on them. I just took some time for myself,” says Sewell. “What do I really want to do now with my life? What am I going to create that’s truly what I’m about and what I believe in? And it was really about energy.”

Vyrao is the ultimate fusion between energetic healing and master perfumery. There are five unique scents, each crafted using plant and flower remedies, where ingredients are selected to emote feelings at the highest level.

What sets Vyrao apart, other than the enamouring scent, is the sustainably sourced Herkimer diamond that sits inside each and every bottle. “In the crystal world, they are known as the most powerful quartz crystal on earth,” says Sewell. “They hold, retain, and give off energy. It’s a little bit of magic, I always say.”

‘I am Verdant’ is Vyrao’s symbol of transformation and illumination. It is a green scent that bursts with mossy citrus, which comes from Italian bergamot, cyclamen, iris and orange. ‘Free 00’ layers Sicilian lemon and mandarin with notes of waterlily to inspire a release of inhibitions. Yet it is ‘Witchy Woo’, the brand’s fragrance for courage and creativity, that is proving to be one of the most captivating of the range. It is an enveloping mix of the earthy, rare Moroccan orris and warm spices.

Much like Patrick Suskind’s novel “Perfume”, but without the tragedy, fragrances are created from a sense of nostalgia, memory or experience. When working with Vyrao’s perfumer, Lyn Harris, Sewell talked about what she wanted to feel when wearing a scent rather than what it should smell like. “I created new memories with these scents, so I don’t believe they smell like anything I’ve smelled before. They are completely new to me, and I guess I created new memories with them,” says Sewell.

“Vyrao is about yourself and changing the way that you feel. So when you walk out into the world or when you’re with your children, friends, family, or colleagues, it changes your field and how you feel about yourself. And that’s really everything,” says Sewell.

Although fragrance sits separate from fashion, one can’t help but feel it completes the same circle. With incense, candles, and more extraordinary fragrances coming, Sewell is on a well-being journey to uplift and heal us all, one spray at a time.

To celebrate Vyrao launching nationally at MECCA instore and online this week, MECCA is giving T Australia readers the opportunity to win their own bottle of Vyrao. Click here to find out how to enter.

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PERFUME

Versace Launches The Ultimate Accessory: A Wardrobe Of 12 Handcrafted Perfumes

Yasmin Sewell’s Uplifting Perfume Comes to MECCA

To celebrate Vyrao launching nationally at MECCA instore and online this week, MECCA is giving T Australia readers the opportunity to win their own bottle of Vyrao. Click here to find out how to enter.