Leaning against the rooftop railing of your walk-up, the timid light of the studio opposite lit up our faces. Your coat draped over my shoulders, your floriental fragrance enveloping my thoughts, together we watched them – the young artist and his colorful canvas.
A fragrance of unwavering sensuality. The sensuality of the petals of hawthorn flowers, the very generous tuberose absolute and ylang ylang are illuminated by peppers. The powerful presence of sandalwood, benzoin laos, opoponax and venezuelan tonka bean root the ethereal petals in the earth.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Orson suits a close, dimly lit setting where the air feels warm and charged rather than airy: a coat collar, a low voice, a room that holds incense and skin. It reads as intimate and self-possessed, with enough presence to linger after you leave.
How to wear
Best worn in cooler weather or after dark, Orson benefits from a light-to-moderate hand so its florals stay luminous and the resins can unfold without becoming heavy. On skin it opens plush and smoky, then settles into a warm, enveloping trail that lasts well in still air.
Who it’s for
For those who like florientals with depth: floral richness, resinous warmth and a slightly animalic edge. It will appeal to wearers who prefer sensual, textured perfumes with presence, especially if they enjoy tuberose, ylang-ylang, incense and ambered woods.
Release year
2019
The nose
Aurélien Guichard is known for composing fragrances with a polished, modern sensuality: floral materials are often given a tactile, radiant quality, then anchored with woods, resins or musks. His work tends to balance clarity with depth, which suits Orson’s contrast of luminous petals and smoky, warm base notes. In Orson, Guichard builds a floriental structure around hawthorn, tuberose and ylang-ylang, then folds in benzoin, opoponax, sandalwood and tonka for a richer, more enveloping finish. The result reflects his skill at making florals feel both elegant and physically present.
Collaborators
Carine Roitfeld shaped the fragrance as part of her long personal project, working closely on the creative direction so the scent would reflect her own taste for strong, sensual perfumes rather than a trend-led brief. Her son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld also took part in the wider development of the collection, helping turn the concept of seven fictional lovers into a coherent, story-driven line.
Carine Roitfeld’s story
Carine Roitfeld Parfums is built around personal storytelling, bold sensuality and a deliberately intimate point of view. The house treats perfume as a lasting style signature, favouring distinctive compositions, high-quality materials and a direct, unpolished elegance over softness or convention.
Orson’s concept
Orson belongs to the 7 Lovers collection, a project Roitfeld developed over nearly a decade after leaving Vogue Paris. The fragrance is inspired by Orson Welles and New York City, pairing uptown polish with downtown artistic energy, and was conceived as a sensual floral-amber portrait with a strong, cinematic mood.
Extra info
Orson is one of seven fragrances in the 7 Lovers collection, each linked to a different city and fictional lover. The bottle design is intentionally opaque and flask-like, with handwritten names and story text that underline the collection’s personal, narrative approach.
Celebrity connection
No specific celebrity wearer has been reliably documented for Orson itself.
Leaning against the rooftop railing of your walk-up, the timid light of the studio opposite lit up our faces. Your coat draped over my shoulders, your floriental fragrance enveloping my thoughts, together we watched them – the young artist and his colorful canvas.
A fragrance of unwavering sensuality. The sensuality of the petals of hawthorn flowers, the very generous tuberose absolute and ylang ylang are illuminated by peppers. The powerful presence of sandalwood, benzoin laos, opoponax and venezuelan tonka bean root the ethereal petals in the earth.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
Orson suits a close, dimly lit setting where the air feels warm and charged rather than airy: a coat collar, a low voice, a room that holds incense and skin. It reads as intimate and self-possessed, with enough presence to linger after you leave.
How to wear
Best worn in cooler weather or after dark, Orson benefits from a light-to-moderate hand so its florals stay luminous and the resins can unfold without becoming heavy. On skin it opens plush and smoky, then settles into a warm, enveloping trail that lasts well in still air.
Who it’s for
For those who like florientals with depth: floral richness, resinous warmth and a slightly animalic edge. It will appeal to wearers who prefer sensual, textured perfumes with presence, especially if they enjoy tuberose, ylang-ylang, incense and ambered woods.
Release year
2019
The nose
Aurélien Guichard is known for composing fragrances with a polished, modern sensuality: floral materials are often given a tactile, radiant quality, then anchored with woods, resins or musks. His work tends to balance clarity with depth, which suits Orson’s contrast of luminous petals and smoky, warm base notes. In Orson, Guichard builds a floriental structure around hawthorn, tuberose and ylang-ylang, then folds in benzoin, opoponax, sandalwood and tonka for a richer, more enveloping finish. The result reflects his skill at making florals feel both elegant and physically present.
Collaborators
Carine Roitfeld shaped the fragrance as part of her long personal project, working closely on the creative direction so the scent would reflect her own taste for strong, sensual perfumes rather than a trend-led brief. Her son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld also took part in the wider development of the collection, helping turn the concept of seven fictional lovers into a coherent, story-driven line.
Carine Roitfeld’s story
Carine Roitfeld Parfums is built around personal storytelling, bold sensuality and a deliberately intimate point of view. The house treats perfume as a lasting style signature, favouring distinctive compositions, high-quality materials and a direct, unpolished elegance over softness or convention.
Orson’s concept
Orson belongs to the 7 Lovers collection, a project Roitfeld developed over nearly a decade after leaving Vogue Paris. The fragrance is inspired by Orson Welles and New York City, pairing uptown polish with downtown artistic energy, and was conceived as a sensual floral-amber portrait with a strong, cinematic mood.
Extra info
Orson is one of seven fragrances in the 7 Lovers collection, each linked to a different city and fictional lover. The bottle design is intentionally opaque and flask-like, with handwritten names and story text that underline the collection’s personal, narrative approach.
Celebrity connection
No specific celebrity wearer has been reliably documented for Orson itself.