Curated by Guerlain, olfactory art show conjures century of Shalimar

November 11, 2025

Shalimar L'Essence, a next-era iteration of the Guerlain signature. Image credit: Guerlain

French beauty brand Guerlain is reflecting on 100 years of its foundational fragrance.

The maison is using cultural programming and product innovation to celebrate the centenary of a pioneering scent. Launching an anniversary exhibition in Paris, the commemorative effort is anchored by a campaign featuring Shalimar L'Essence, a next-era iteration of the Guerlain signature.

Sensory storytelling
Two centuries after its development, Guerlain is honoring the story of Shalimar.

A shared lab session with chemist and friend Justin DuPont led to French perfumer Jacques Guerlain’s discovery of the compound ethylvanillin; upon adding several drops to a bottle of the house’s Jicky fragrance, the new scent was born.

Created in 1921, the formulation is significant in the larger context of the category, credited for ushering in amber as a foundational fragrance category. Shalimar would officially enter production four years after its invention.

A now-redesigned bottle nods to the aesthetic movement that defined luxury design when the perfume debuted.

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French crystal maker Baccarat crafted the 1925 original’s sapphire-blue stopper, establishing a precedent for luxury packaging that Guerlain maintains in contemporary iterations.

A newly-incorporated golden Art Deco-style logo can be seen across the Shalimar L'Essence campaign, which features longtime brand ambassador Natalia Vodianova.

The updated formulation opts for organic Madagascan vanilla pods, hand-processed at Guerlain's Orphin facility, emphasizing artisanal production methods while intensifying the amber fragrance's signature note, distinguishing it from the house’s classic eau de toilette and eau de parfum offerings.

In Paris, another attraction explores Guerlain’s past.

‘En Plein Coeur’
Boasting free admission, the “En Plein Coeur” exhibition at Maison Guerlain on the Champs-Élysées runs Oct. 22 - Nov. 16.

The activation, executed in partnership with Art Basel Paris, features works by 11 contemporary artists, including Pierre & Gilles, Liu Bolin, Louise Bourgeois, Omar Ba and Iván Argote. Each piece corresponds with custom scents developed by Delphine Jelk, Guerlain’s director of fragrance creation, creating olfactory-visual dialogues that explore love’s varied dimensions.

The activation features artworks by 11 contemporary artists, each paired with custom scents developed by Delphine Jelk, Guerlain’s director of fragrance creation. Image credit: Guerlain

“En plein coeur” visitors encounter specially designed devices conceived by Magique Studio founder Mazen Nasri that dispense fragrances synchronized to artworks positioned across three floors. The installations transform passive viewing into active scent exploration.

“I first discovered the works, followed by passionate exchanges with the artists,” said Ms. Jelk, in a statement.

“Then I looked at the pieces again to interpret them in scents and propose a new, shared sensorial experience,” Ms. Jelk said. “The goal is to translate the visual into an olfactory expression.”

The showcase draws directly from Shalimar's origin narrative: the 17th-century romance between Emperor Shah Jahan and Princess Mumtaz Mahal.

After the princess died, the inconsolable emperor commissioned the Taj Mahal in her memory, while the Shalimar gardens he created earlier inspired Mr. Guerlain's 1925 fragrance composition.

Other heritage brands have marked significant olfactory anniversaries with special marketing initiatives.

French fashion house Chanel celebrated N°5’s 100th birthday in 2021 with campaign content featuring French actor and singer Marion Cotillard and product releases spotlighting rare ingredients (see story).

Meanwhile, in recognition of its overall centenary, Italian fashion house Fendi released a limited-edition line of fragrances (see story) imagined by artistic directors Kim Jones, Silvia Venturini Fendi and Delfina Delettrez Fendi last year.

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