William Borrell, along with Andrea Thompson and Clarinda di Tommaso, set up Vallense with the idea that it’s the vibration and energy released from the ingredients within a scent that are the true link to whether the wearer responds positively to the fragrance. He has expanded this idea by actually distilling some of his own ingredients, imbuing them with a care and attention that can’t be achieved in industrial quantities, and even bringing new oils into play that form the basis of the debut collection. Casting off the traditional methods is just one of the reasons why Vallense has caused such a stir around the world.
The debut collection, created by perfumer Pia Long, comprises Source, Sun and Spirit, with each sharing the base ingredients of holy grass and an exclusive musk accord. This linking of the scents creates a trilogy and, as William says, “embodies the essence of freedom through imagination”. When we spoke, he told me that one of his observations about ancient cultures was that perfumes, or more often perfumed salves, were created in engraved bowls and had incantations recited over them. This idea of imbuing them with positivity, and almost casting a scented net that crosses borders and connects the wearers, is clear in each of the perfumes.
Spirit opens with an aromatic burst of the Mitcham mint, with its campherous and grass-like nuances, but a vetiver note is also pulled to the fore. This conjures the expanse so associated with standing stones or stone circles. You then have the earthy floral touch from the geranium before, quite unexpectedly, a granite-like quality is released and shows its tactile outlines. This angular shape to the scent is contrasted with a whisper of iris, conjuring forgotten ceremonies, and then the magic really happens. A smooth animalic quality is released with a resinous labdanum and weather-aged box tree, followed by an evocatively scorched cedarwood, before the arrival of the vanilla-edged holy grass completes a reflective realisation of the standing stone. It’s worth noting that, many hours later, you’re left with a delicate trail of the company’s musk accord on your skin, reminding you that your experience in the circle was not an illusion.
Sprit is available from the Vallense website at vallencefragrances.com, and also Stéle in New York, priced at £200 for 100ml or as part of the Discovery Set priced at £23. [Sample provided by Vallense]
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