FÉMINITÉ DU BOIS by Serge Lutens

What makes a modern-day classic? It’s a question that gets asked a lot in perfume, particularly when the shelves are filled with new launches every week. Mitsouko and Chanel No.5 have had decades to earn their legendary status, but a new generation is now beginning to share the spotlight. Creed Aventus is a good example, having become instantly recognisable and hugely influential in a relatively short space of time. For me, a modern classic needs something more than popularity. It needs character, originality and the ability to keep surprising us. Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens definitely ticks all three boxes.

Serge Lutens is one of those names that changed the way we think about perfume. Known for his work in fashion, photography and art direction, he joined Shiseido in 1980 and helped create its distinctive identity. His work with the company introduced a darker approach to fragrance, and his fascination with Morocco added another layer of mystery to his creations. Serge Lutens understood that perfume could tell a story rather than simply smell nice, and that idea became hugely influential in the modern niche perfume movement. It’s difficult to imagine today's independent fragrance scene without his contribution.

Féminité du Bois first appeared in 1992, and was created for Shiseido under Serge Lutens’ direction by perfumers Christopher Sheldrake and Pierre Bourdon. Even today, there’s something really clever about it. Cedarwood sits at the heart of the fragrance, but instead of being presented as a traditionally masculine woody note, it’s wrapped in plum, spices and floral touches to create something sensual and distinctly feminine. That was quite a departure at the time. Rather than following the familiar rules, they turned them on their head. The fragrance would ultimately go on to be enjoyed by both women and men.

The story could have ended there, but Féminité du Bois was destined for another life. Serge Lutens launched his own perfume company in 2000, creating a collection that gave his distinctive vision a permanent home. Féminité du Bois eventually joined the Serge Lutens line, returning in 2009 in the familiar rectangular bottle. It found itself in distinguished company, alongside fragrances such as Ambre Sultan and Chergui, all of which have become firm favourites with perfume lovers. What had started life as a Shiseido fragrance had now become part of Lutens' own scented universe, and its influence remains easy to spot.

The fragrance opens with the star ingredient of cedarwood, with its wonderfully dry woodiness, but it’s stunningly supported at the outset by a spiced honey quality. You could easily stop here and be eternally happy, but the arrival then of the fruity peach and plum pairing, alongside rose and violet, elevates this to a whole new level. In a skilful manoeuvre, which immediately balances the floral notes, a hint of clove-studded beeswax presents itself as a further challenge to the traditional feminine style. Once again, the perfume reveals another mesmerising layer with a further woody nuance from sandalwood and a leathery benzoin, before a final encore of the central cedarwood. The words “modern classic” are very over-used in perfumery, but Féminité du Bois definitely deserves that description.

Féminité du Bois is available from the Serge Lutens website at sergelutens.fr, and also The Fragrance Shop, priced at £158 for 50ml and £224 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Serge Lutens]