Etat Libre d'Orange
Perfume is dead, long live perfume!...or so declares the irreverent d Etat Libre d'Orange in their Declaration of Independence. The Free State of Orange is a land of olfactory liberty where there are no taboos, or constraints on fragrance creation. Headed up by the mercurial Etienne de Swardt, Etat Libre captured our interest upon its inception in 2006. Who else would dare create a fragrance based on incense and bubble gum, or a hotel madame? Insolence? Perhaps. Subversive? Most definitely, but it is rare to see anyone these days push the envelope so far with a fragrance, much less an entire line. We love the adventurous spirit and unconventional approach and we applaud the results. Les parfums et mort, vive les parfums!