How Perfumer Quentin Bisch Made Christian Louboutin's Fétiche La Rose Smell So Carnal
Perfumer Quentin Bisch reveals how he used cherry accord, rose notes, and something surprising to put seduction in a bottle.
When a perfume takes after a rose, it usually chases capturing the scent of the petals and their rich red aura. For Quentin Bisch, however, he was enchanted by capturing the aura of a thorn when crafting Fétiche La Rose, Christian Louboutin's newest fragrance.
This scent is distinguished by a carnal sense, brought to life through rose and cherry accords, inspired by, not just the thorn of a rose, but also Christian Louboutin's signature thin and sharp stilettos, according to the perfumer—he is the renowned nose between some of the most popular scents today, including Carolina Herrera Good Girl, Jean Paul Gaultier Divine, Parfums de Marly Delina and more. The rose used in this, Bisch says, is "a rose that is very dark and almost animalic, and so I felt that it was a perfect rose to embody the story of something very carnal."
"I thought that this cherry could be the black element of the shoe, and the rose could be the red element of the sole, and it would be a game between black and red rose and cherry," the perfumer tells L'OFFICIEL, illustrating his starting point for crafting Fétiche La Rose. "For me, I pictured... who is the Louboutin woman? But also, what is the transformation she would feel wearing this? Perfume is about transformation always." 
Patchouli and ginger notes help tie everything together in the fragrance, keeping its olfactory edge intact, but one of the scent's most important notes, which helps unite the two main accords, is something Bisch has never used before. The "secret note," he reveals, is one that mimics the smell of vinyl.
"it's a bit sharp. It's a bit plastic, latex, and vinyl-y... it's very, very striking. But it's super interesting because it gives the perfume a vibration that is amazing," he adds.
Fétiche La Rose melts into the skin with the power to stay on all day. It's elegant, sultry flavor is sure to make this scent a new favorite among beauty lovers and designer fragrance fanatics. A 2.7-ounce bottle retails for $245 and is available to shop on Christian Louboutin's website, in addition to being sold at retailers like Nordstrom.
