Maher Olfactive Legato photo courtesy of the perfumer.
American artisanal perfumer Shawn Maher has successfully blazed his own trail since the inception of his first (and ongoing) fragrant endeavor, Chatillon Luxe – which began in 2015 as a skin care and shaving line intended to counteract Shawn’s native Missouri’s severe winters. His first fragrance, Gratiot League Square, released in 2016 – was an organic outcropping: spicy, leathery tobacco eau de toilette inspired by early Missouri settlers and the fur trade. Since then, Shawn’s audience has grown incrementally as his exceptional compositions continue to garner attention: in 2020’s Arts & Olfaction Awards, his glorious Weinstrasse was a Finalist in the artisan category – and in 2023, Maher Olfactive Red Skies garnered an Honorable Mention. Legato is an absolute stunner, yet another example of Shawn stretching his creative wings.
Shawn Maher courtesy of the Perfumer
You might well ask why Shawn Maher decided to create a second line of fragrances after he has had such success with Chatillon Lux. When he branched out in 2020 into the Maher Olfactive brand (in addition to his existing brand), his goal was to create voluptuous perfumes without constraint, regardless of cost or materials. The concept was to foster his artistic instincts and grant them free rein. As a musician, Shawn had pondered the idea of Legato: a flowing, uninterrupted line of successive tones. He’d long desired to create an oud-themed perfume, but one which didn’t resemble any previous ones – which is a tall order these days. The main thrust of Legato was to allow a hand-picked combination of differing oud species inform him of the direction he should follow – much like seasoned chefs permit the ingredients they encounter to do the same. As a cook with many years’ experiences under my belt (who grew up in a multi-ethnic neighborhood), this idea makes perfect sense. It also speaks to a degree of flexibility.
Debussy/Paul Verlaine’s setting of Clair de Lune courtesy of Ida
To demonstrate the context of legato, I’ve taken a photo of my Debussy/Paul Verlaine score of Clair de Lune. Do you see the lovely smooth arc above “Au calme clair de lune triste et beau” (In the tranquil moonlight, sad and beautiful)? That arc is the musical notation depicting legato: the lyrical swelling of fluidity that creates an exquisite line. It simply melds, a seamlessness of sound. Maher Olfactive Legato aims for this mellifluous olfactory effect. Shawn describes his Cambodian oud as a very companionable one – milder than many, but rich and cocoa-inflected. His Thai oud smells less civilized to many a Western nose: wild, boisterous, intensely animalic; the Prachin oud to which he refers also hails from Thailand, but its character is a sort of bridge between the two – it’s woody, fruity, with notes of chocolate, caramel and creosol. The synergy between them called out for stone fruits in a symphonic vein – a plum accord of which the perfumer is extremely fond, and an essential oil from Robertet (what a delight!) of apricot: pure, ripe, juice-dripping flesh. Saffron does what it does brilliantly, burnishing the fruit, pulling leathery tones from the ouds, showcasing apricot in a manner somewhat resonant of osmanthus (another favorite aromatic material). Shawn describes the odor profile of white lotus as spicily floral – more similar to carnation than roselike. It is lotus which enhances the piquant aspects of oud and saffron. For increased depth and tonality, a red cedar intonation assumes the form of Virginia cedar, a scent which fills Shawn with nostalgic childhood reminiscence. Sweet, ambery with wisps of incense, its sylvan attributes blend immaculately with all components – just like that lovely rainbow arc which binds musical notes to one another to complete a flawless phrase.
Notes: plum accord, apricot essential oil (Robertet), saffron, white lotus, Thai, Cambodian and Prachin Pearl oud, Virginia cedar
Sample provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Note: Shawn was Michelyn’s Best Artisan Perfumer of 2020; Maher Olfactive Treachery Barrel Aged was one of Ida’s choices for best of 2021. Maher Olfactive Waking Dream was an Honorable Mention from Michelyn in her best of 2022.
Maher Olfactive Legato courtesy of the brand
Thanks to the generosity of Maher Olfactive, there is a 2ml of Maher Olfactive Legato (which is nearly sold out) for one registered reader internationally. To be eligible, YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED READER. Please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Maher Olfactive Legato in Ida’s article and where you live. Draw closes 4/25/2023
Read more about Shawn Maher’s creative concept for Maher Olfactive Legato Extrait in his own words here. It is a an Extrait de Parfum and a limited edition.
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