Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger photo by Ida©

There are any number of fragrant unicorns in my perfume collection which we haven’t yet explored. Although I have trimmed down my multitude over the past 50+ years, it remains an unwieldy, quirky assemblage of wildly disparate perfumes – probably best described as eclectic, since I am open to exploration and perpetually curious. Today’s aromatic “oddbod” happens to be a magnificent leather which experienced a relatively short run and is currently a very rare find: Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger, created by Lyn Harris in 2005. Cuir d’Oranger is unique in that I have never smelt anything like it. I have always favored leather fragrances in general, and this is a spectacular one. Of late, I have cause to lament a seeming lack of originality and/or discernment as regards leather perfumes: to me they tend to smell loud, blatant, and patently artificial. I don’t feel as if one can fault the perfumers alone; they need to sell product, and it seems that this particular variety of leather-inflected fragrance (which is widely sought after) is rather harsh, lacking in subtlety, and nearly interchangeable. I sincerely hope that this trend will pass sooner rather than later, as I feel assaulted by a great deal of what I smell – and it makes my nose very unhappy. On va voir…

Pixabay images of bitter orange, oakmoss, and birch collage

Why was this perfume discontinued so quickly? I posit that its given moniker did the fragrance no favors: Leather/Hide of the Orange Tree is simply odd, ungainly, and/or hard to wrap one’s head around. It doesn’t make sense, nor does it compel one to purchase it. The name alone does Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger a disservice. Trust me – if you were to smell it, you too would wonder why this perfume wasn’t an instant coup, it’s that glorious. The very fact that I am able to hyperlink every single material employed in its creation tells you that no expense was spared, and that its quality was indubitable. The manner in which so many elements of the orange tree were skillfully employed resembles a fine painting, overlaying the pentimento of birch tar, oakmoss, and patchouli which exist in perfect balance. Many leathers boast orris and/or jasmine, but Cuir d’Oranger stands out because its indolic elements marry inky in a most elegant manner. Both orange blossom and jasmine create a precise touch of the animalic without overwhelming the composition; patchouli is so artistically utilized that it appears seamless and intuitive – and it complements the carefully-considered quantity of birch tar in the base.

Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger photo by Ida©

From where I sit, Cuir d’Oranger has earned its rightful place amongst all the variants of Cuir de Russie (Chanel, Le Jardin Retrouvé, Oriza L. Legrand), Peau d’Espagne, Cuir de Lancôme, and Parfum D’Empire’s Cuir Ottoman.

In order to glean a perspective on what was happening in the perfumed world in 2005, I took a hard look at that year – and there were many exciting releases which may have eclipsed Cuir d’Oranger. At the time of its release, Miller Harris also released a goodly number of fragrances which were bound to become popular (geranium, vetiver, incense, iris). Pierre Guillaume was hitting his stride (L’Eau de Circe, Cologne Grand Siècle 07), as was Andy Tauer (L’Air du Désert Marocain, Le Maroc Pour Elle). Guerlain had released Angélique Noire, Cuir Beluga, Attrape-Coeur (previously known as Guet-Apens), Rose Barbare, Plus Que Jamais, and Baby Guerlain that year – and Bois 1920 produced Real Patchouly, Vetiver Ambrato, Sutra Ylang, and Sushi Imperiale. This is but the tip of the 2005 fragrant iceberg – which may help explain why Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger became lost in the shuffle. One more salient point to consider is this: historically, 2005 was a time of global economic excess – which was then followed by 2008, when the bottom fell out of the economy. These are factors not to be ignored when one considers how luxury items fare during times of economic fluctuation.

via pixabay

I have been searching for an additional flacon of Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger for years, and have not been able to locate any of it available for sale, no matter how hard I try. If you are able to locate any of this treasure for yourselves, I urge you not to hesitate – because they really don’t create many perfumes like this anymore, leather or otherwise. It will never be dated, because it’s such a classic.

Notes: petitgrain Paraguay, neroli, orange blossom, Egyptian jasmine, orris, birch, oakmoss, patchouli, cistus labdanum

Flacon purchased by me in 2005. My nose and opinions are my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

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