Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2014 via Vogue Germany April 2014
White light and shadow dance across an opaque sky. The air is swollen with anticipation. A clap of thunder pierces the silent night. A single flower in a priceless vase on an antique table in a marble foyer absorbs the energy and radiates subtly. Somewhere upstairs, a woman laughs.
Interior of 28 La Pausa Villa, Estate Net France
CHANEL Les Exclusifs 28 La Pausa eau de toilette, created by CHANEL in-house perfumer Jacques Polge in 2007 in honor of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel’s French Riviera villa of the same name, presents a singular take on the iris that projects the wealth, glamour and excitement of Coco Chanel’s era, when the world seemed electrified by possibility.
Chanel Caméllia Solitaire, Chanel.com
One of the most recognized quotes from Mlle. Chanel is the dictate, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” It would appear that M. Polge followed her advice during the creation of this fragrance, as 28 La Pausa concentrates spectacularly on the iris without superfluous adornment. Given that the iris pallida oil at the heart of the fragrance is one of the most expensive ingredients in a perfumer’s pallette, its presentation here is like a simple setting on a fine solitaire– intended to let the note’s clarity and brilliance stand out.
The opening of 28 La Pausa glitters like a diamond, with pepper and bergamot adding gleaming metallic facets that are the synesthetic equivalent of the ringing fine crystal makes and freshly polished silver clinking at a state dinner. With every breath you seem to be inhaling money.
Coco Chanel in bed at La Pausa with visitors, Roger Schall, New York Times Travel Blog
The perfume’s sharp Art Deco angles are smoothed out over time with jasmine; it still feels cool and white, but softer and less untouchable, like Mademoiselle Chanel’s satin sheets on the bed in which she used to conduct meetings at La Pausa.
In drydown, a deep vetiver and some elegant musk bring the scent down to earth without lowering its status in any way; the sheets have been slept on, morning sunlight is streaming in, and tea is being served in the finest china. I find it amazing that in 28 La Pausa and the other Les Exclusifs scents based on Chanel’s homes or villas (such as Bel Respiro) so vividly provoke the sensation of hospitality at their specific locales.
Photo: Iris, Paul Neagu, 1973/CHANEL Les Exclusifs 28 La Pausa, 2007
28 La Pausa is available from Chanel.com and at Chanel boutiques and select Chanel counters worldwide. Some reviewers complain about sillage and longevity for this fragrance, but its ephemeralness makes sense as an artistic decision. La Pausa is more subtle than many scents, but for me, it’s like the difference between new and old money– the latter whispers class while the former raises its voice.
True style is innate, not dependent upon wealth; Coco Chanel was born the illegitimate child of a street peddler and a laundress and became the 20th century’s most well-known arbiter of taste. However, projecting a sense of wealth is essential for elegance, and few iris fragrances do that as well as 28 La Pausa.
Disclosure: I received my bottle from CHANEL
—Nancy Knows, Deputy Editor and Beauty Editor
Russian Fashion Illustrator Erté captured the glamour of the Jazz Age
To read Editor in Chief Michelyn Camen's article CHANEL 28 La Pausa:The Great Gatsby, The Jazz Age and Great Neck, please click here.) Michelyn chose 28 Le Pausa to represent the scent of Daisy Buchanan.