Une odyssée des arômes et des parfums, 2015

Une odyssée des arômes et des parfums, 2015

Denis Dailleux

Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the famous perfume institution Maison Givaudan, Denis Dailleux followed the path of the most precious essences which can extracted from nature.

Denis Dailleux has travelled across Madagascar, Morocco and Southern India. From the Middle-Atlas plateau scattered with iris to the vanilla beans rising from the luxuriant vegetation of Madagascar, he unveils for us the secret universe of the plants and flowers from which originate the most famous fragrances of perfumery. He also pays tribute to those expertly picking the fragile flowers and preserving their scent thanks to their unique skills.

Maroc

Denis Dailleux first sets his camera in Morocco, among the mountainous terraces of Tirdouine. Iris is growing there, at an altitude of 1, 600 m. Women collect the rhizomes which will be hand peeled and put to dry for more than three years, before the perfume eventually flourishes. Subsistence farming is still quite important in the area, therefore the cultivation of Iris and the income it generates are essential for local families.

We are then led to the desert areas of El Kelaa des M’Gouna, where the roses valley stretches from the Dadès oasis. The Damas roses are cultivated on the fences between agricultural parcels. Their heady fragrance can be smelled kilometres away. The roses are hand-picked by the women in the early morning. The end of the three harvest weeks is celebrated through all the oasis.

Denis Dailleux

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Morocco, Tirdouine Valley, 2015.The Germanica Iris is cultivated in the Middle-Atlas. The harvest extends from April to mid-May.Maroc, Vallée de Tirdouine, 2015.L'iris Germanica est cultivée sur les plateaux su Moyen-Atlas. Le récolte se fait d'avril à mi-mai. Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Morocco, Tirdouine Valley, 2015.The Germanica Iris is cultivated on terraces at 1600 meters of altitude in the Middle-Atlas. The harvest extends from April to mid-May. Maroc, Vallée de Tirdouine, 2015.L'iris Germanica est cultivé sur des terrasses à 1600 mètres d'altitde dans les plateaux du Moyen-Atlas. Le récolte s'étend d'avril à mi-mai. Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Morocco, Tirdouine Valley, 2015.The Germanica Iris is cultivated in the Middle-Atlas. The harvest extends from April to mid-May. The Iris rhizomes are procious and need to be peeled gently by hand. Then, they have to wait three years before to use them.Maroc, Vallée de Tirdouine, 2015.L'iris Germanica est cultivée sur les plateaux du Moyen-Atlas. Le récolte s'étend d'avril à mi-mai. Les rhizomes de l'Iris sont précieux et doivent être pelés délicatement à la main. Il faut ensuite attendre trois ans avant de pouvoir les utiliser.Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Morocco, Tirdouine Valley, 2015.The Germanica Iris is cultivated in the Middle-Atlas. The harvest extends from April to mid-May. This is mostly women who are working in fields and cultivates this precious rhizomes, putting them in a basket before going down to the village. Maroc, Vallée de Tirdouine, 2015.L'iris Germanica est cultivé sur les plateaux du Moyen-Atlas. Le récolte s'étend d'avril à mi-mai. Ce sont principalement les femmes qui travaillent dans les champs et arrachent les précieux rhizomes, les regroupant dans des paniers pour les descendre au village.Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Morocco, M'Gouna Valley, 2015. Damascena Rose, most known as Rose de Damas is cultivated in the hedges of this valley. They line the seqyia, small irrigation canals that bring water and life throughout the oasis. They are collected at dawn until midmorning by women.Maroc, Vallée de M'Gouna, 2015.La rose Damascena plus connue sous le nom de rose de Damas est cultivée dans les haies de cette valée. Elles bordent les seqyia, de petits canaux d'irrigation à ciel ouvert qui apportent l'eau et la vie dans tout l'oasis. Elles sont cueillies dès l'aube jusqu'au milieu de la matinée par les femmes.Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Inde

In the industrious region of southern India named Tamil Nadu, the cultivation of jasmine flowers and tuberoses is mostly dedicated to the huge flower markets where necklaces and petals are intended for hindu offerings. The tuberoses, those small ivory flowers topping long green stems, have to be cropped around 1 A.M. . Women in saris bend on their right side then on their left one to delicately pick up this flower which perfume is among the headiest of the vegetable kingdom. The harvest of jasmine flowers begins at dawn. Their very intense smell contrasts with their extremely fragile petals.

Denis Dailleux

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India, Tamil Nadu province, Coimbatore, 2015.Well known for his flower trade, the city houses a flower market open all day long and seven days a week. It brings together all the producers from this area and there are many varieties of flowers : roses, champaca, the tuberose, jasmine, orange and yellow tegette, lotus and vetiver roots.Inde, Province du Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, 2015.Connue pour le commerce des fleurs, la ville abrite un marché aux fleurs ouvert 24 heures sur 24 et sept jours sur sept. Il rassemble tous les producteurs de la région et on y trouve de nombreuses variétés de fleurs : des roses, du champaca, des tubéreuses, du jasmin, de la tegette orange et jaune, du lotus et des racines de vétiver.Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

India, Tamil Nadu province, Coimbatore, 2015.The flower market of Coimbatore is open all day and all night long, all the producers from the region are coming here, and there are a huge variety of flowers. Indians are coming here to find petals, flowerhead and garland already prepared or which they order and that will be prepared on the market.Inde, Province du Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, 2015.Le marché aux fleurs de Coimbatore ouvert jour et nuit rassemble tous les producteurs de la région ainsi qu'une grande variété de fleurs. Les indiens viennent y chercher pétales, têtes de fleurs et guirlande déjà préparées ou qu'ils commandent et qui seront préparées sur place.Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

India, Tamil Nadu province, Coimbatore, 2015. The picking of tuberous begins at one o'clock in the morning until dawn. This is women who are cropping them, progressing slowly through the fields. The tuberous has a unusual caracteristc : the flowers continues to spread their odorous particles during 48 hours after their collect. Inde, Province du Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, 2015. La cueillette des tubéreuses commence dès une heure du matin jusqu'à l'aube. Ce sont les femmes qui les récoltent, avançant lentement à travers champs. La tubéreuse possède une caractéristique rare : les fleurs continuent de diffuser leurs particules odorantes pendant plus de 48 heures après la récolte. Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

India, Tamil Nadu province, Coimbatore, 2015. The collect of grandiflorum jasmin has to be done before sunrise, flowers opening up before dawn. Pickers in their bright saris are selecting by hand these small and fragile flowers recognizable by their five petals of a very pure white. They proceed slowly and carefully, selecting only the flowers who has reached maturity.Inde, Province du Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, 2015.La cueillette du jasmin grandiflorum doit s'effectuer avant que le soleil ne soit trop haut dans l'azur, les fleurs s'ouvrant avant l'aube. Les cueilleuses dans leurs saris aux couleurs éclatantes récoltent à la main ces fleurs petites et fragiles reconnaissable à leurs cinq pétales d'un blanc très pur. Elles procèdent lentement et délicatement ne sélectionnant que les fleurs arrivées à maturité. Denis Dailleux / Agence VU

Madagascar

The world’s most beautiful vanilla grows in Madagascar, in the tropical forest of the Sambava district. Its cultivation asks for special care; each step has to be carried out by the hand of men, from manual pollination to drying the beans after skilfully boiling them. Beans are sorted out all along the process in order to keep the purest ones only.

The journey terminates on the Comoros islands where the ylang-ylang grows. Its name means « the flower of flowers ». Venerated by the people who cultivate it, the ylang-ylang has to be picked at dawn and distilled in the next two hours so that its complex and delicate fragrance would not be spoiled. About 50 kg of flowers have to be collected in order to produce one kg of essence.

Denis Dailleux