What does sunlight smell like? Louis Vuitton’s creative director Pharrell Williams and master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud collaborated on the brand’s latest fragrance, which has a poetic response to the question. Coined LVERS, landing in stores today, it marries the metaphorical scent of photosynthesis with the summer sun.
“Olfactory represents something people don’t realize—it’s the glue of every memory you’ve ever had,” Williams tells Vogue. LVERS is Williams’ first fragrance with Louis Vuitton since becoming creative director just last year, and has been in the works since his first show last June. A few hours after his debut, the Grammy-winning musician chatted with Belletrud about teaming up on an aromatic scent that would embody the sun’s energy.
To bottle this, woody, green notes, derived from Resin Galbanum, were the keys. The pheromone, extracted from the gum of an Iranian plant, is an immediate reminder of nature, mixed with the hot, spicy, yet fresh, notes of ginger. Although LVERS is a mid-summer fragrance with cedarwood, sandalwood and amber accords, Williams described to Vogue that the perfume has a “sweeter” and “blue”-toned aroma. “It smells like an elegant, elevated version of something that’s familiar to me,” he added.
And speaking of familiarity, as a Virginian (known for their saying “Virginia is for Lovers”), Williams blended his home state with Louis Vuitton’s LV logo to birth the fragrance’s name. And, throughout the creative process, Williams aimed to answer a question he regularly asks loved ones: “If the sun is shining on you, what would you do with the light?” With that, he hints that wearing a bright, sensual, creamy, and zesty scent is a great start.
