The Making of Promenade Sur Le Rocher
Legendary. Glamorous. Regal. Elegant. The Grace Kelly archetype. How do you curate a collection of products that capture these compelling qualities? For lifestyle luxury brand Grace de Monaco, it started with perfume. Grace Kelly was royalty, but she still had strong ties to Hollywood, even when she gave up her acting career to move to Monaco to become a princess. As the fairytale goes, Prince Rainier III commissioned The House of Creed to create “Fleurissimo”, a perfume with notes of rose and bergamot, to complement Princess Grace’s wedding bouquet.
Perfume, then, is a fitting tribute because it’s an extension of the regal aura and heritage of Her grace - it has powerful storytelling.
The Pursuit of Excellence
The creation of the premier fragrance by Grace de Monaco was stewarded by renowned fragrance developer Véronique Gabai. Véronique imagined the scent as being complex but real. It had to be uncompromising in quality and have a modern construction. Designed to be the embodiment of the Grace de Monaco ethos, it needed to retain the references and connection to our iconic muse.
The “nose”, Firmenich master perfumer Olivier Cresp, was sought after for his precision and artistry. Olivier has built his career on pinpointing an aesthetic and crafting unforgettable fragrances. His signature minimalism and sophistication were central to the creation of a fragrance that has an artisanal attention to detail.
All the Grace de Monaco components and packaging were elegantly conceived by renowned designer Jérome Faillant-Dumas. The design concept incorporated elements of classic luxury with clean, modern lines.
Together, these experts shared their creative talents and created an exceptional fragrance experience: Promenade Sur Le Rocher.
A Signature Luxury Fragrance
Jérome Faillant-Dumas believes that luxury is commensurate with artisanship. For our signature fragrance, Promenade Sur Le Rocher, the artisanry began with the careful cultivation of premium ingredients in Grasse, France, noted perfume capital of the world. For Véronique Gabai, natural ingredients are essential due to their interactive and transformative properties on the skin. Using a higher percentage of perfume oil results in our fragrances being noticeably long lasting and with a strong sillage (trail).
Understanding the complexity behind layering ingredients requires a special expertise and makes all the difference in creating a beautiful formula. Luxury is also about the meticulous methods, quality materials and innovation that results in an end product that is timeless and enduring. Because Promenade Sur Le Rocher was inspired by the legacy of Princess Grace and created to be of benefit to others, it needed to be faithful to the “luxury for good” emblem.
A Bouquet of Flowers
Princess Grace loved flowers and created pressed flower designs as an artistic outlet. It was important for the heart of the fragrance to be a floral bouquet anchored by rose. Rose centifolia, the perfumer’s muse, was the poetic choice. This rose of “a hundred leaves” has a complex fragrance hidden within its frilly petals. Also known as Rose de Grasse, this rare and fragile flower must be harvested with precision during the early morning hours of May. Airy freesia and versatile bergamot add radiance to the boldness of the rose. Exotic ylang-ylang and sensual jasmine are amplifying top notes.
The floral motif is replicated on packaging, screened on silks and sculpted in ceramic. A charm of her beloved flower, the orchid, adorns the Promenade Sur Le Rocher perfume bottle. Meticulously tied by hand with gold trimming. A custom bijoux. A wearable memento.
Sustainability
When creating Promenade Sur Le Rocher, it was important for us to use high quality ingredients while minimizing the environmental impact to wild fauna and flora. Natural ingredients were prioritized and synthetics were used sparingly. Animal materials like musk and those that are difficult to extract naturally like lily of the valley, were replaced with safe synthetic options. The use of DREAMWOOD™, a new biotechnology innovated by fragrance company Firmerich, was utilized as a sustainable alternative to sandalwood. The end result was an ethical and vegan perfume.
All components and packaging needed to support our sustainability efforts. Using glass, porcelain and ceramic not only brings unique sculptural beauty to our offering, it means the flacons can be recycled or preferably, reused and displayed as an “object d’art”.
Grace de Monaco is committed to immersing the consumer in the heritage and enduring legacy of Princess Grace. Promenade Sur Le Rocher is at the cornerstone of our assortment, conveying the elegance, passion and purpose of Princess Grace of Monaco.
Promenade Sur Le Rocher
Top Notes: Ylang Ylang, JasmineCore: A floral bouquet of Rose Centefolia (de Grasse) , Freesia, and Bergamot
Dry Down: Musk, Amber, Vanilla andDREAMWOOD™ (Sandalwood)
