Scent of Peace: Nina Ricci’s L’Air du Temps fragrance inspired a war-weary generation to embrace freedom and peace. Its message is more timely now than ever.
“A fragrance is a work of art, and the object that contains it must be a masterpiece.” – Robert Ricci
Maria Nielli, nicknamed ‘Nina’, was born in Turin, Italy in 1883. At the age of 12, her family moved to France where she began an apprenticeship at a dressmaker’s learning the art of pattern cutting, fabric draping and sewing. This work became a passion of hers and she continued to sew throughout her teen years eventually becoming a skilled seamstress. She would fall in love with an Italian jeweler and composer named Luigi Ricci and marry in 1904. After giving birth to a son named Robert, she joined fashion label Raffin where she combined design prowess with business savvy eventually becoming Raffin’s business partner after 20 years. In 1932, at the age of 49, she decided to strike out on her own and launch her own design house simply called ‘Nina Ricci’. It quickly became a family affair: Maria designed the clothing and her son handled the finances. Paris aristocrats quickly flocked to her atelier for the refined and feminine designs.
It was Robert’s idea to create a fragrance to celebrate freedom after years of war. It would be called ‘L’Airs du Temps’ (meaning ‘spirit of the times’) and he turned to master perfumer Francis Fabron to create a modern, light floral that would reflect the elegance of Madame Maria Ricci’s gowns. The formulation itself was strictly edited to 30 ingredients: a floral bouquet wrapped in the silken benzyl salicylate, a groundbreaking ingredient that created blooming effect. Add in some bergamot, rosewood, clove, lily, carnation, gardenia, peach, orris, and dusky woods and you have an elegant, spicy-floral for her.
“There is always that special mysterious something that makes one fragrance more seductive than another: there is something of a minor miracle about L’Air du Temps which gives it its distinctive personality,” said Robert Ricci. “In the same way as a dress is designed to enhance the wearer, so a fragrance is created to seduce in the most subtle of ways. Its purpose is to exalt the personality, and achieve the ideals that the wearer sets for herself. It is a ‘protection’ in the same way as a veil. It ‘shelters’ the wearer inside a fragrance aura.”
Robert’s idea of using two intertwined doves on the cap was brilliantly interpreted by Marc Lalique in 1951 who designed the crystal bottle. In fact, both families got along so well that the Lalique family manufactured bottles exclusively for the house until the 1950s. (The first L’Air bottle was created by Joan Rebull in 1948 and featured a crystal sun with a sculpted dove cap.) In 1991, the L’Air du Temps flacon was named ‘perfume bottle of the century’ and remains admired and appreciated around the world.
What is astonishing to learn is that in over sixty years, Nina Ricci has never revealed the quantity or quality of the hand-sorted ingredients. Even the maceration time of five weeks remains the same. The formula is still passionately protected.
“French perfumery was an art and it is important that it remains one or becomes one again. It is also important that we rediscover the passion for creating the fragrances and visual appeal that, with talent, are vital for the truly inspired creativity that transcends fashion.” – Robert Ricci
This season, Nina Ricci has reimagined the classic scent in a modern version of white flowers and musk.
L’Air du Temps – Collection Lumiere
L’Air du Temps Eau Sublime Collector Edition, $118
Fragrance style: A radiant interpretation of the iconic L’Air scent
Notes: a sillage of white flowers including carnation that mingles with yuzu, tuberose and musk
The bottle: The twin doves and flacon are dipped in gold
The Giveaway: I gave away a bottle of Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps to one lucky reader. To enter, I invited readers to tell me in a blog post comment below if they’ve every tried L’Air du Temps before? Denae Boucher told us and we drew her name from all entries. Congrats Denae!
Nina Ricci fragrances are available in Canada at Hudson’s Bay stores and thebay.com
1,138 Comments
Kelly Glen
January 4, 2017 at 6:38 amI’ve never heard of it before.
Angela Walker
January 4, 2017 at 6:34 amPhilosophy raspberry sorbet 3 in 1 shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath. @walk1961
Angela Walker
January 4, 2017 at 6:32 amYes, I have tried L’Air du Temps. @walk1961
Cheryl Edwards
January 4, 2017 at 6:31 amMy Mums favourite, she has worn this for years.
Anthony Bravender
January 4, 2017 at 6:30 amNever tried this before
Twitter @salvagebrav
Mirjana
January 4, 2017 at 6:12 amI have never tried L’Air du Temps before, I would love to try 🙂
Tracey Ryder
January 4, 2017 at 6:11 amI tried it many years ago and from what I remember it was very nice
Valerie Falconer
January 4, 2017 at 6:00 amI have heard of L’Air du Temps, but never tried it … but I would love a chance to do so!
David Paterson
January 4, 2017 at 5:58 amNot tried it
Valerie Falconer
January 4, 2017 at 5:56 amNo, I haven’t tried it, but I’d love the chance to do so!
Peter Watson
January 4, 2017 at 5:56 amI have nevertried L’Air du Temps before but might use it.
@akamalaccas1
Ellie Bromilow
January 4, 2017 at 5:52 amHello. No I have never tried this perfume – I would love to try it! Being one of three sisters it would not be a problem using it all up before it aged! haha
Mark Palmer
January 4, 2017 at 5:43 amNever tried it!
gbasadim
January 4, 2017 at 5:26 amI have smelled it and its great, my mother’s favourite
@gbasadim
Susie Wilkinson
January 4, 2017 at 5:26 am@SusieWilkinson
I’ve never tried Nina Ricci’s L’Air du Temps, but it’s definitely something I would wear!
Melissa McKnight
January 4, 2017 at 4:59 amI’ve never tried it but would love to! The Bottle is so pretty!!
Nicole P.
January 4, 2017 at 4:37 amI’ve never tried L’Air du Temps before – but I’d love to!!
@nep2653
Joanne Saunders
January 4, 2017 at 2:19 amI have not tried L’Air du Temps before but my Mother would wear it all the time.
Gianna Katal
January 4, 2017 at 2:02 amI love Nina Ricci perfumes! Thanks for the opportunity!
@kingbarney
Onyinye Elochukwu
January 4, 2017 at 1:59 amI’ve never tried this before. This is my first time hearing the name.
@onyiakpanisi
Amy Moss
January 4, 2017 at 1:08 amI love L’Air du Temps. I used to have a bottle.
@amyslayer
Yvonne Rong
January 4, 2017 at 12:47 amNever tried it but I’d love to!
Annette
January 3, 2017 at 11:29 pmYes, I’ve L’Air du Temps before and would try it again. @ThatTuxedoCat
Jennifer Donohue
January 3, 2017 at 10:14 pmDefinitely something I’d wear. @Skippy_02
Valerie L
January 3, 2017 at 10:11 pmNo, never heard of it. @chanceuse19