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
Carole Sauve
January 10, 2017 at 3:36 amI absolutely adore L’Air du Temps! I was introduced to this scent in my teens & it has been one of my faves for decades. I’ve not owned a bottle in many years and would be thrilled to win this fragrance encased in the artistic bottle. Thanks for the article, Dave; it was VERY interesting! @CJ_in_Canada
Valentina Leonova
January 10, 2017 at 3:04 amI’ve never tried it before 🙁 @valletala
Annette H
January 10, 2017 at 2:51 amI have never tried L’Air du Temps.
Twitter: @ahytts
Sarah Parker
January 10, 2017 at 2:16 amI’ve never tried it before 🙂
Rhonda Stefani
January 10, 2017 at 1:51 amI’ve never tried L’Air du Temps but I’ve always wanted to! Used to hint loudly at Christmas time, lol!
@rstefani72
cathyj
January 10, 2017 at 1:37 amnever tried but would love to try
reema bhatia
January 10, 2017 at 1:21 amI’ve never tried L’Air du Temps but would love to. I love yuzu! @reemagb
Jane Adair
January 10, 2017 at 12:33 amPerfection
sarah sar
January 10, 2017 at 12:17 amI’ve never tried L’Air du Temps but would love to. I love yuzu! @sfbblog
Gianna Gram
January 9, 2017 at 11:25 pmI haven’t tried L’Air du Temps, but I want to try it!
@gianna_gram
Cari tomei
January 9, 2017 at 10:55 pmI haven’t tried this one but another one of hers so I’m pretty sure I’d love it just as much????
@Sparkyone34
Marsha Gardner
January 9, 2017 at 10:09 pmI haven’t tried L’Air du Temps, but I would love to try!
Katie Bellamy
January 9, 2017 at 9:29 pmI haven’t worn it, yet! I would love to!
Maritess
January 9, 2017 at 9:27 pmI have tried it once in one of those sample size that they hand out and I liked it. @skultechm0m
Melanie Archer
January 9, 2017 at 8:58 pmThat bottle though… Love.. @melarcher369
Leesa
January 9, 2017 at 8:53 pmI have never tried this, but would love to.
Take care ♡
Lynne Oconnor
January 9, 2017 at 8:30 pmNo, I’ve tried Nina Ricci La Tentation de Nina but not L’Air du Temps
Lisa Marie
January 9, 2017 at 8:03 pmI have never tried L’Air du Temps ,Love Nina Ricci so amazing and Artistic. I love the bottle that the twin dove’s and flacon are dipped in Gold beauty???????????? Thank you Dave Lackie for this wonderful opportunity ????????❤????
Esther Whatley
January 9, 2017 at 7:57 pmI’ll always remember my first boss wore this fragrance. It is beautiful.
Sandra Beattie
January 9, 2017 at 7:56 pmFriend in my office gave me a bottle over 20 years ago, her sister was a Beauty Rep and always shared her stash with her sister, she passed this to me and I was hooked. Love the fresh scent and always reminds me of my 20’s
@sannybump
Ellen Stafford
January 9, 2017 at 6:20 pmI haven’t tried it but i would love to. Love the bottle.
Lynda Sanderson
January 9, 2017 at 5:36 pmI would enjoy the new version of the fragrance, as I am a fan of white flowers and musk. The name implies a gentle yet full aroma. Yes please
JACKIE HARRISON
January 9, 2017 at 5:33 pmI have never tried this perfume but thanks for this amazing chance.
claire little
January 9, 2017 at 5:31 pmI’ve never tried it but would love to.
Jessica Hutton
January 9, 2017 at 5:26 pmI don’t wear it but my mum absolutely loves it xx