Pierre Balmain, Vent Vert, 'Green Wind', 15 ml. or 0.5 oz. Flacon, Pure Parfum Extrait, 1947, 1960, Paris, France ..

Pierre Balmain was born in Aix-les-Bains, Savoie, France on May 18, 1914. Balmain's father, who died when the future designer was seven years old, was the owner of a wholesale drapery business. His mother and her sisters operated a fashion boutique.

He later attended Grenoble University and after moving to Paris, he studied architecture and design at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, but did not complete his studies. He spent his time there designing dresses. While attending the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Balmain went to Molyneux, who promised to give him a trial. Balmain then left his architectural studies to work part time for Molyneux in 1934. It was Captain Molyneux who encouraged Balmain to pursue a fashion career, and so he remained employed with Molyneux until 1939. Balmain's career began when he sold three of his designs to Robert Piguet.

In 1951 he opened branches in the United States selling ready-to-wear clothes. During the 1950s, Balmain popularized the stole for day as well as evening wear and created a vogue for sheath dresses beneath jackets. His talent as a designer lay in his ability to make simple, tailored suits as well as grand evening gowns, all with the same aesthetic of slender and elegant lines.

The Balmain perfume business was bought by Revlon in 1960. In 1982 the company was sold on and since 1991 has been owned by Erich Fayer. Oscar de la Renta led the house between 1993 and 2002. Under Pierre Balmain, Mortensen, and de la Renta, the house was known for its classic, luxurious designs.

"There are days in the winter when one can smell spring. It comes surreptitiously, even if the ground is still covered with snow and the sun is concealed by thick white clouds. Yet, the fragrance of spring is unmistakable .. fresh, wet, and earthy, bearing that violet intensity that marks the desire of living beings to cast off winter’s slumber. Remarkably, this dissonance of spring is captured by perfumer Germaine Cellier in Vent Vert, the perfume created for Pierre Balmain in 1947. There is a striking beauty inherent in all of Cellier’s creations, where this ravishing effect is juxtaposed with challenging and aggressive notes.

Cellier’s touch is obvious in Vent Vert. Inhale it as the liquid melds into your skin. The first impression is of delicate unfurling leaves, and then one is both shocked and enthralled by the peppery verdancy of galbanum. Its presence is like a gust of wind. The floral notes temper its ruthless character, yet the disconcerting and unsettling aura remains, making Vent Vert unforgettable. As the composition segues into its base in a classical sequential manner, the darkness of mosses and woods vies for center stage with the brilliant green notes. The interplay of contrasts and harmonies in the composition is simply breathtaking.

Sixty years have passed since Vent Vert made its debut. Although it was remarkable, the fragrance was somewhat ahead of its time. The green vibrancy of galbanum was far too aggressive to be commercial, and even though the Vent Vert we know today is rather removed from Cellier’s masterpiece, it left its mark by engendering its own family. The green florals like Chanel No 19 , Balmain Ivoire , Chanel Cristalle Eau de Toilette , Parfums Grès Cabotine and Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée owe their existence to the iconoclastic genius of Cellier. Even the new Chanel Bel Respiro, from Les Exclusifs collection, shares a bloodline with Vent Vert and its verdant intensity. Indeed, like the spring which it carries in its heart, Vent Vert will not disappear.

Although Vent Vert was marketed as a feminine fragrance, like many classical green florals, it would be perfect on a man. Despite its delicate character, the fragrance possesses a fantastic sillage and perfect tenacity. The modern versions are also great in this regards. .

There is something savage, fierce, and raw about Vent Vert, recalling the first lines of T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land: "April is the cruellest month, breeding .. Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing .. Memory and desire, stirring .. Dull roots with spring rain." Hope, desire, rebirth, renewal .. these are primal feelings and the perfume respects that with its scent of freshly picked flowers with bent stems and crushed herbs mixed in for spiciness.

Its rawness is, in fact, due to its clever rather than simple composition. According to Luca Turin, perfumaniac extraordinaire and co-author of Perfumes: The Guide, the original formula was analyzed and found to have 1100 components. Vent Vert's clarity and upfrontness gives you the illusion that it merely a collection of essences from natural materials rather than a carefully constructed work of art.

"It started with a sensationally bitter green-galbanum accord, which lasted long enough for the set piece behind it to be moved into place ready for smelling. As the green faded, the most beautiful, golden rose-jasmine accord took over and lasted for days, fading to a fresh powdery drydown that no modern perfume can even dream of."

Top notes are Galbanum, Citrus, Gardenia, Leafy Greens, and Peach
Heart notes are Rose, Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, Orris, and Jasmine
Basenotes are Oak Moss, Vetiver, and Styrax

Offered here is a half ounce flacon of this amazing iconic perfume. One of the greatest of the greats of the greens! So rare now, and almost impossible to find. Pristine and unused. It feels as though it may have been previously opened, but the string has not been cut. A little smudging on the label. This is the old version with the crystal stopper as opposed to the bakelite and gold metal screw top. It comes with its pristine original presentation box. Rare and hard to find. Exquisite fragrance!!