Hermès will launch a new fragrance, Kelly Calèche, this summer. The name comes from the iconic Kelly handbag (“the most coveted bag on the planet”, according to fashion.about.com) and from the original Calèche perfume, but Kelly Calèche is not a new variation on that scent:
The scent is inspired by the smell of fine leather.
Hermès perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena created the floral leather blend, the first such scent for women by the brand. The bottle, which is inspired by the design of the original Calèche fragrance, has a ring-operated spray, an element recalling the buckle-opening of the Kelly bag, as well as the spray for Terre d’Hermès.
Hermès Kelly Calèche will be in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Toilette and in matching body products. (via cosmeticnews) I will update with the notes when I can find them!
Other recent releases from Hermès: Paprika Brasil, Elixir des Merveilles.
Update 5/11: I’ve added the advertising image for Kelly Calèche (see above). The juice looks way less girly-pink when a whip is wrapped around it, no? And more on the notes and inspiration, from today’s Women’s Wear Daily:
“One of the first things I wanted to do when I entered Hermès was work with leather,” said Ellena. He also kept in mind a passage from French author Jean Giono’s “Jean le Bleu,” in which the narrator speaks of his departed father, a cobbler, as “making soles in angel leather.”
“Jean-Claude wanted to do a floral leather,” explained Fulconis. To that end, Ellena combined notes of iris, mimosa, tuberose and climbing rose to create Kelly Calèche.
Prices: $75 for the 50 ml, $110 for the 100 ml.
Update 5/29: the leather is soft “like the skin of a peach”, and additional notes include lily of the valley. (via parfumessence)
Yet another: see a review of Hermès Kelly Calèche.
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Want. But why bother with 'Caleche' in the name if it's a completely new scent?
To give it some historical weight, so to speak? I don't know. My only disappointment is that the juice is pink. It looks too girly-trendy.
Ooooooh ! Love the scents from this house and a floral leather sounds divine. “Kelly Caleche” is sort of unwieldy for something by Ellena.
I adore Hermes, and a leather is long overdue. Agree the name doesn't sound right, somehow, but if it is a great scent, I will even forgive the pink
I'm going to try and remain hopeful that JCE does something really spectacular with this one!
I agree with you Robin. The name is really not luxurious. Why Kelly, it must be for Kelly Rowland. They wanted their Beyoncé scent. But I don't think, it will be a True Star…
Leather is hard. There's a razor's edge between a whiff of luxury and 4 hours of yard work on a hot day. My watch has a leather strap which over the years had picked up all the curious scents on my wrist. The blend is very warm, personal, and nice, but I don't know how that would translate to a juice.
Kelly Caleche! That's a Bond girl name! Why don't they just call it Kelly? Isn't that more iconic, spartan, refined? They don't need “Caleche”, anyone who's seen Sex in the City knows what a Kelly bag is, or is that the Birkin? Will there be a Birkin Caleche to follow?
I hope so too
LOL — Bond Girl, so true! I don't like the name, and the Bond Girl aura is exacerbated by the pink juice (I am really stuck on the color). Wonder if you've got something there, maybe Birkin Caleche is next.
There seem to have been so many releases lately that capitalise on a well established name while offering something quite different. Seems such a cynical exploitation of people who like the original, and think they're getting an interesting tweak on something familiar. The genuine plus-a-notes are at least honest.. It must be galling to the noses, too, when they've created a whole new juice and then have to see it effecively labelled 'New, improved Juice X!” I just hope JCE is being paid handsomely for his undoubtedly excellent work.
You are entirely right, although in this case, does Caleche even have a fan base large enough to be worth exploiting? I rather doubt it. I really do think they are just trying to show that they are a brand with heritage, so to speak. But the name just sounds bad to me, somehow, whatever its origins. Agree with Third Shift below, it sounds like a Bond girl.
And I am *sure* JCE is being paid very well. Wish he'd lend me a few bucks!
Yes, it doesn't sound luxurious, it sounds sort of silly.
I have to agree that just 'Kelly' would have been a better name choice — still, I'm relieved that it's not a fruity floral and leather is a beautiful, sophisticated note when done well.
I wonder how Kelly Calache will get along with her relatives Diorling and Bandit? I suspect Diorling will experience some sibling rivalry and Bandit just won't care.
Kelly might be better, but I don't love that either. Can't think of anything better offhand though!
And yes, Angela will have to work Kelly into her story
Well, any new scent by Ellena deserves attention, a new leather scent even more so — I don't believe he's ever done leather, has he? I agree with you all, the name is unwieldly – to me it sounds like a dancer for the Crazy Horse Saloon, they had names like Rita Renoir or Lolo Ferrari — and the pink juice is a depressing concession to girliness that we shouldn't be expecting from an impeccable house like Hermès. But it's definitely worth keeping our nostrils open and our wrists out…
I am so glad someone else brought up the pink. It even makes their classic bottle look silly. I am tempted to start a letter writing campaign.
And LOL at “dancer for the Crazy Horse Saloon”…that is apt too. It is all a bummer, everything about Terre d'Hermes was so perfectly done. But we can still hope it is a fabulous scent.
The name sounds Paris-Hiltonesque.
A friend of mine has a fotolog called Sydney Hyatt, so it reminded me of that.(!) Just a Bizarre match.Let's give it the benefit of doubt and hope it is a fun scent. I understand how this Kelly-Caleche may have triggered the newest post regarding context-expectations and fragrance releases.
On a deeper note: Caleche was one of my late aunt's favorite perfumes. She helped me introduce in the world of scents and taught me to appreciate them as a child, along with other members of my family. It reminds me of travel gear, indeed.
Her faves were Caleche and Ma Griffe. She always had those handy. Later in life she favored First, Nocturnes de Caron (she said it reminded her of christmas) and Elizabeth Taylor's passion.
I told her why that among all the other classy scents, and she said that the fragrance truly expressed passion for her. Puzzling.
Lets see if Kelly-Caleche truly expresses Hermes!
I'll give anything from Hermes the benefit of the doubt, but the bottle & color look like a silly fruity floral (you're right: Hiltonesque), so I do think they've blundered.
And I love Caleche too! And Caleche Eau Delicate, for that matter. Funny about the ET Passion — and that makes me want to smell it, I never have.
Leathah. YEAH. Leathah will smell just fine in pink.
LOL — ok, I'll try to stop harping on the pink
Ugh, it really looks weird. I mean I love the shape of the bottle, but I agree wth you Robin, this pink makes it look silly.
But still I love lether. Yeah, leathah will smell just fine in anything. At least I hope so;)
The bottle itself is perfect. After I buy it, I'll have to find a way to dye the juice another color, LOL.
I am really hoping that the leather scent is like “Doblis.” I love Doblis, but was not going to pay over $500 for a bottle last year. I don't like this name AT ALL. But, if it reminds me of Doblis, then I can forgive the bad choice of name.
I also heard that it might smell a bit like Osmanthe Yunnan….If that is even the slightest true, why not stick with the “Jardin” theme.
All in all, I am still very excited to smell/see this one!
I seriously need to revisit Doblis — everyone loves it. I gave it only a very quick try.
Certainly hope KC has considerably more presence than Osmanthe Yunnan! And I do wish they'd do another Jardin scent while they're at it, it has been 2 years.
Since I love Hermes, I will definitely try this. However, I agree that the name is unexpected. When you consider the origins of the kelly bag the color pink doesn't seem to fit at all!
Wonder what color the original Kelly bag was?
But yes, looks like we all agree we're going to try it no matter what they call it or what color it is.
I believe the orginial bag was red crocodile and was named after she appeared with it Life Magazine.
Hi, everybody!!!Yes, it´s pink AND the name is a bit…BUT, it´s from JCE, and for me definitely worth a try. I also love leather in my scents, so…I hope that they don´t charge for it as much as for the Hermessences, though..I agree about the Jardins theme, Robin, it´s been two years since the Nil!!!!!!!!!!!ITime for another one, but please, without trying to retire the Nil one like they did with Mediterranée!!!!
The 50 ml will be €64, and presumably it will be at the discounters eventually, unlike the Hermessences — at the moment, you can get Terre d'Hermes in 50 ml for less than $40. Of course, I might not have the patience to wait for it to be at discount, LOL…
But watch for teaser websites — I got a free mini of Terre d'Hermes by signing up at their teaser site.
Ooh, I love that new advert! I want that girl's jeans (and bum, if anyone's offering). I'm thinking that JCE hasn't done a Hermessence based on leather (what kind of fabric was Paprika Brasil supposed to represent, did we ever find out?), and that since he tends to 'work' concepts through several scents, perhaps we could look forward to a new leathery Hermessence? Anyway, hope the new one really isn't like Caleche, which I tested yesterday, and found disappointingly soapy…
I love it too — and I'll take the bum too, LOL!
I don't think Hermes ever announced a fabric for either Osmanthe Yunnan or Paprika Brasil, so guessing they gave up the concept. I did hear that something about leather associated with Osmanthe Yunnan, but can't remember what, and it certainly isn't an overtly leathery scent.
Caleche is soapy. Used to think I didn't like soapy, now have decided I like some kinds of soapy, and do love Caleche. But don't think it is going to influence this new one, since they've taken pains to say it isn't an inspiration.
As a matter of fact the Nil line does come out every two years and they do have one in the works, however they are holding off on the new Nil until next year because of the launch of KC. KC will be launching in North America in September of this year.
As for the colour pink, this might catch the attention of a “younger” crowd looking to try something exclusive without having to buy into all the new cheap and trendy fragrances that are coming out for that age group.
Thanks, glad to hear another Jardin scent is coming.
To add my two-pennorth here: the things that everyone is grumbling about – the go-go dancer name and girly pink juice – are very much the decision of the marketing department. The SMELL? Ah now that's where Ellena has been allowed to do his thing. (Well, within the bounds of what the marketing department thinks will sell, based on focus groups and market research.)(And yes, I'm in marketing which is why I know it makes the world a blander place in an attempt to please all of the people all of the time.)
So I guess Kelly Caleche is one of those things you have to test with your eyes closed. And at least the name has a nice rhythm to it. But perhaps next time the marketing department will be a little braver. Wouldn't it be nice?
Many are grumbling about the smell too, unfortunately. I like it, but I'm hoping for some awesome flankers