FOLLOWING LA FAVORITE INSIDE JEAN PAUL GAULTIER'S PARIS POP-UP

words by DEBORAH DRENOFCI

Jean Paul Gaultier presents La Favorite, its new feminine fragrance. She is Gaultier's female double, the woman adored by all. A perfume takes seconds to smell and much longer to know. So from October 1 to 3, the house took over Lafayette Anticipations in Paris with an immersive experience told through sculpture, architecture, music and material storytelling. Isha van Dijk took the Numéro camera inside and walked us through it.

images courtesy of JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Here, she comes to life, and visitors follow her through a day in Paris, one note at a time. It begins at her tabac. Lighters, keyrings, scratch cards and copies of Flêcher Magazine line the counter, the chic, random clutter of a Parisian woman's world. Ordinary objects, treated like talismans.

From there, the route becomes a Parisian street, a nod to Gaultier's boutique on Rue du Jour. Three stops, a florist, a glove maker and a chocolatier, unveil the fragrance's signature notes. Queen of the Night blooms at the florist. Benzoin warms the glove maker's leather. Tonka bean melts into the chocolatier's counter.

After the stroll comes the dance. The day ends at the JPG Club, tucked behind a Morris column. Architect Sophie Dries built the space around her Bar Octa, with nods to Art Deco and 1980s Paris after dark. Maximalism reigns. Disco balls, mirrors, oversized lamps. At the bar, cocktails translate La Favorite's three notes into something you can drink.

Then Isha hands the camera back to us. The day is over, the night is done, and the scent stays on the skin.