Gucci’s latest fragrance, an eau de parfum titled The Alchemist’s Garden ‘1921’, celebrates a century of the Italian house. A new film, created by AnOther, presents the arrival of the fragrance, situating it within The Alchemist’s Garden, Gucci’s haute perfumery line of which ‘1921’ has become a part. The eleventh fragrance in the collection, it continues the richly personal collaboration between seminal Spanish master perfumer Alberto Morillas and Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele.
The film itself is directed by London-based photographer Steph Wilson and takes place over three acts, each exploring different fragrances in the collection – from ‘A Song for the Rose’ and ‘The Voice of the Snake ’eaux de parfum, to acqua profumata ‘Fading Autumn’, and perfumed oil ‘Ode on Melancholy’. Accompanied by a musing voiceover – its tone reminiscent of the notes and observations you might find in a gardener’s notebook – the apothecary-style fragrance bottles are set against lush, layered visuals of the plants and botanics from which they take their scent. The result is a heady celebration of the magical alchemy of creating a fragrance.
The culminating act focuses on ‘1921’, which was created to mark Gucci’s centenary year. Transporting the wearer back to Florence – where the house was founded by Guccio Gucci 100 years ago – the Morillas-blended fragrance combines the bright, honeyed scent of the Neroli flower with Limone Cedrato, a large citrus fruit which also hails from the Tuscan city. More floral than traditional lemon, it leaves a rich, lingering scent on the skin. Oakmoss completes ‘1921’, lending its earthy aroma to the genderless eau de parfum.
The Alchemist’s Garden was first launched in 2019, inspired by the ancient art of alchemy. Each of the various eaux de parfum, perfumed oils and acque profumate which make up the haute perfumery line are built around a hero ingredient which can then be layered to create unique – and deeply intimate – combinations. As with all of Morillas and Michele’s fragrances for Gucci, flowers, botanics and scents derived from the natural world come to the fore – whether the captivating blend of Oud and Patchouli in ‘The Voice of the Snake’ or the sweet and feminine Bulgarian Rose of ‘A Song for the Rose’, captured in its purest form just before the harvest.
Watch the full film below.
