Etat Libre d'Orange

by Aude

Etat Libre d’Orange, the French fragrances house, is launching in Hong Kong. Are you ready for a big dose of insolence?
I sat at Makha, my new fav concept-store in Sheung Wan, and discussed insolence and breaking the codes with Etienne de Swardt, founder of Etat Libre d’Orange.
 
Born in South Africa, living in Paris, having studying maths before becoming creator of concepts for LVMH … His first glorious feat? “Oh my Dog!” pets perfume. Etat Libre d’Orange is about breaking the codes. “Perfume is dead, long live perfume!”
 

• Etat Libre d’Orange – why this name?

I was born in South Africa, my family has its roots in this northern province of the country: Orange Free State, a province that was created by the Boers in the 19^th century.
And I also loved the rhythm and poetry of this name.
 

• What is the spirit of the brand?

Going the opposite way! Etat Libre d’Orange is insolent and is playing with the rules to better break them. I know I should probably not tell you that but I like to think of Etat Libre d’Orange as the very sophisticated abjection of the perfume world.
 
We are insolents but we are sincere and balance our impudence by using only the best materials. I am working with a group of perfumers. I like to think of a concept first, before creating a perfume and put emotions on a story and a name.
 
Take “Attaquer le soleil Marquis de Sade” … it’s a vibrant tribute to an outrageous man who disdained the social norms and wanted to liberate us from our preconceptions. It is a marriage made in heaven, or maybe in hell, between Etat Libre d’Orange and the Marquis de Sade.
 
Etat Libre d’Orange is a mix of people, of styles …
 
I love the disclaimer that we had for our 10^th anniversary last year “10 years spent to do everything the other way round”.

 

• Have you already taken the impudence too far?

 Maybe with  « Sécrétions Magnifiques » yes. The idea was to create an ode to sensual pleasure, a subversive perfume tricking you into smelling things you had never expected to smell in a perfume.
 
This particular fragrance has put our brand in a particular box whereas this is exactly what we do not want, being categorized, but it has also brought us nice exposure. 

• Your latest fragrance?

« You or Someone like You », taking his name from the novel by Chandler Burr and greatly inspired by Los Angeles.
Does Los Angeles has a particular scent? Hard to say! But Chandler Burr definitely knows LA and knows perfume so we decided to collaborate and imagine a perfume that a woman from LA might wear.
 
Etat Libre d’Orange
Available at : Mahka
4 Wa Ln, Sheung Wan
Exclusive distributor of Eau de Protection – in collaboration with Rossy de Palma