Maison Margiela
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Pink pepper bites immediately, green and almost astringent, whilst bergamot hovers just beneath like diffused light through storm clouds. The aquatic element announces itself clearly—cool, mineral, with that distinctive ozonic quality of air after electrical discharge—surrounding everything in a fine mist.
Jasmine and rose creep forward tentatively, their headiness muted and verdant rather than voluptuous, as if you're smelling crushed petals on wet stone rather than full blooms. The aquatic notes persist stubbornly, keeping the florals damp and slightly metallic, whilst patchouli begins its slow rise from below with earthy, fungal undertones.
The composition settles into a skin-close veil of mossy patchouli and pine, still retaining that peculiar wetness that characterises the entire development. It's quiet and introspective now, more about texture than projection—soft, slightly bitter green woods with a lingering mineral quality that recalls rain-soaked bark.
When The Rain Stops captures that peculiar moment when petrichor still hangs in the air but sunlight has begun to pierce through the clouds, illuminating wet pavement and dripping leaves. Fanny Bal opens with a sharp burst of pink pepper that reads more like crushed stems than spice, mingling with bergamot that's been dampened and softened by atmospheric moisture. The aquatic accord here isn't the marine calone of the '90s—it's more nuanced, evoking actual water droplets on cool concrete rather than synthetic ocean spray.
As the composition unfolds, jasmine grandiflorum and Turkish rose emerge from their rain-soaked hiding places, their natural indolic qualities tempered by that persistent wetness. The florals never bloom fully; they remain subdued, as if the petals are still too heavy with rainwater to open completely. Indonesian patchouli anchors everything with an earthy, slightly muddy quality that reinforces the post-storm narrative, whilst moss and pine needle add a proper forest floor dampness.
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3.4/5 (77)