{"id":2066424,"date":"2026-07-24T17:08:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T15:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/2026\/07\/24\/lets-pretend-fragrance-as-costume-at-etat-libre-dorange\/"},"modified":"2026-11-03T09:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T08:18:16","slug":"lets-pretend-fragrance-as-costume-at-etat-libre-dorange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/2026\/07\/24\/lets-pretend-fragrance-as-costume-at-etat-libre-dorange\/","title":{"rendered":"“Let\u2019s Pretend”: Fragrance as Costume at \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A mirrored bottle, a holographic label, and a fruity-spicy fragrance created by Nisrine Grillie: with *Let\u2019s Pretend*<\/em>, Maison \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange marks its 20th anniversary through the lens of play, masks, and chosen identity.<\/p>\n\n

Dans la parfumerie<\/a> contemporaine, peu de Maisons ont autant travaill\u00e9 la friction entre odeur et langage qu\u2019\u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange. Fond\u00e9e \u00e0 Paris en 2006 par Etienne de Swardt, la Maison s\u2019est construite sur une forme d\u2019indiscipline ma\u00eetris\u00e9e : titres frontaux, r\u00e9cits \u00e0 double fond, usage du parfum comme objet de commentaire social autant que comme sillage. En 2026, l\u2019anniversaire des vingt ans n\u2019est donc pas trait\u00e9 comme une comm\u00e9moration patrimoniale, mais comme une sc\u00e8ne.<\/p>\n\n

Let\u2019s Pretend<\/em> is based on a simple idea: perfume as an invisible costume. Not the final accessory to an outfit, but what shifts how it is interpreted. The press kit frames it within an explicit dramatic framework\u2014 \u201cLife becomes a stage\u201d\u2014and quotes Shakespeare, reminding us that the whole world is a stage. The angle might seem theatrical in the trite sense of the word; it becomes more interesting when viewed through the very structure of the fragrance itself. <\/p>\n\n

Created by Nisrine Grillie, a perfumer at Givaudan, Let\u2019s Pretend<\/em> is described as a fruity-spicy fragrance. The opening combines saffron, pink pepper, and mandarin essence. These three elements immediately create a sense of tension: the warm, dry quality of saffron, the vibrant effect of pink pepper, and the citrusy brightness of mandarin. The heart note glides toward peach, osmanthus flower absolute, and sambac jasmine absolute. The peach lends a velvety texture, the osmanthus brings that characteristic fruity-leathery nuance, and the sambac jasmine adds a more sensual floral presence. The base note combines a precious wood accord\u2014a trio of cedar, Akigalawood, and Georgywood\u2014with styrax and benzoin. The composition thus evolves from an almost theatrical brilliance toward a woody-resinous base, as if the role chosen at the outset were ultimately meant to find its true weight on the skin. <\/p>\n\n

The bottle extends this idea of transformation. The label features a silver disc, designed to act as a mirror, which reveals the House\u2019s emblem through a holographic effect when handled. The metal case, which is also reflective, distorts the silhouettes without fixing them in place. This detail is no mere trifle: it transforms the packaging into an interactive experience. The fragrance isn\u2019t simply meant to sit on a vanity; it calls for movement, a change in angle\u2014almost a physical engagement. <\/p>\n\n

This is consistent with the history of \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange. In its press kit, the house notes that it was founded in Paris in 2006 and champions a \u201cdifferent\u201d approach to perfumery, driven by irony, creative boldness, and the use of fragrance as a medium of expression. Its official website confirms this positioning, centered on olfactory compositions that break free from traditional creative boundaries, while the page dedicated to \u201cLet\u2019s Pretend\u201d<\/em> presents the fragrance as one designed to accompany the interplay of appearance, illusion, and identity. <\/p>\n\n

What *Let\u2019s Pretend*<\/em> says most of all about today\u2019s perfumery lies in the way it embraces fragrance as a social language. In an era when identity is constantly shifting\u2014depending on places, screens, communities, and professional or personal roles\u2014fragrance is reclaiming an ancient function: that of a discreet signal. It reveals nothing, yet it shapes perception. It does not clothe, yet it transforms one\u2019s appearance. <\/p>\n\n

La Maison aurait pu c\u00e9l\u00e9brer ses vingt ans par une r\u00e9\u00e9dition patrimoniale ou un flacon anniversaire. Elle choisit plut\u00f4t une fiction olfactive sur la possibilit\u00e9 de devenir autre. Ce n\u2019est pas un hasard. Depuis deux d\u00e9cennies, \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange<\/a> travaille moins la continuit\u00e9 sage d\u2019un h\u00e9ritage que la libert\u00e9 de ton. Let\u2019s Pretend<\/em> s\u2019inscrit dans cette ligne : une pi\u00e8ce sur le masque, mais aussi sur le plaisir de le porter en connaissance de cause.<\/p>\n\n

Release date announced for April 15, 2026. Available in 50 ml and 100 ml sizes, online and at \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange retail locations, including 69 rue des Archives, Paris 3rd arrondissement, and 80 rue des Saints-P\u00e8res, Paris 7th arrondissement. <\/p>\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

\u00c0 lire aussi sur Luxsure :<\/em> Etat Libre d\u2019Orange\u00a0: douze fables dans un calendrier de l\u2019Avent<\/a> \u00b7 Etat Libre d\u2019Orange f\u00eate ses 20 ans : la libert\u00e9 en \u00e9tendard, le parfum comme manifeste<\/a> \u00b7 NOSTOS d\u2019\u00c9TAT LIBRE D\u2019ORANGE : Une \u00c9pop\u00e9e Olfactive Entre M\u00e9moire et Destin\u00e9e<\/a> \u00b7 Rien : l\u2019insoumission olfactive sign\u00e9e \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange, manifeste cuir\u00e9 de la\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A mirrored bottle, a holographic label, and a fruity-spicy fragrance created by Nisrine Grillie: with *Let\u2019s Pretend*, Maison \u00c9tat Libre d\u2019Orange marks its 20th anniversary through the lens of play,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2044689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30114],"tags":[53255,79787,79788,79783,79785,79789,79786,79784],"class_list":["post-2066424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beauty-and-perfumes","tag-orange-free-state","tag-fruity-and-spicy-scent","tag-givaudan","tag-independent-perfume-shop","tag-lets-pretend","tag-niche-perfume","tag-nisrine-grillie","tag-perfume-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2066424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2044689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2066424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2066424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2066424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}