The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The name Nappa nods to a specific quality of leather, soft, supple, and synonymous with luxury. But here, the connection runs deeper. Grasse, the Provencal city that built its reputation on glove-making and perfumery, gave this fragrance its soul. Serge de Oliveira reached back to that history, creating a leathery tuberose as an homage to the ancestral craft of the region, the place where flowers and leather first learned to live together. The opening is buttery and lush, the tuberose unfurling with a creamy, almost narcotic sweetness that immediately commands attention. The saffron weaves through like a warm thread, adding a faint medicinal edge and a whisper of spice that keeps the floral from cloying.
French tuberose absolute carries a reputation for being lush, almost aggressive. Enfleurage brings out its creaminess without the rawness. Pair that with saffron, one of the costliest spices in perfumery, and you have a combination that reads as both opulent and precise. The suede base isn't just leather; it's the glove-makers' leather, the kind that held fragrance against skin for centuries. Ylang-ylang adds a tropical sweetness that rounds the edges, making the whole composition feel intentional rather than heavy.
The evolution
The saffron opens sharp, spice without warmth, metallic almost. Bergamot follows, lending a brief citrus flicker before the tuberose takes the stage. What arrives is creamy, white, and completely in control of the composition. The suede underneath doesn't fight the flower; it holds it. Ylang-ylang threads through, keeping the heart from becoming cloying. By hour three, the leather has settled into skin warmth. Patchouli and papyrus ground the drydown, woody, slightly dry, intimate. Six to eight hours on most skin types, moderate sillage. The next morning: a faint warmth on fabric, the ghost of something that didn't want to leave.
Cultural impact
The Les Extraits collection introduces Bon Parfumeur fragrances in higher concentrations and more complex compositions. 107 Nappa Tuberosa sits at the intersection of two of perfumery's most debated materials: leather and tuberose. The exclusive release through Jovoy makes it a distinctive addition to the brand's offerings, a concentration that amplifies the bold interplay between animalic leather and lush white floral. Tuberose takes center stage here, its creamy, almost indolic character softened by the richness of the leather accord that surrounds it.
