The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Every year, Guerlain invites an artist to reinterpret the Flacon aux Abeilles, their most iconic vessel, handcrafted by Pochet du Courval since 1853. For 2024, the house turned to Shourouk Rhaiem, the French jewelry designer known for bold color and intricate craftsmanship. The brief was simple: make it festive. The result was a bottle encasing an amber-colored nectar, dressed in a multi-colored jewel cuff that doubles as a wearable bracelet. Thierry Wasser composed the scent to match the occasion, radiant opening, warm resinous heart, a woody base that holds everything together like a finishing touch.
Orange blossom and orange zest form the opening, bright, floral, but with a citrus edge that keeps it from being precious. Benzoin as the heart note is Guerlain's way of signaling warmth without reaching for vanilla directly; it reads as resin, as amber, as something golden. The sandalwood base is creamy and intimate, this is not a fragrance that shouts. It's the kind of composition that works because every layer knows when to step back and let the next one in.
The evolution
The first minutes belong to orange blossom, it arrives clean and slightly sweet, softened by an orange note that keeps it grounded. Within twenty minutes, the benzoin takes over: warm, resinous, with a vanilla-adjacent richness that feels like sunlight on skin rather than a fragrance strip. The sandalwood arrives last and stays longest, close to the skin, creamy, a little woody. By the end of the day, what's left is a soft amber warmth that someone standing beside you might catch before you do.
Cultural impact
The Imagine Guerlain collection sits at the intersection of fragrance and jewelry, a collector's object as much as a scent. Limited to 3,310 pieces globally, it appeals to the wearer who treats acquisition as curation, not consumption. Available exclusively through Guerlain.com and select boutiques, it has no retail middleman and no discount window. When it's gone, it's gone.
The House
GuerlainGuerlain stands as one of the oldest and most revered perfume houses in the world, founded in Paris in 1828 by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain. What began as a boutique on rue de Rivoli quickly became the preferred destination for Parisian society, attracting dandies and elegant women who sought custom-crafted fragrances. The house's influence grew to such heights that Guerlain earned the title of Official Perfumer to Napoleon III after presenting Eau de Cologne Impériale to Empress Eugénie as a wedding gift in 1853. This royal patronage marked the beginning of Guerlain's enduring association with European aristocracy, as the house went on to create fragrances for Queen Victoria and Queen Isabella II of Spain. Today, under the creative direction of Thierry Wasser, the fifth-generation perfumer, Guerlain continues to shape the landscape of fine fragrance with a portfolio spanning over 1,100 olfactory creations. The house remains headquartered at its legendary Champs-Élysées mansion, a historic monument that anchors Guerlain's position at the intersection of heritage and contemporary luxury.
The Creator
Thierry WasserWasser gravitates toward green, crispy notes and the bold florals Guerlain is known for. Bulgarian rose appears repeatedly in his work, and he travels annually to oversee the harvest in Kazanlak.
