The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Black Velvet arrived in 2015, composed by Christian Plesch for Ricarda M. Its name suggests darkness and polish, but the composition takes a more playful route. Lemon, neroli, pineapple, raspberry, and rhubarb bring brightness, while iris, rose, jasmine, sage, ylang-ylang, and carnation supply a layered floral center. The listed notes move from vivid fruit into a dense floral heart before settling into a dry base of oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, Peru balsam, amber, leather, nutmeg, and sandalwood. The result is a fragrance built around contrast: sweet fruit against textured woods, flowers over moss, and polished citrus beside deeper materials. Nothing here is a literal portrait of velvet.
The unusual part is the tension between high-definition fruit and a grounded chypre structure. Pineapple and raspberry bring a bright, almost lacquered sweetness; rhubarb adds tartness; neroli keeps the opening polished rather than syrupy. Beneath it, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, Peru balsam, amber, leather, nutmeg, and sandalwood give the composition a dry, textured floor. Iris, rose, jasmine, sage, ylang-ylang, and carnation form the floral passage between fruit and base. Their presence rounds the sharper fruit notes without erasing the composition's darker foundation.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a clean snap of lemon and neroli, quickly joined by pineapple, raspberry, and rhubarb. It feels fresh and exact, like fruit under polished glass. As those notes recede, iris, rose, jasmine, sage, ylang-ylang, and carnation take over. The floral center is creamy rather than innocent, with fruit still hovering nearby. In the drydown, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, leather, amber, nutmeg, Peru balsam, and sandalwood create a darker chypre trail. The leather and woods give the composition a restrained, slightly spicy memory. As this base settles, the bright fruit and soft floral accord remain as contrasting layers, while moss, patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood bring an earthy and woody texture. The close, enduring finish is replaced by a gradual drydown that stays with the listed base notes and gives the composition its final depth.
Cultural impact
Black Velvet is a fragrance shaped by contrast. Its opening combines lemon, neroli, pineapple, raspberry, and rhubarb, creating a clear fruit-and-citrus impression before the floral notes emerge. Iris, rose, jasmine, sage, ylang-ylang, and carnation add a rounded middle passage, while oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver, Peru balsam, amber, leather, nutmeg, and sandalwood form a dry, textured base. The composition is especially notable for placing bright fruit beside darker materials, allowing the opening and drydown to feel connected without becoming identical.
The House
Ricarda M.Ricarda M. is a lifestyle and fragrance house founded in 1998 by Ricarda Manuela Hofmann. The brand maintains a catalogue of around a dozen fragrances, ranging from numbered signatures like N°1 and N°65 to named compositions such as Black Velvet (2015), High Society, Private Label, and Sweet Lady. Its offerings sit within the broader personal-care universe the founder has built, suggesting a unified approach to scent and beauty rather than a perfumery-only focus.
The Creator
Christian PleschChristian’s style blends classic French structure with a Germanic precision. He builds foundations on crisp citrus or aromatic herbs, then layers heart accords of spice, floral or resin that evolve slowly on the skin.
