The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
500 was conceived as a statement about what numbered houses can accomplish alongside their named counterparts. The fragrance centers on blackcurrant, a note that brings bold, almost defiant character to the composition. There is nothing tentative about its presence; the fruit arrives with conviction, its tartness and brightness commanding attention rather than whispering in the background. The goal was to translate the richness of the natural world into something wearable, to take the raw sensory experience of gardens and green spaces and refine it into a form that suits daily life. The idea was always to honor nature's complexity without overwhelming the wearer, finding the balance between authenticity and accessibility.
Artemisia and honeysuckle open the composition in an unexpected pairing. One carries a bitter, almost medicinal quality; the other offers lush, almost overwhelming sweetness. Together they create an opening that evokes morning, that moment when cool air first meets the warmth building beneath it. The blackcurrant makes its presence known early, lending a tartness that cuts through the initial green and floral interplay. Opoponax arrives to soften the sharper edges, providing a warm, almost powdery undercurrent that rounds the composition without dulling it.
The evolution
The first hour is all tension. Artemisia's green bite against honeysuckle's sweetness, not fighting, exactly, but checking each other out. Then blackcurrant pushes through, and the fragrance pivots. Suddenly it's fruited, bright, a little tart. Rose appears quietly, smoothing the edges. As you move into the third hour, the green tea emerges more clearly, its dry, slightly bitter quality grounding everything. By hour five, you've got something close and personal, the kind of scent that lives on skin rather than filling a room. The blackcurrant never fully disappears, just softens into memory.
Cultural impact
The green fragrance category has always attracted those seeking something beyond the ordinary, and 500 occupies a distinctive space within that tradition. It resists the temptation to turn green into a single-note exercise, instead building a composition where multiple green facets, herbal, leafy, floral, coexist and interact. The scent does not rely on citrus to establish freshness, nor does it lean on marine or ozonic notes that have become so prevalent. Instead, it draws its green character from botanical sources that feel more immediate and tactile.
