Simply Abu Dhabi XIII

3 1 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I S ince the XVIIIth century, King Louis XV would request a new scent every day for his apartments. Parfums de Marly is keeping this spirit alive with the fragrance creations they produce. The King was a great admirer of horses and regularly attended races to revel in the splendour the animals showcased. His lavish lifestyle fed through to every element of his life, with receptions and festivities all carrying his unmistakeable signature of luxury. His father, King Louis XIV was just five years old when his own father died, but he was to reign for an extraordinary seventy-two years, the longest of any monarch in Europe before or since. He is credited with the famous phrase "L'Etat, c'est moi" ("I am the State") and, after his amazing life-span and achievements (France fought three major wars during his reign) it is no surprise that he felt omnipotent, his modesty returning, as it should to all men on their death-beds, when he uttered the noble words "Je m'en vais, mais L'Etat demeurera toujours" ("I depart, but the State will always remain"). Louis XV was also five years old when he ascended the throne in 1715, but most commentators and historians view him as a pale shadow of his mighty father - a 'perpetual adolescent called to do a man's job' was one of the more charitable comments. This illustrious history is an important back-story to the heritage, prestige and royal tradition of the exclusive Parisian company Parfums de Marly, based in Neuilly-sur-Seine. France's Sun King, Louis XIV converted a royal hunting lodge into what became the Palace of Versailles. He therefore needed a new location for the Royal Hunt, and so it was that in 1679, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart began building Chateau de Marly du Roi on land close by. Marly was to become, for the Sun King, a place to relax away from the suffocating pressures of the Court. The French sculptor Charles Antoine Coysevox was commissioned in 1701 to create a grouping of equestrian subjects for Marly, which he did, inmarble, on each side of the 'horse-pond’. The Renommee et Mercure, both sitting astride Pegasus, represented the personal dominance of Louis in peace and war. A year after the death of Louis XIV, the statues were moved to the western entrance to the park in 1719, and eventually his maturing son Louis XV developed a renewed interest in the estate at Marly, and had a second group of horses installed in 1739, sculpted in Carrerra marble by Coysevox's nephew Nicolas Coustou. The Louvre describes Coustou's pieces as representing 'the struggle between two wild forces: an untamed horse and a naked man'. The incredible ‘Marly Horses’ sculpture was commissioned by the King and created by notorious artist Guillaume Cousteau in 1745. These can still be marvelled at today as they have taken pride of place in the Louvre Museum in Paris, since 1984. However, replicas are also positioned on both corners of the Avenue des Champs Élysées. The most famous street in Paris, these horses have marked the beginning of this avenue since 1789 and are vaulted on high pedestals for all to see. An animal of strength, power and regal status, they adorn the packaging of the Parfums de Marly crest. Symbolising all that is traditional and respected, they enhance the importance of Paris and its fragrance domination. From the ‘Royal Essence Collection’, now comes a new perfume for women. Named after one of the earliest recorded stallion horses known as ‘Royal Mare’, ‘Darcy’ is a celebration of this legend. Elegant, sophisticated and noticed, this beautiful tribute allows the French history to live on and revel in the ancestry of the thoroughbred. An exuberant infusion of complimenting scents, this fragrance is unique in its presence. Sparkling bergamot and citrus accents mix with sweet floral notes of rose and jasmine, which then lead into white musk and patchouli. Gourmand notes can be sensed with woody influences also coming through. All of these elements are sure to enhance a woman’s seductive and debonair character. Glancing at the glamorous golden bottle, its appearance exudes refinement, grace and a trés chic personality, typically French. A nod of respect to its royal roots, to view and touch this bottle is to experience its prestigious background. Paying homage to one of the most remarkable horses of the past, ‘Darcy’ continues the equestrian legacy to our present day, allowing all women to revel in Parfums de Marly’s unique tradition. Parfums de Marly have continued their loyalty to history with the release of a new fragrance for 2014.