SimplyAbuDhabi XLI

F rench Haute Parfumerie Henry Jacques has teamed up with tennis superstar Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Perello to launch a special collection – “In All Intimacy”. Enthralled by Henry Jacques’ exclusive creations, incredible savoir-faire and years of mastery, tennis great Rafael Nadal and his wife Maria Perello teamed up with the maison to bring to life three fragrances entirely reflective of their personalities: Maria Perello, Rafael Nadal N° 1 and Rafael Nadal N° 2. The collection is born of a series of “firsts”: a first for Henry Jacques to partner with an icon, a first for Nadal to collaborate with a perfume house, and a first for the husband and wife duo whose love story began almost two decades ago to join forces on such a project. Though Henry Jacques now shares its most loved fragrances through various collections in its boutiques, it was born a bespoke house and continues to make olfactory dreams a reality to this day. Now, through the eyes of Rafael Nadal and Maria Perello with “In All Intimacy”, its personalised offerings are made available for all – yet another first. Maria Perello embodies Henry Jacques’ values of refinement and elegance, a woman who is as elegant as she is determined, whose vision recalls the finest of haute perfumery: of essences imbued with joy and enchantment. The fragrance she developed alongside Henry Jacques’ perfumers is subtle, with light, fresh notes that are also strong and resolute. “For me, it is important for my perfume to become part of my identity, to be recognisable and to perfectly match my personality. I envisioned this fragrance as a sense of security, self-confidence, uniqueness, strength and completeness. I really wanted it to smell like elegance, and more importantly, happiness,” she said. If anyone who knew him well was asked to sum up Rafael Nadal in just three words, they would likely say “tennis, home, and …perfume”. The most successful tennis player in history enjoys a special relationship with fragrances; they are a true part of his daily life, rituals and a real reflection of his state of mind. Henry Jacques brought Rafael Nadal’s passion to life through two unique creations, a lighter scent for when he is in character playing tennis, the other for his more personal and private moments - staying true to the maison’s spirit of creating a perfume wardrobe with a fragrance for every occasion. Inspiration was taken from his strong connection with the Mediterranean. “It is difficult to imagine my life without the Mediterranean Sea. I love its scent, the citrus, the freshness,” the sporting champion explains. Water was not the only element Rafael drew on; his relationship with nature and earth as a whole was clear: “To me, there is nothing like the scent of the earth after the rain, when the sun sets...” he added. Simply Abu Dhabi | 215