Guerlain News

I recently posted here that the Guerlain flagship store at 68 Champs-Élysées was undergoing renovations. It turns out that the store has indeed been closed for the past several months and is expected to remain so until later this year. Apparently the existing boutique area is undergoing an extensive expansion which will span multiple floors. My friend in Paris was kind enough to snap some photos for me which show work going on in the background. While it is certainly exciting to imagine the beautiful new displays, I do wonder how necessary the additional space is, as 68 Champs-Élysées was just expanded in 2011. Hopefully the rumors about historic elements being demolished will turn out to be unfounded.

Another rumor which judging by these photos seems to hold some truth is that Guerlain is conducting some activities in Russia. If you look closely at the flags in the picture at left, you can see the Russian flag all the way to the right. In addition to a commemorative bee bottle of Quand Vient La Pluie (Thierry Wasser’s modern “interpretation” of Après L’Ondée) named Place Rouge to celebrate the 150th anniversary of one of Russia’s major department stores (located in Red Square), Guerlain has been rumored to be producing fragrances in factories located in the former Soviet Union.

This could hold some benefit for perfumistas, as the strict regulations regarding perfume materials are not in place outside of the European Union. While the news of this set my mind racing with olfactory visions of real oakmoss, the thought of another Wasser creation snapped me back to reality. Now if Guerlain would only bring back Mathilde Laurent!