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35 T h e n o t i o n o f abandoning the familiar for worlds unknown is at the c o r e o f F r e n c h fashion house Louis Vuitton, beginning in 1854 with its first steamer trunk. Even then, fragrance was at the forefront of the Vuitton life, with trunks outfitted with special padded compartments for fragrance bottles and, later, vanity cases and crystal perfume vials, which Louis Vuitton would have engraved with decorative motifs. This vision of grandeur, journey, exploration — even escape — has been translated again, this time into Louis Vuitton's new collection of fragrances for men, which launched late last month.. Developed by the house's master perfumer, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, in Louis Vuitton's fragrance atelier in Grasse — the world's epicenter of fine- fragrance creation — the collection includes five scents. L'Immensité is a bold amalgamation of bitter grapefruit, ginger, labdanum, and heavy amber notes of ambroxan. Nouveau Monde juxtaposes spicy saffron, leathery oud, and cocoa with incense — all inspired by legendary 19th-century explorer and Louis Vuitton devotee Pierre Savorghan de Brazza, whose s p e c i a l l y commissioned Louis Vuitton steamer trunk was famously outfitted with a foldout cot. The woody scent Orage pairs iris with patchouli heart and Javanise vetiver. Sur la Route takes its cues from hard- to-harvest Peruvian balsam, widely considered one of the most beautiful balsamic notes in perfumery, and once used by the Mayans to cure ailments of all kinds. Au Hasard is rooted in sandalwood, which is finely cultivated in Sri Lanka before being combined in Grasse with ambrette flower seed. The same care that went into crafting Belletrud's fragrances is seen in the design of the bottle, which is a quiet nod to Vuitton's history of artful luggage. Designer Marc Newson — known for his innovative aesthetic spanning aircraft, product, furniture, jewelry, and clothing design — took a discreet approach to creation of the bottle. Each is lightly shaded to reflect the respective fragrance's olfactory composition, with the LV monogram engraved in cold, galvanized metal on the topper. The nod to travel ensues with the various ways in which you can collect the new scents, in refillable, carry-on, sets of all five fragrances and a travel set. Of course, should you desire an accessory to house your scent, there is a travel case in two styles, Monogram Eclipse canvas ($540) or Taïga leather ($460). Louis Vuitton Les Parfums for men $240 to $350, at the Louis Vuitton boutique, us.louisvuitton.com. SCENT OF BY CHRISTINA GEYER Jaap Van Zweden ADVENTURE LOUIS VUITTON MASTER PERFUMER JACQUES CAVALLIER BELLETRUD — WITH HELP FROM DESIGNER MARC NEWSON — POINTS HIS FINELY TUNED NOSE TOWARD GENTLEMEN WHO DARE. Olfactory notes for Sur La Route Louis Vuitton archival fragrance trunk