Soo Joo Park, Angelina Jolie, and More Celebrate Guerlain’s L’Art et la Matière Perfume Collection With The Webster
Guerlain has manufactured perfume since 1853, so you can only imagine the wonderful aroma partygoers were met with at Wednesday night’s festivities. Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine restaurant was the location of choice to launch the brand’s high perfume collection with The Webster. On the outside, the four-floor building features an artfully designed, twisted structure made from steel and glass. Inside, the first floor had been transformed into an immersive gallery of sorts for the night—a display illustrating the artistry behind each of the collection’s 17 scents.
The hosts were Master Perfumer at Guerlain, Thierry Wasser, and founder of The Webster, Laure Heriard Dubreuil, who, in her childhood, actually wanted to be a nose (the affectionate term for “perfumer”). There couldn’t have been a better collaborative venture. “I love Rose Cherie,” Heriard Dubreuil said. The L’Art et la Matière (Art of Materials) fragrance collection is unisex, but she says this one, in particular, evokes femininity. “It brings me back to my childhood, to my grandmother’s house in Cognac, where she had roses in her garden.” Weighing in, Wasser says he often tries to put “jokes” in fragrances. “This one actually smells like lipstick,” he says.
The two-part night began first at the property’s garden, an area lush with greenery, adorned with heated benches made of stone, and dotted with pink and white roses. Between cocktails and hors d’oeuvres such as Verspertine’s Flower Tart, guests enjoyed a performance by Moses Sumney. Midway through his set, many listeners curled up on the grassy floor in front of the singer for a more personal experience—never mind the risk to their cocktail attire.
Upstairs, Marieline Patry, vice president of education at Guerlain, matched guests to a signature fragrance, beginning first with questions like “What environment inspires you?” and “What would you order to drink in France?”
Then came dinner on the upper, glass-lined floor of the building. Attendees, including Angelina Jolie, Wiz Khalifa, Alexis Ren, Kate Bosworth, and Camila Morrone, were met at a glossy, L-shaped table set with candles, roses, and the house’s sustainable perfume bottles on display. An intricate, four-course meal featuring leek heart, pumpkin, and celeriac was served, each an artful arrangement that effectively mirrored the night’s theme. Guests chattered about the unexpected but delicious flavors. Then, just half an hour shy from midnight, they bid each other farewell.\