THE 1974 GENTLEMAN ENCENS

In 2018 the fashion world lost a giant player, Hubert de Givenchy, when the French aristocrat who founded the
Givenchy house, died at the age of 91.
The friendship established between Count de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn, whom he met on the filming of
'Sabrina' in 1953, endured through several decades and helped to turn them into society legends. The narrow-
collared ensembles and wool dresses he created for the star of 'Funny Face' and 'How to Steal a Million', made
them both true icons of fashion design.
Also worthy of mention is the black dress that Hubert Givenchy designed for the first scenes of 'Breakfast at
Tiffany's', where the perhaps most famous "little black dress" ever was first shown by Hepburn.
Jacqueline Kennedy, former US first lady and stylistically much admired worldwide, also preferred the brand's
creations during her years in the White House. In 1961, during a state visit to France, she made an unforgettable
entrance by wearing a Givenchy silk dress at the Palace of Versailles. Pretty much every notable woman of the
latter half of the 20th century like Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Marella Agnelli and Diana
Vreeland were all clients. The Countess Mona von Bismarck has even specifically asked to be buried in one
Givenchy gown.
Count de Givenchy opened his first fashion house in Paris in 1952. In 1989 the company was bought by the
world's largest luxury goods company, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, but the brand was kept alive and he
continued to design for it until his retirement in 1995.
His aristocratic full name, Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, quickly became simply 'Givenchy'
from the day his fashion label opened doors in 1952, dedicated to exquisite haute couture. Being an elegant and
tall man (at 1.92m) as well as a profound connoisseur of the arts and lifestyle, Hubert de Givenchy used his
charming personality to create a huge impact on the fashion world. He believed that the purpose of dressing a
woman was to make her more beautiful and seductive, and perfumes represented an important segment of his
creations.
In 1957, the women's fragrance L'Interdit was launched, becoming the brand's first perfume. Hubert de
Givenchy invited his actress friend Audrey Hepburn to be the star of the advertising campaign, the first time a
movie star had ever appeared in a perfume advertisement.
In the late 1950s, Givenchy launched the first male perfumes with Eau de Vetyver and Monsieur Givenchy.
More than 60 years later, we are able to find a very wide offer addressing almost all preferences, within the
current fragrance portfolio of the brand.
In 1974, Givenchy Gentleman was presented, a perfume created for exactly who it was labelled, i.e. for
gentlemen... like me for instance (!). This perfume quite rightly joins a hypothetical list of fragrances that can
be considered unforgettable and timeless. Although its base with civet was fashionable, and all perfumes of the
time were highly musky and mossy, the scent managed to surprise the industry at its launch. Besides the
dominant note, patchouli, the introduction of vetiver and leather also in the base, turned out to be a treasured
decision for the fragrance's history. The result of the blending is that of a lingering struggle between all the base
notes which imposed this perfume as extremely appealing, high quality, unique and innovative in the mid-
1970s.
To current wearers, it may seem a somewhat heavy and complex perfume, with nuances ranging from
herbaceous to smoky leathery, as well as containing strong woody tones from cedar and patchouli. Besides
being extremely refined, it also proved comfortable, deliciously soft and discreet, and yet, at the same time, had
an elusive, almost adventurous character. In my opinion, it is still an extremely captivating perfume. Givenchy
launched recently other perfumes with the same name, but this version will forever be considered the eternal
Gentleman that for decades has conquered its own public, transmitting elegance and masculine sensuality in an
imposing way. In it, we find, in perfect balance and masterfully combined, the masculinity of the leather
accords, the amber comfort of the olibanum, and the earthy and spicy patchouli.
Although my passion remains intact over time, my current perception of the original version of this perfume is
that of a restrained, serious and uncompromising fragrance. The soul of the perfume, perceptible throughout the
various phases, is the chain composed of patchouli, vetiver, cedar and leather, also highlighting its spicy facets.
At the top, I perceive a touch of lavender (note not listed) that refreshes a bit the whole evolution. It is a
perception unique to the original vintage version. The current formulation (I really like it too), does not feature
this lavender nuance, replacing that accord with an increment of the rose and aniseed tarragon notes. All in all,
the top is complex presenting an intricate sweetness (honey, cinnamon, tarragon) combined with a light fresh
touch (rose, lavender, bergamot and lemon). The initial sweetness proves persistent and the fragrance's heart
maintains it but also reveals persistent patchouli dominance. The base of this perfume is divine and the natural
"habitat" of the scent I associate with the fragrance. It gives us a strong patchouli background, where coriaceous
facets and the pungency of a musky amber accord with vanilla stand out, toned with an animalistic civet note.
The final result was quite rightly unveiled as a woody "Encens" for a true "Gentleman" in Hubert de Givenchy's
boutiques of the '70s.
Givenchy Gentleman is still today a wonderful fragrance although not very versatile given its wide competition.
It is stuck in a formal olfactory composition, which may not appeal to younger noses. For me, it is an amazing
creation and mandatory for any collector. I don't recommend it for ladies' use because I consider it a strictly
masculine perfume. Likewise, I advise against being sniffed by nostrils exclusively enamoured of either fresh,
fruity, floral or blue scents. It also features different demeanours and accords from the (already) seven
Givenchy Gentlemen that were released in 2017. I don't mean to claim that these newer fragrances are worse or
better than the original. But they are completely different, and one can never consider them flankers of the 1974
version. Quite rightly it is often said that "There is no love like the first!". Believe it or not, the most recent
batches of the original edition are still possible to encounter in many perfume distributors. You have to make
sure not to let your chance run away.

Music: "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey, used in "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack.
"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?
Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?
I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will."

"There is no love like the first!"