Nikos
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Tarragon's herbal snap cuts immediately, accompanied by a peachy tartness and bright citric snap from bergamot and lemon. The freesia arrives quickly, softening the green astringency with something almost soapy and skin-adjacent that feels immediately intimate rather than distant.
Powdery iris and lily of the valley emerge with an almost cosmetic quality, reminiscent of compressed flowers and vintage talc. Cyclamen adds peppery-green tension, whilst jasmine and ylang ylang provide warmth without sweetness, the florals arranged with restraint rather than abundance—this is where the fragrance becomes genuinely compelling.
Benzoin and tonka create a soft, caramel-tinged sweetness that combines with sandalwood and cedar for structure, though the vanilla merely whispers rather than sings. Within hours, the fragrance thins considerably, becoming a skin scent that demands proximity—less a drydown than a gentle fade into subtle powdery musk.
Sculpture Nikos arrives as a whisper rather than a declaration—a fragrance that privileges subtlety over projection. Jean-François Latty has constructed something genuinely androgynous here, a floral composition that refuses to perform femininity in the theatrical manner of its 1994 contemporaries. The initial impression is deceptively green and tart: tarragon's herbal snap cuts through a peach that reads almost savoury, whilst bergamot and lemon provide citric brightness without the usual ozonic sheen. What makes this scent compelling is how the freesia immediately humanises the composition, adding a slightly soapy, almost skin-like quality that grounds the fruity opening.
The heart reveals Latty's true intent. Rather than allowing the florals to bloom into a traditional bouquet, iris and lily of the valley emerge with a decidedly powdery, slightly dusty character—there's something almost cosmetic here, reminiscent of vintage talc and compressed flowers. Cyclamen adds a peppery-green tension, whilst jasmine and ylang ylang provide warmth without indulgence. This is floral restraint, the olfactory equivalent of a minimalist Japanese ink painting.
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4.0/5 (79)