The story of Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton opened his trunk-making workshop in Paris in 1854 and revolutionised luggage with flat, stackable and sturdy trunks designed for travel by train and ship. Over the generations the house became a symbol of luxury travel, and it joined the LVMH group when the group was formed in 1987. Fragrance arrived late but with real ambition: in 2016 Louis Vuitton launched its first collection of women's perfumes, composed by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, its in-house perfumer based in Grasse. Men's collections, colognes and oriental perfumes followed. Ombre Nomade, in 2018, belongs to this luxurious vein built around oud, while Afternoon Swim, in 2019, celebrates bright citrus within a collection of summery colognes. Together they show the range of a perfumery that treats travel, light and rare materials as its main sources of inspiration.
An olfactory signature
Louis Vuitton's perfumery seeks light and noble materials. Ombre Nomade pairs raspberry and rose with smoky oud and incense over benzoin, amber and woods: a desert at dusk, both fruity and resinous. Afternoon Swim, by contrast, bursts with mandarin and blood orange over orange blossom and petitgrain before a clean ambery musk. In both, the compositions are crisp and legible, never overloaded, and the quality of the raw materials is meant to speak for itself.
Which Louis Vuitton perfume to choose?
For a rich, enveloping evening scent, Ombre Nomade is the obvious choice: a smoky oud softened by raspberry, unisex and very long-lasting. Afternoon Swim, on the other hand, suits hot days, holidays and anyone who loves sparkling citrus. Both are unisex. If you like oud but want it spicier, compare Ombre Nomade with Initio Oud for Greatness.