Balmain

Balmain appeared in postwar Paris in 1945. Pierre Balmain opened an atelier on rue François Ier and proposed a silhouette built on precise lines, a defined waist, and rich finishing. His architectural training helped shape the house's language: clothing was understood as structure in movement, where volume and proportion create character.

Perfumery entered this world almost immediately. Elysées 64-83 appeared in 1946, named after the house's first telephone number. Vent Vert followed a year later and became one of the foundations of Balmain's fragrance heritage. Scent was therefore not a late accessory to fashion but part of the brand's early identity.

Vent Vert connected nature with modern freedom. Its historical image was built around greenery, fresh air, and movement, differing from the conventional floral softness of its era. In later decades, Jolie Madame, Ivoire, and Ébène expanded the catalogue. Each name connected a perfume subject with the house's visual and fashion vocabulary.

A new beauty phase began with the 2022 license agreement between Balmain and The Estée Lauder Companies. The partners agreed to develop, produce, and distribute beauty products together. Olivier Rousteing shaped the launch concept and worked with heritage, packaging, and overall direction, but this does not replace individual formula credits for perfumers.

In 2024, Les Éternels de Balmain introduced eight all-gender eaux de parfum. Four historical names—Vent Vert, Ivoire, Ébène, and Carbone—received new interpretations; Sel d’Ambre, Rouge, Bronze, and Bleu Infini appeared alongside them. The collection is organized around musk, amber, floral, and woody families.

The contemporary Vent Vert preserves the green idea through new means. Green mandarin and Calypsone provide airy, watery freshness; galbanum, basil, spearmint, and fig leaf create herbal volume. Jasmine adds floral sensuality, blackcurrant contributes a tart woody-fruity facet, and soft musks form a clean background.

The composition does not follow a simple line from citrus to flowers. Mandarin illuminates the green accord, Calypsone adds an impression of air and water, and galbanum maintains Vent Vert's character. Basil and spearmint intensify coolness; jasmine and musks gradually soften the edges, while blackcurrant leaves a darker final shade.

Vent Vert is offered as an eau de parfum in 10 and 50 ml, as well as a 150 ml refill. The refillable system continues the idea of a lasting object and reduced packaging. Formula perfumers are not named on the current page, so authorship is not inferred from Rousteing's creative role or added from outside databases.