BEHIND THE LOUVRE

A Story Behind the Shoot: Clementine and Edward

A mini excerpt on the wonderful and dazzling story behind the campaign shoot for Clementine & Edward Steal a Painting Eau de Parfum.

Maison millais

When you walk the Tuileries every morning, it’s not hard to notice the green leaves starting to spruce the perfectly trimmed trees. Came the end of March, it was time to pick up the Contax and get back out into the city. 

Maison Millais occupies a small space on the wonderful Rue de Rivoli with a super Pissarro view. Perhaps it was a rather inevitable idea to shoot the new photo campaign at the Jardin des Tuileries, a step away from the Louvre. Amidst the new (re)launch, the fragrance house is busy at work with Clementine and Edward Steal a Painting, an Eau de Parfum about friendship. 

“Take my hand, and, plunge!” 

In its conception, Perfumer Richard Herpin received a brief containing a list of words, a meticulously curated set of artworks, a few pieces of music, and an insistence that the fragrance hold the “mixture of perfumes in a gallery room, the mingling of passing guests.” And, of course, that it’d be gorgeous. 
While Monsieur H. was busy at work, corresponding often with Miss Millais, the fragrance house began ringing its assemblage of collaborators. A Clementine, an Edward, and, certainly, a stolen painting were to be cast.
The photographer was chosen to be Emma Celine, a Paris College of Art grad with a fantastic eye, and someone who's done a few photos during Maison Millais Part I. For Paris is never in shortage of shooting-star starlets, the role of Clementine was given to Roberta H., and Edward to Agustin Escalada, both multidisciplinary creatives establishing themselves in the Paris fashion scene. 
Ms. Millais, once asked in an interview what she hoped would remain if Maison Millais were to disappear tomorrow, replied: young people full of effort and energy. 
It seems Team Clementine & Edward well embodied that spirit. 

Clementine and Edward with Clementine and Edward

Croisant break

This perfume is about friendship

Agustin & Roberta for Maison Millais
As for the missing painting herself, the dame was dutifully acquired through the Maison Millais web of friends and acquaintances, from an enthusiastic someone who gifted the fragrance house an 18th century still-life. For it was certainly not stolen from any Parisian museum. Certainly and absolutely not. 
It was also decided that the Clementine & Edward EDP would have an illustration component. Gabrielle Rul, artist and fashion model who creates dessins with an air of Sempé, happily agreed to do a drawing, which became not only a piece of grand whimsy but also a series of wonderful meetings throughout the city. 
The meeting “office” consisted of Café au Coin, Galerie Vivienne, Petit Suisse (across from the Jardin du Luxembourg), a couple of brasseries in Montmartre, and walks through Saint-Germain.
“I am a creature of habit. You (referring to Miss Millais) could not be more spontaneous. But, no, this is great. I love this.” 
It was certainly the beginning of a wonderful new friendship — could it be more on-theme?
Gabrielle Rul, a true friend of the maison! 

It was certainly the beginning of a wonderful new friendship — could it be more on-theme?
From then on (and until the tourist influx overtook the gardens) the team got to work. The friends ran from topiary to marble statue, from carousel to fountain-side chair.
3, 2, 1 — go! There, our Clementine and Edward ran back and forth with the painting in heist mode. Agustin, in particular, was entrusted with the very serious task of running with (and, preferably, keeping safe), the still-life tableau. 
“Wow, this is so silly but I’m into it. I’ve never done something like this before,” says the out of breath model. 
But as fantastic models do, the duo got into the perfume world’s classic poses — plein romance, eyes locked, la vie en rose — leading Miss Millais to yell across the garden that this perfume is about friendship. So much so, in fact, that the admonition became a permanent part of the copy.
Alas, after repeated insistence on l’amitié over l’amour (though, what is the difference?), Agustin asked for the perfume bottle with a sleek, mischievous look. Soon, a bottle of Clementine and Edward was placed on the hand of a Maillol, and our Clementine and Edward ran around the bronze sculpture in playful insouciance.
The team, pleased, wrapped the shoot and headed to a nearby café at the Palais-Royal, talking over one another about various mysterious and wondrous subjects from what constitutes dating etiquette and ambition to histories, love and friendship, friendship and love. What really was the difference between the two again? 

this perfume is about friendship

Find Clementine & Edward Steal a Painting HERE