Rafael Nadal Tries His (Back)Hand at Perfumery
Rafael Nadal has taken a quick detour from tennis to dabble in fragrance. The Grand Slam champion has collaborated with French fragrance house Henry Jacques on a series of three scents inspired by his love of the Mediterranean — and more importantly, his wife, Maria Perello.
The athlete, a longtime fragrance aficionado, worked with Henry Jacques' perfumers to develop two scents: one representative of his public persona as a tennis champion, and the other representative of his private side.
The first, Rafael Nadal No°1, combines floral and herbal notes including coriander, thyme, violet, and lemon with the woody richness of cedar, sandalwood, and leather. Secondly, Rafael Nadal No° 2 is a heavier fragrance with bergamot, jasmine, musk, and sandalwood.
Here's where Perello comes in: she helped develop a third fragrance, aptly named Maria Perello, meant to complement Rafael Nadal No° 2.
"I envisioned this fragrance as a sense of security, self-confidence, uniqueness, strength and completeness," she said of the floral concoction. "I really wanted it to smell like elegance, and more importantly, happiness."
The collaboration marks Nadal's first foray into fragrance formulation. Previously, the star fronted campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger's scent TH Bold and Lanvin's L'Homme Sport — his team-up with Henry Jacques is the first time Nadal has lent his nose to a brand.
Given Henry Jacques' reputation in the fine fragrance space, there's no doubt the collection will deliver on the scent front. The bigger question: whether a spritz of Rafael Nadal will improve your tennis skills, at least temporarily.
Rafael Nadal No° 1, Rafael Nadal No° 2, and Maria Perello retail for $1,170 each at Henry Jacques' website.
