Fantôme de Maules

A nearly two-meter-tall figure in a camouflage cloak and an old mask roams the Swiss forest, stopping only to smell the flowers and disappearing as soon as a twig snaps. STORA SKUGGAN Fantôme de Maules is its green trail.

Bergamot, lemon, galbanum, and green leaves open the perfume sharply and densely. Coriander and cardamom introduce a spicy, aromatic tension as if something has moved between the trees.

Forest flowers and lavender absolute appear unexpectedly gently. This is the only moment the mysterious figure lets its guard down and shows interest in the world around it.

Tomas Hempel finds inspiration in a real local figure from the vicinity of Maules, a village in the French part of Switzerland. Locals call him Le Loyon; he calls himself Fantôme de Maules and owes no one an explanation.

Oakmoss, sandalwood, cedar, labdanum, tonka, and vetiver later close the composition in a damp, resinous forest. The citruses disappear, and the greenery becomes darker and quieter.

Fantôme de Maules is not a fantasy story about an imaginary ghost. It is galbanum, forest flowers, and moss behind camouflage and an old mask — a rare person who has maintained their mystery by refusing to explain themselves.