Knowing Legacy
A fruity chypre that opens on raspberry and black currant, centres on Damask rose and orris concrete, and dries down into patchouli, vetiver and labdanum amber.
Perfumer: Carlos Benaim, Bruno Jovanovic, Anne Flipo
Knowing Legacy belongs to Estée Lauder's Legacy Collection, in which perfume editor Frédéric Malle has reimagined the house's legacy fragrances for the 21st century. Here the essence of the original Knowing is expanded with black currant and orris, and the result is a fruity chypre.
Raspberry and black currant open with tart, dark fruit. In the heart, Damask rose meets orris concrete, which gives the rose a smooth, powdery thickness and grounds the brighter fruit.
The dry down gathers patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, amber from labdanum, and styrax. Earthy patchouli and dry vetiver set the frame, while the resins of labdanum and styrax leave a smouldering warmth. Malle describes the scent in terms of skin, fire and a long night.
The bottle is a substantial glass cylinder with fluting and a rope detail, and it comes in a fluted box in legacy blue, the shade the founder favoured. These design touches are meant to carry Mrs. Estée Lauder's signature details into a contemporary form.
