Serge Lutens is a French perfumier, photographer and art director, a man whose illustrious career in fashion has spanned several disciplines and half a decade. He has worked extensively in the field of beauty and perfume, producing campaigns, perfumes and artwork with the houses of Christian Dior and Shiseido, directed artistic fashion films, and founded his own prestigious perfume house.

His personal definitions of many words related to emotion, creativity and philosophy are published in Haider Ackermann’s A#3. His words are thoughtful, frank and poetic, and although translated into English, remain undeniably French. Please read some excerpts below:

MYSTERY: Everything is mystery, from birth to death. An answer always leads to another question. The mystery is also the beauty, because it does not provide the answer.

GRACE: It can inhabit us. We find it in the images in which we can recognise ourselves… or rather those images that reflect us. It exists when it is abrupt, in other words: a state of astonishment when confronted with a person, a gesture, a look, a place or any other thing that could already inhabit us.

BLOOD: Sometimes to indicate the aristocracy we use the term ‘blue blood’… What a beautiful expression! In Japan, people ask your blood group, before they ask your zodiac sign. It determines your personality. Blood connects us.

SOLITUDE: It is not a desire. It is a reality. One finds it always and everywhere. It is necessary for concentration. It can kill.

SHADOW: It forces us to know that we exist.

LIGHT: If one wants to see.

LOST BEAUTY: The only one we could regret in fact.

REBELLION: Revolt is also the living body of spirit and expression. Rebellion is one of its incarnations for a brief moment. Nevertheless, revolt remains its matrix.

BLACK: It says no. It is the night… but stars only sparkle in the black of night.

CRUELTY: One can imagine it, rarely perform it.

TEMPTATIONS: Can be dangerous. They are the daughters of boredom.

PERFECTION: One can imagine reaching it via certain aspects. Its aim is a shape or a soul. It certainly exists but is rarely put into words.