Inside the Jean-Philippe Clermont’s Vision: Atelier Des Ors Turns 10

Written by Ally Santos

Atelier Des Ors marked its 10-year milestone in New York City, and the celebration unfolded like a story; intimate, golden, thoughtful. A tribute to craftsmanship and the quiet magic that has shaped the house since its debut. “Reaching our tenth year feels both humbling and energizing. Novae Vanilla is our way of honoring the past while stepping fearlessly into the future, a luminous vanilla shaped by the same craftsmanship and emotion that built Atelier Des Ors,” says Jean-Philippe Clermont about the latest perfume, dedicated to celebrate the brand’s anniversary.

Images by Hideki Aono / Instagram: @hideki.aono.media

The day began in midtown Manhattan, inside a bright studio where sunlight caught on sheets of gold leaf. Jean-Philippe Clermont, the founder of Atelier Des Ors, stood surrounded by tools of his craft, delicate brushes, thin squares of gold, and the iconic black-and-gold bottles that have become the brand’s signature. He welcomed us into a gilding masterclass, guiding us through the centuries-old technique behind the flakes that shimmer inside every bottle.

We learned how to gently press the gold to canvas, how air alone can shift a piece of leaf, how something so thin and fragile becomes part of a story that lasts. As we created our own gilded pieces, Jean-Philippe explained the symbolism of Atelier Des Ors: the seahorse logo representing the 24 karat of the gold; the interplay of shadow and light; the idea that a perfume can be both precious and alive.

He walked us through the collections; every line built on emotion, craftsmanship, and the balance between opulence and modernity. For a brand rooted in storytelling, it was fitting that the day itself felt like a narrative unfolding.

Novae Vanilla: A New Kind of Vanilla

And then came the moment everyone was waiting for, the reveal of Novae Vanilla, Atelier Des Ors’ newest creation, crafted to celebrate a decade of artistry.

Vanilla is one of the most familiar notes in perfumery, but Novae Vanilla doesn’t follow the expected path. It moves toward radiance; airy, luminous, refined. It’s a vanilla that expands upward rather than sinking into warmth. It’s a vanilla that expands upward into warmth. A vanilla that glows in gold flakes and velvet texture.

This moment feels full circle when you think back to Lune Féline, one of the house’s most beloved classics. Where Lune Féline is dark, intoxicating, and almost celestial in its warmth — smoky vanilla, balsams, a sensual intensity — Novae Vanilla is its opposite horizon. It’s brighter. Cleaner. More uplifting.

If Lune Féline was a night sky full of stars, Novae Vanilla is the first light of dawn.

If Lune Féline seduces, Novae Vanilla embraces.

Both are beautiful in their own universes, one lunar, one nova; two expressions of the same ingredient separated by ten years of evolution.

The celebration continued into the evening at the Faena Hotel, where perfume lovers, editors, content creators, and fashion personalities gathered over cocktails. It felt glamorous without being stiff, laughter mixing with the soft glow of red lighting, gold accents catching the light, glasses clinking as people leaned in to smell wrists and blotters.

It felt like a gathering of people connected by craft, curiosity, and love for the art of perfume. A celebration of a launch and a decade of creativity and the community that grew around it.

Walking out into the New York night, the gold from the masterclass still faintly clinging to fingers, Novae Vanilla stayed on the skin like a quiet glow. It’s a scent that marks a moment, a reminder of where Atelier Des Ors began, and where it’s going next.

Ten years in, the house is still creating beauty with intention. Still honoring craft. Still finding new ways to let gold shine.

And Novae Vanilla is the perfect symbol of that: a fragrance built not on nostalgia, but on renewal; a nova, sparked from the heart of the brand.