May 1899, Foyer of the Opéra-Comique, Paris
During the Opera’s intermission, a group of seven young men gather at the Grand Foyer in search of new flirtations. Women of all sorts are lured in by the crisp, green scent of the men’s gardenia boutonnières, enlivened with the vetiver, bergamot and lavender colognes they wear. As they draw closer, the “Opera Flower” exudes its elegant masculinity, the last breath of a bloom sacrificed on a black-tie lapel.

Developed with Rodrigo Flores-Roux

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- White flower boutonnières are generally preferred for Black-Tie because of their elegant contrast. Gardenias are top choice for men, as they delight women with their scent. During the Belle Époque, they became known as the “Opera flower”.

- In 1899, a man would select a fresh boutonnière in much the same way he would wear a freshly laundered shirt or a pair of polished shoes. Its glory lay in its fragility; it was picked, worn in the buttonhole and allowed to die.

- In the glory days of the Opéra-Comique, the Grand Foyer was one of the most exciting meeting points of the Parisian elite; champagne would flow with conversation, flirting and gossip.

- The existing Opéra-Comique was officially re-opened in December 1898. It saw the premieres of composers such as Massenet, Debussy, Puccini and Ravel. The beaux-art decoration of the Grand Foyer consists of frescoed walls, gilded woodwork and for the first time, electric chandeliers; the slightly smoky base of Boutonniere no.7 evokes the crowd gathered during intermission.