Safran Secret

It all began with a walk through a saffron field in a thick, ghostly fog that dulled the horizon and heightened the senses. For Thibaud Crivelli, founder of Maison Crivelli, it was a moment suspended in time: damp air pressing on his skin, the scent of earth rising like a secret mist.

“I felt exposed, almost vulnerable,” Crivelli recalls. “It was this emotional duality between the grounding nature of saffron and the ethereal quality of the atmosphere that led to the creation of Safran Secret.”

The new extrait de parfum, launched in March 2025, is the first opus in the Olfactory Mysteries collection, a series of high-concentration scents inspired by textures, sensations, and deeply personal memories. In Safran Secret, saffron emerges as a narrative portal: shadowed, smoldering, unexpectedly tender.

“Safran Secret was conceived as a sensory exploration of contrasts between strength and vulnerability, warmth and enigma,” says Crivelli which adds “It invites the wearer into that suspended moment I experienced, where every sensation was heightened.”

Perfumer Gaël Montero built the formula around a dense 30% vegan concentration, amplifying saffron’s warmth and woody facets. Remarkably, the rest of the composition remains undisclosed — a veil of mystery that defies conventional marketing norms.

“We invite the wearer to experience the scent beyond a rational reading. Each note unfolds like a clue, encouraging a more personal and instinctive exploration. It's about connecting with fragrance emotionally, following a trail of impressions rather than dissecting a formula,” Crivelli explains.

Originally introduced in 2012 under the name Ingredients 07/2012 and sold exclusively at the Ingredients boutique in Prague, Safran Secret now reemerges (unchanged in formula) as the enigmatic flagship of this new collection.

Presented in Maison Crivelli’s iconic bottle, now finished in lacquered bronze, the extrait comes in a hand-assembled moss green box made of Fedrigoni Old Mill paper, screen-printed with silver satin lettering, a quiet nod to the fog that inspired it.

In an era dominated by transparency and formulaic storytelling, Crivelli’s decision to withhold information feels daring, even radical. But for Thibaud, it’s about giving the perfume space to speak for itself, free from the customer’s expectation.

“Saffron is often seen as opulent and sensual,” he reflects. “But through this memory, I saw it differently, in a more textured, shadowed, and diffusing way. In Safran Secret, saffron becomes less a symbol of classic luxury and more a portal into an emotional landscape, elevated but also raw, intimate, and unexpected.”

This philosophy extends to the entire Olfactory Mysteries line, which promises to deliver breathtaking extraits de parfum that go against the grain. While each scent will be inspired by Crivelli’s own sensory adventures, the ingredients - aside from a few key facets - will remain secret. A deliberate invitation to explore through memory, not formula.

“The most memorable adventures of our lives are those that surprise us and engage all our senses. Perfume is even more beautiful when there is a touch of mystery.” Crivelli says.

With Safran Secret, Maison Crivelli traces an invisible thread between scent and emotion, memory and mystery. And yes, it’s worth every drop. I've never received so many compliments on a perfume as I did wearing this one.

For more information : www.maisoncrivelli.com ; @maisoncrivelli