In the ever-romantic world of fragrance, few launches feel as personal—or as transportive—as Rose Première, the latest creation from Véronique Gabai in collaboration with longtime friend Kelly Rutherford.
Rooted in a 15-year friendship and a shared devotion to the South of France, the scent is less a conventional perfume and more an olfactory postcard from the Côte d’Azur. At its heart lies the prized Rose de Mai, harvested in Grasse—the historic epicentre of French perfumery—layered with notes of bergamot, vanilla and musk for a composition that moves from bright and citrusy to warm and sensual.
For Gabai, the inspiration is deeply emotional. She has long described rose as the ultimate symbol of love in all its forms, and here, that love is refracted through friendship. The collaboration itself feels almost poetic: Rutherford, an American now living in the South of France, and Gabai, a native of the region now based in New York, meeting somewhere in the middle through scent.
The fragrance’s story began in the fields of Grasse, where the pair experienced the rose harvest together—an early-morning ritual where petals are picked at their most fragrant, still touched by dew. That moment of freshness and lightness is captured in the perfume’s opening, before unfolding into something richer and more enveloping.
For Rutherford, Rose Première is also a modern expression of femininity—one that embraces authenticity over perfection. It’s polished, yes, but never overly pristine; sensual, but grounded in something real and lived-in.
The launch will debut as a limited run of 2,000 bottles, each signed and inscribed with the sentiment: “Everything meaningful starts with love.” It’s a fitting tagline for a fragrance that feels as intimate as it does luxurious.
More than just a beauty release, Rose Première is a reminder that the most compelling scents aren’t just worn—they’re felt, remembered and shared.
