From Tuberose to Petroleum: “Alone in Babylon” by Stéphane Humbert Lucas

The French fragrance house Stéphane Humbert Lucas is expanding its “La Collection 777” with “Alone in Babylon”, a unisex fragrance featuring tuberose, plantain, and leather.

“Alone in Babylon” is a provocative anti-gourmand gourmand: it accentuates, it embellishes, it enhances. “Alone in Babylon” is a distinctive creation, a break with convention, inspired by the myth of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, where unexpected beauty is transcended and flowers bloom where you least expect them. A monstrosity or a wonder?

Stéphane Humbert Lucas

The opening features notes of tuberose and the creamy, fruity sweetness of plantain, contrasted by cool nail polish and petroleum accords. As the fragrance unfolds, Floralozone and Mysore sandalwood come to the fore, accompanied by the leathery, animalic nuances of castoreum. In the base notes, vanilla and tonka bean finally lend the composition a creamy warmth, underscored by notes of leather and musk.

“Alone in Babylon” was created by Stéphane Humbert Lucas, the French perfumer and artist behind the fragrance house of the same name.

An “Anti-Gourmand Gourmand”: Dorian Gray Meets Scheherazade

The brand describes the fragrance as an “anti-gourmand gourmand”: rather than highlighting the sweet notes of plantain, vanilla, and tonka bean, it contrasts them with floral, animalic, and synthetic facets.

The inspiration for “Alone in Babylon” stems from two contrasting literary worlds. Stéphane Humbert Lucas contrasts Dorian Gray—who embodies decadence and eternal youth—with Scheherazade, the symbol of imagination and the art of storytelling.

The name, however, refers to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, whose existence has not been proven to this day.

A New Chapter in “La Collection 777”

“Alone in Babylon” is part of “La Collection 777,” the first collection from the fragrance house Stéphane Humbert Lucas. Since 2012, the perfumer has been incorporating impressions from his travels in the Middle East as well as influences from symbolism and spirituality into this collection. For him, the number seven represents, among other things, perfection, happiness, and wisdom. The collection includes, among others, the fragrances “Black Gemstone”, “Taklamakan” and “Soleil de Jeddah”.

The new fragrance is available in a 50-ml bottle.