Most fresh fragrances are an afterthought, a quick citrus splash designed for hot days and little else. Louis Vuitton Imagination is the opposite: a fresh fragrance that took five years to build and treats lightness as a serious technical challenge. Released in 2021, it became one of the most quietly admired masculine launches of the decade, the thinking man's summer scent.
A perfumer with time to spare
Imagination is the work of Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton's master perfumer and the same nose behind the cult Ombre Nomade. Working from his atelier at Les Fontaines Parfumées in Grasse, the historic heart of French perfumery, he spent roughly five years on Imagination. That is an almost unheard-of timescale, and it reflects the freedom Louis Vuitton gives him: no rush, no compromise, near-unlimited materials.
The art of contrast
The idea at the centre of Imagination is a contrast that sounds simple and is fiendishly hard to pull off: bright citrus against the dry, sophisticated bitterness of black tea, anchored by ambroxan. Cavallier Belletrud has described starting with Ambrox as his foundation and building outward, exploring how amber and Chinese black tea could play against each other. The black tea is the masterstroke. It stops the citrus turning sweet or simple and gives the whole thing a dry, grown-up elegance.
The technical achievement is that Imagination projects powerfully, some wearers call it nuclear, while still feeling airy and light. Strength without heaviness is one of the hardest things to do in perfumery, and it is exactly what five years buys you.
What Louis Vuitton Imagination smells like
It opens with a burst of citron, bergamot and Sicilian orange, zesty and luminous. The heart brings in neroli, ginger and a touch of cinnamon, warm and slightly spicy. Then the signature: Chinese black tea, ambroxan and guaiac wood, dry, woody and radiant. It is clean and uplifting but never thin, the rare fresh fragrance with genuine depth and serious longevity.
The £395 question
Like everything in the Louis Vuitton range, Imagination sits around £395 in the UK, sold only through Louis Vuitton's own boutiques and site. For a fresh fragrance, however accomplished, that is a significant outlay, which is why so many people who fall for it in the shop go looking for a way to wear that citrus-and-tea signature every day without the boutique price.
Imaginaire: the 35% Extrait interpretation
Our Imaginaire captures the part of Imagination that makes it special: the zesty citrus opening, the warm ginger-and-neroli heart, and that distinctive tea-and-amber drydown. Our notes run bergamot, citron and orange up top, neroli, ginger and cinnamon through the heart, and tea, amber and musk in the base.
The difference is concentration and price. Imaginaire is built at 35% Extrait, so the citrus and tea last through the day rather than fading in the first hour, the usual fate of fresh fragrances. Here is why concentration matters most for fresh scents. It costs £4.99 for a 5ml or £35 for 50ml, against around £395.
Guaranteed 7+ hours, 60-day money-back. The thinking man's fresh signature, made to actually last.
Try Imaginaire from £4.99, or 50ml for £35 →
Frequently asked questions
What does Louis Vuitton Imagination smell like?
A citrus-aromatic. Bright citron, bergamot and orange up top, ginger and neroli in the heart, and a distinctive dry base of Chinese black tea, ambroxan and guaiac wood. Fresh and uplifting but with real depth and longevity.
Who created Louis Vuitton Imagination and when?
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton's master perfumer, created it in 2021 after roughly five years of development, built around the contrast of citrus, black tea and ambroxan.
What is the best LV Imagination dupe in the UK?
Aromara's Imaginaire captures the citrus-and-tea signature at 35% Extrait with a 7+ hour guarantee, for £4.99 to £35, against around £395 for the original.
Why is Imagination considered special for a fresh fragrance?
Fresh fragrances usually fade quickly and lack depth. Imagination uses a high ambroxan base and a black tea note to project powerfully and last while still feeling light, which is technically very difficult and took years to achieve.
Related reading
- The Strongest Perfume Dupes in the UK 2026
- What Is Extrait de Parfum? Why 35% Concentration Matters
- Best Perfume Dupes UK 2026: The Ultimate List
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance house. Our fragrances are original compositions inspired by the character of well-known designer scents. We are not affiliated with Louis Vuitton, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Every Aromara fragrance is made in the UK at 35% Extrait concentration, with a 7+ hour longevity guarantee and a 60-day money-back promise.