In the storied hills of Grasse, where the air is thick with the scent of blooming flora and the golden light of the Mediterranean sun paints the landscape in hues of ochre and honey, a new olfactory chapter has been written. This is not merely the launch of a perfume; it is a fragrant testament to a fifteen-year friendship, a shared love for the South of France, and an exploration of the multifaceted nature of love itself. Veronique Gabai, the veteran of the beauty and fashion industries whose namesake brand has become synonymous with the luminous spirit of the Côte d’Azur, has partnered with actress and style icon Kelly Rutherford to debut "Rose Première." This collaboration represents a rare intersection of personal history, artisanal craftsmanship, and a deep-seated reverence for the natural world.
Veronique Gabai’s philosophy has always been rooted in the belief that scent is a bridge to emotion. "The natural ingredient of rose is to bring you the feeling of love, whatever kind of love you need," Gabai explains. For this specific project, the love in question is that of a profound, enduring friendship. The bond between Gabai and Rutherford began in 2011 when the two served as co-chairs for a gala benefiting the Lycée Français De New York. Though their professional paths were distinct—Gabai as a powerhouse executive who led brands like Estée Lauder and Aramis, and Rutherford as the celebrated actress known for her roles in "Melrose Place" and "Gossip Girl"—they found a common language in their shared appreciation for French culture and the effortless elegance of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
The genesis of Rose Première was as organic as the flowers from which it is derived. While Gabai is a native of the South of France who now calls New York City home, Rutherford is an American who has recently embraced life in the French countryside. This cultural exchange—the French woman in Manhattan and the American woman in Provence—forms the narrative backbone of the fragrance. "It’s a story around the Côte d’Azur, but the difference here is it’s a true collaboration," Gabai notes. The idea for a rose-centric scent was born from Rutherford’s own long-standing infatuation with the flower. She sought something that captured the rose in its most honest form: pure, simple, and unadorned by the heavy synthetics that often clutter modern perfumery.
To capture this purity, Gabai invited Rutherford to the heart of the fragrance world: Grasse. In May, when the fields are a sea of pink, the two women participated in the traditional harvest of the Rose de Mai (Rosa Centifolia). This rare bloom is the crown jewel of the region, flowering only once a year for a few brief weeks. The experience of waking at dawn to pluck the dew-covered petals before the sun’s heat could dissipate their delicate oils was transformative for Rutherford. It was here, among the rows of flowers, that the identity of Rose Première was forged. They smelled the raw extracts, discussed the nuances of the earth, and envisioned a scent that would feel like "sunlight on the skin."
The resulting composition is an intricate dance of light and shadow. While the Rose de Mai serves as the luminous heart of the fragrance, Gabai and Rutherford worked meticulously to build a supporting structure that would enhance its natural beauty. The scent opens with a bright, effervescent burst of bergamot, a citrus note that Gabai describes as the "feeling of happiness." This immediate brightness quickly gives way to the lush, honeyed floralcy of the rose. As the fragrance settles, it transitions into a more intimate, carnal territory. The base notes of vanilla and musk provide a velvety warmth, lending the perfume a sophisticated sensuality that lingers on the skin like a whispered memory. Gabai describes the olfactory experience as a journey through the Grasse fields: "It’s a very special moment when the sun is gentle on you, if you still feel the earth and the dew on the flowers, and the flower is fresh, it’s sweet, fresh, bright, joyful, all at once."
For Kelly Rutherford, Rose Première is more than just a beauty product; it is a reflection of her personal evolution and her views on modern femininity. In recent years, Rutherford has emerged as a quintessential muse of the "quiet luxury" movement, her social media presence defined by a refined, authentic aesthetic that resonates with a global audience. To her, this fragrance captures the essence of a woman who is comfortable in her own skin. "Femininity today isn’t about perfection. It’s about authenticity," Rutherford says. "I love that this scent feels polished but still human, joyful, sensual, alive."
The launch of Rose Première is being handled with the same level of care and exclusivity that went into its creation. Before the fragrance joins Gabai’s permanent "Maison" collection, it will debut as a limited-edition release of only 2,000 bottles. Each of these initial bottles features Rutherford’s signature and is inscribed with the poignant tagline: "Everything meaningful starts with love." This limited run serves as a tribute to the artisanal roots of the project, offering collectors a piece of the personal history shared by the two creators.
This collaboration is also a significant milestone in Veronique Gabai’s broader mission to redefine luxury through the lens of sustainability and Mediterranean heritage. Since launching her brand, Gabai has been a vocal advocate for using high-quality natural ingredients sourced ethically from her homeland. By highlighting the Rose de Mai and the traditional harvesting techniques of Grasse, Rose Première brings attention to the importance of preserving the cultural and environmental ecosystem of the region. The fragrance is a reminder that true luxury lies in the connection between the land and the final product.
For Rutherford, the fragrance marks a busy period of creative expansion. Known for her discerning eye, she has recently expanded her footprint in the world of design and jewelry. Just last week, she revealed a significant growth in her collaboration with the jewelry brand The Twentyfour Six. What began as a curated selection of pieces has now evolved into a full-scale collection featuring 18-karat gold diamond-set earrings and sterling silver necklaces. Much like Rose Première, her jewelry ventures emphasize timelessness and personal meaning over fleeting trends.
The partnership between Gabai and Rutherford serves as a blueprint for the future of celebrity-involved fragrances. In an era where the market is saturated with mass-produced celebrity scents, Rose Première stands out because of its genuine emotional core. It is not a product created in a boardroom and handed to a famous face for promotion; it is the result of two friends wandering through flower fields, sharing their memories, and working together to bottle a specific feeling of peace and affection.
As the limited-edition bottles make their way into the hands of fragrance aficionados, the impact of Rose Première is expected to ripple through the industry. It reinforces a return to "slow beauty"—a movement that prizes the story behind the scent as much as the scent itself. Whether it is the zesty spark of bergamot that evokes a Mediterranean morning or the deep, musky dry-down that suggests a warm evening on the coast, Rose Première offers a sensory escape to the South of France.
Ultimately, Veronique Gabai and Kelly Rutherford have created a fragrance that transcends the boundaries of a traditional perfume. It is a celebration of the enduring power of friendship and a reminder that, in a world that often moves too fast, there is immense value in stopping to smell the roses—especially those harvested by hand in the hills of Grasse. With Rose Première, they have proven that when two creative spirits align with a shared passion for the land and the arts, the result is something truly timeless. As the tagline suggests, everything meaningful does indeed start with love, and in this case, that love has been distilled into a bottle that captures the very soul of the Côte d’Azur.
