Mexico, 1531

On December 9, 1531, the Virgin Mary began appearing to a humble Aztec man from a village near Mexico City.  And at a time and place when one powerful empire was falling at the hands of another, she came with a message of heaven’s love for all people.   At dawn on December 12th, during their last visit with one another, she asked him to pick a profusion of Damask roses from the frozen soil on a nearby hill, with the request that he gather them in his "tilma" (a cloak made of cactus cloth) and bring them to the local Spanish bishop as a sign of her visit to the land. 

When he arrived, the bishop’s servants grabbed at his tilma, demanding to know what he was carrying.  Juan pressed forward, and coming before the bishop, he unfurled the garment and let the roses drop to the floor. The bishop dropped to his knees.  For imprinted on Juan's tilma was an image of Mary, just as Juan had described her several days prior.   

Mexico, 1531 is an olfactory snapshot of that scene. You can still see the miraculous tilma today, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.  That this rough swath of cactus cloth and its accompanying image are still beautifully intact defies explanation, since it should have disintegrated centuries ago.

The Mexico, 1531 fragrance weaves Damask rose with the cool, mineral scent of soil.  It is a fresh blend with incredible depth that is neither masculine nor feminine.