The soul of the Eiffel Tower

Tale of an essential beauty

Once upon a night, the dark figure of the Eiffel Tower, muse of many artists for years, whispered perfection to Issey Miyake while she stood still and charismatic. It was 1992 and the Japanese creator was on the verge of creating L’Eau d’Issey, a fragrance that would combine simple beauty and refined purity, subtle shape and harmonious materials. As he was drawing the flawless round and conical architecture of the bottle, the Japanese designer felt something was missing from the glass and silver silhouette. So, one evening in Paris, as Issey Miyake looked thought his window, he noticed the moon shining right above the Eiffel Tower. A magical and poetic moment, a perfect alignment of nature and object where the moon morphed into the crystalline drop suspended on top of the slender bottle, a drop of water linking earth and sky. L’Eau d’Issey and the Eiffel Tower, two silhouettes without artifice that transcend time and fashion, two timeless icons rooted in authenticity.

Paris Icon

Now and then, the Eiffel Tower will hide shyly among the milky clouds or the capricious fog. Nevertheless, the iron goddess never fails her calling. From afar, her figure pierces the sky, reaches for the celestial vault and captivates the wandering traveller. Up close, she raises, eager to allow her visitors an unequalled postcard view of the City of Lights, which would be orphaned  without her. Her mighty pillars offer shade and protection to the milling crowd while the rest of her body watches over the Seine River where boats respectfully glides at her feet. She barely glances at the skyscrapers of La Défense because – she is too well behaved to admit it – the slick glass buildings cannot hold a candle to her. Younger than Notre-Dame or the Louvre, she doesn’t fear their fame for she has become their equal in the heart of the world. Day and night, year after year, our Lady of Iron watches serenely and wisely as life unfolds around her.

A beacon of hope  

The history books say that the dame was born a long time ago but age is of no consequence for her, she is still standing despite the wind, the rain and the years that pass so swiftly. The same books also mention that when she emerged from the ground near the Champs de Mars, Parisians despised her and writers like Zola and Maupassant were famously displeased. Then, when her architect Gustave Eiffel accomplished the work of a lifetime, the willowy silhouette became a national treasure. Nowadays, when night falls the Eiffel Tower sparkles as its 20,000 light bulbs embellishes her already flawless figure and illuminates her loyal devotees. And night after night, they all bask in her power that makes darkness disappear.

Credits photos :
Michael Kramer/Sciepro/Science Photo Library: header
Luza studios: video (left)
Fabian Krause / EyeEm: image 1 (right)
Leonello Calvetti/Science Photo Library: image 2 (left)