The origins of the olfactory theory of Shape?

If anyone is at all familiar with the theory of perfume breakdown and the notion of searching for how the sense of smell works, then that one is familiar with the conflict between the standard theory of Shape versus Luca Turin's theory of Vibration; the latter explained in Chandler Burr's book "The Emperor of Scent".
To make a long story short, the former theory which is accepted by most people in the fragrance business implies that odoriferous molecules are perceived by our nose through their shape variation, different shapes attaching to one another and producing different effects. Dr.Turin has proposed that it is the vibrational difference of various molecules that accounts for the difference in perception and not their shape. The odour receptors detect the frequency of those vibrations of odour molecules in the infrared range by electron tunnelling.
Of course the modern counterpart to the theory of Shape was the discovery of odorant receptor molecules by Linda B. Buck and Richard Axel. The two scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2004.
The battle carries on still, however, as of yet there is not a complete answer to how olfactory perception is shaped.

But how did the theory of Shape come into being? Perfume Shrine delves in antiquity and elected to present the ancient reference to an allusion to such a notion to our readers. Of course the nature of smell had been debated by Parmenides, Democritus and Xenophanes prior to this, but it is in Lucretius that it takes...shall we say, shape.

Titus Lucretius Carus(96-55BC) proposed that pleasant smells -as well as sensations acting as a pleasant stimulus in general- are composed of smooth particles, while the reverse phenomenon -unpleasant smells and sensations- is due to the hooked nature of the particles that form the material. This was of course intergrated into the research into why the universe is made of pleasant and unpleasant things to man.
Lucretius says:

"Thou traverse through, thou wilt discover thus
That in their frame the seeds of many things
They hide, and divers shapes of seeds contain.
Further, thou markest much, to which are given
Along together colour and flavour and smell,
Among which, chief, are most burnt offerings.
. . . . . .
Thus must they be of divers shapes composed"

"For every shape, which ever charms the senses, has not been brought to being without some smoothness in the first beginnings; but, on the other hand, every shape which is is harsh and offensive has not been formed without some roughness of substance".

{from De rerum natura, book II}

Perhaps this ancient theory of tactility was what gave to rise the concept of smell being perceived through the shape of the atoms of the materials smelled. Or this is my theory in any case...



References: Bailey, C. ed. De Rerum Natura. 3 volumes with commentary. Oxford, 1947.
Buck, Linda and Richard Axel. (1991). A Novel Multigene Family May Encode Odorant Receptors: A Molecular Basis for Odor Recognition. Cell 65:175-183.

Pic of classic 5th century BC chalice depicting a Sphinx courtesy of theoi.com. Chosen for its allusion to a cryptic message, a riddle, and not its chronological frame

Anya's Garden Kaffir and Temple

We have dabbled in Anya's Garden, an artisan natural perfumery stationed in Miami Shores, Florida USA before, here at the Shrine. We were really taken with her wild-hearted Fairchild and consider Pan to be one of the most unique things to ever grace the market. {click on the names to read reviews} Tincturing goat's hair itself is indeed a great way of rendering an animalistic note. So when she announced she has issued two new perfumes, Kaffir and Temple, we simply had to sniff!

The perfumes feature new-to-the-market citruses, paired in unexpected ways.
Kaffir lime peel - which is also known as Thai Lime Leaf, or Makrud lime (ghost lime or funny lime) - sparkles in the topnotes of the eponymous scent. Kaffir lime made a rather more subdued appearence in Armani's Sensi, but it wasn't allowed to steal the show. Here it is taking center stage.
On another note, Kaffir might sound like an ethnic slur, but the intention is far from such. Inspired by an ingredient that is actually starring in South East Asian cuisine, whose leaves have a natural aldehydic character, the term is sparkling some controversy.

But none is necessary. The word kaffir or kahfir derives from Arabic for "non-Muslim". Therefore it is used in some Muslim countries as a totally non-offensive, descriptive term for people of other faiths. Much like the ancient Greeks used the term "barbarians" for people who didn't speek Greek but with no intention of demeaning them; the term was not derogatory then. In many cases, such as those mentioned in Herodotus Historiae (where there are great examples of respect and admiration for the Persian empire), the contrary is true!
However long after the Arabs who came to South Africa applied it to the natives, it was picked up by the South Africans of European descent for black South Africans as an ethnic slur. {it has been brought to my attention -initially by our reader Samira, but I looked it up myself as well- that although this sounds like the arabic word, in fact it might not be the same; spelled "kaffer", it is derived from "cafard", meaning cockroach in French. The afrikaans people translated it to kaffer,because the french phonetic for cafard sound like kaffer (ka`fa:r)}.
It's high irony that Christians calling people "non-Muslims" became such a controversial term. But history is full of those...


Back to fragrant parlance, two different agarwoods were used to anchor the citruses. Anya explained that the agarwood for Kaffir is much lighter, golden and spicy with nuances of leather and freshy-sawn wood. While in Temple there is a blend of Laotian and Vietnamese dark, deep, hypnotic Ouds, a specialty grade of agarwood that is very expensive. That last part necessitated the lack of available samples for this scent due to limited amount of the perfume produced. If one is interested in good, real oud, they have to order it.

However in a generous gesture Temple samples will be gifted to those who need them and write up to Anya's Garden to claim them. Let's see what Anya Mc Coy has to say about it:

For the Survivors: Special offer for Temple Perfume

Blended along both Ayurvedic and Buddhist systems, Temple is a limited-edition perfume that is specially made for all of the survivors of the many physical disasters that have wrecked communities in the USA. It is hoped it will give courage in the face of post-traumatic stress - I know, because I am one of them. I have lived in Florida since 1985 and my first hurricane was Elena in Tampa, and the last - hopefully for some time - was Wilma.[...] Temple is also being offered to anyone who has been the victim of domestic abuse, poor health or other challenges that have caused trauma and ongoing stress.


The first 100 readers that write me at Anya's Garden will receive a sample for free. Fifty percent of the profits from Temple will be donated to various charities that assist people and animals via their rescue efforts. The offer will end when all of the samples have have been claimed.

And how do the scents smell, you ask.

Kaffir

Fragrance Family: Citrus-FloraLeather-Wood

Kaffir is really a drop of sunshine in the gloom of November. The juiciness of hesperidia, the lime nectar and the aroma of snapped leaves is almost tangible as you spray the fragrance on you and you instantly get happy thoughts. It's playful, with a verdancy that grabs you by the nose and gets your attention. The green touch of galbanum, that striking note in vintage Vent Vert of which Anya herself is a fan, makes for an arresting beginning.
Flowery with the indolic loveliness of jasmine and what seemed to me like orange blossom (but in fact is not)it take you places: you are in a mirage of summery pleasures that spin around you. Jasmime is a favourite note of mine of course and when one is using natural essences and absolutes, it is even more of an indulgence. It's a sensuous experience to be cherished.
As the scent of Kaffir dries down you realise just how good it is: there is a woody edge, some pungency that lingers seductively, a lived-in feeling. Leather is not usually combined with citrus and here it is a touch that sets it apart.
I think anyone would feel a little brighter for experiencing Kaffir. And that's a blessing in its own way.


Official notes:
Top: Kaffir Thai lime leaf, galbanum, French and Tropical tarragon accord
Middle: tinctures of eight jasmines, heritage oak extract, Grasse jasmine
Base: sustainable golden agarwood, musk seed, leather accord


Temple
Fragrance Family: Citrus-Incense-Spiced Wood


I have to admit that agarwood/oud is like a lumberjack of death to me and I usually cannot wear it on my skin. Some of the Montale ouds which receive so much accolades have proven to be simply unpalatable. And the irony is, they're not even that "real", since Perfume Shrine has indeed dabbled in smelling real oud thanks to the generosity of a friend who wanted to read my thoughts on some arabic essences from Yemen.
In Temple we have real, expensive, precious oud that would make lovers of this love-it-or-hate-it note jump with joy. The heart is truly like Zuko, the Japanese ritual powder, we found out. This exotic reference is further aiding in the centering and relaxation that oud would produce to those who love it. There is also warmth and roundness to the scent which is due to cassie and spices (some of which smell like star anise and cinnamon to me): it is as if it's tied to images of earth goddesses.

On Anya's coaxing, nevertheless, I tried putting a drop of Temple in a bowl of hot water to scent my home. And trully it subtly produced a serene mood and pleasant meditative ambience that was very welcome. This alternative use enthralled me and I plan on beginning to test more of my more "difficult" scents that way.
For the rest of you that find oud mannah from heaven, this is not to be missed.

Official notes:
Top : distilled orange juice, borneol crystals
Middle : aglaia flower, cassia, Ayurvedic herbs and spices
Base : sustainable Laotian and Vietnamese Oud agarwood, earth tincture




There is also a special voucher on Anya's Garden site for all perfumes and essences:

Through December 1st, type in the world natural in the voucher at checkout, and receive 10% off all purchases.

Sounds good!

Artwork by illustrator Rafal Olbinski courtesy of allposters.com. Pic with sitting woman from Anya's Garden site

L'air de Rien by Miller Harris: fragrance review

Jane Birkin piqued the imagination of thousands when she sighed heavily throughout “Je t’aime, moi non plus”, the Gainsbourg song that Brigitte Bardot had refused to sing and which the Vatican renounced as sinful. Her personality, her insouciance and her contradicting fashion sense, embracing tattered T-shirts alongside the Hermes bag which got named after her, made her an idol that contrary to most should be graced with a celebrity scent. And so it has: Lynn Harris, nose of Miller Harris, surrounded her aura with a bespoke which launched publicly to the delight of many.
Here at Perfume Shrine we were quite taken with it and decided to post our two versions of what it means to us.

Enjoy!

By Denyse Beaulieu

“I have never liked perfumes. I have always preferred to carry potpourri in my pocket. It was an interesting exercise in finding out what you don't like. All the things usually associated with heady, dark-haired women like hyacinth, tuberose and lily-of-the-valley made me vomit when they were enclosed in a bottle so this one is much more me – I wanted a little of my brother's hair, my father's pipe, floor polish, empty chest of drawers, old forgotten houses."

Jane Birkin’s quote in vogue.co.uk at the British launch of L’Air de Rien put me off trying the scent for quite a while. I love perfume, loathe potpourri, tuberose is one of my favourite notes and

never in a thousand years would I dream of smelling like Andrew Birkin’s hair – though I enjoy the films he wrote, such as The Name of the Rose and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, his hair is not, frankly, his most appealing feature.
It took the combined pressure of Vidabo and Mimiboo, whose judgment I trust, for me to dig out my sample. Both were so taken I needed to know what, exactly, exerted such a pull – Vidabo compared it to what an avant-garde Guerlain could be.
It took several tests to “get” the elusive L’Air de Rien, which truly lives up to its name… In French, “l’air de rien” can be said of something that looks insignificant or valueless, deceptively easy (but could be the opposite). It can also be literally translated as something that “looks like nothing” – perhaps nothing we know. Something completely new, then, which, intriguingly, L’Air de Rien turned out to be.
Never has a composition behaved so capriciously in each encounter. The initial dab from the sample vial yielded nothing but a rather mild musk sweetened by neroli. Then a spray from a tester bottle was an outsize slap of oakmoss. Thinking my sample has gone off or come from a defective batch, I secured a second: musk again. Second spray, different tester bottle in a different shop: oakmoss redux.

Curiouser and curiouser … I turned to specialists to explain just why the two star notes refused to sit down and play together. I first contacted perfumer Vero Kern. She ventured that the difference in result was due to the difference in application: spraying would produce a much more ample development. She also suggested I contact Lyn Harris directly, which I did. She promptly responded:

“As the creator of this fragrance, I do find it totally mysterious and magical. It almost seems to behave like a wine in the way it changes and evolves so much with age and on different skins. It is a very simple composition based around oakmoss, amber, neroli, vanilla and musk as Jane wanted and had to know exactly what was in it and I never wanted to deceive her. She completely loves oakmoss on its own so this had to come through the top notes as it does as you spray but also as the composition doesn’t have a lot of top and heart notes (…) Oak moss is the least tenacious material with the neroli and so this is most prevalent when you spray and then drops away on the dry down.”

Mystery solved? Hardly. Mystery is truly at the heart of L’Air de Rien –how such a short, simple formula manages to create such depth of resonance. Almost as though the stripping of most head and middle notes, to delve directly into base notes, echoed the depth of intimate memories – and Jane Birkin is nothing if not a repository of memory, that of her long-time romantic partner and Pygmalion, singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, whom she left in 1980 but whose songs she still performs. Indeed, in the eyes of the French public, she is still predominantly known and loved as the quirky, immensely moving English ingénue muse of the greatest French-language poet of the late 20th century…

L’Air de Rien’s heavy sexual gravity belies the sweetness of the musk-neroli marriage. The balsamic bitterness of the oakmoss sets off the dark, almost medicinal facet of the musk that can be found in Middle-Eastern perfumery – say, in the Tangiers perfumer Madini’s Black Musk or Musk Gazelle blends. It is the polar opposite of the more fashionable clean white musks of Narciso Rodriguez for Her or Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely. The ingénue has aged and weathered: she may slip feet dirty from wandering in dusty rooms or moist, rich gardens into scuffed, well-loved boots, no longer willing to seduce with a bat of her gazelle eyes, but on her own, mournful, timeless, terms. Or not at all.

By Elena Vosnaki

I will always remember Jane Birkin in French film of the 60s La Piscine starring Romy Schneider and Alain Delon: an erotic thriller of sorts, in which she ~long haired and surprisingly young~ moved her lithe limbs innocently doe-eyed. Her French pronunciation hilariously Brit ackward as she asked “Laquelle preferez-vous?” while rolling little pieces of bread with moist fingers into miniscule spheres, averting her eyes from Romy Schneider. This faux innocence has served her well in other roles too, such as the underneath conniving, outwardly gauche heroine of who-dunnit Evil under the Sun. In that one she even dons some other woman’s perfume to make her con more believable. We are talking about a character with perfumista clout, obviously. A scent starring oakmoss no less: one of the shining ingredients of L’air de Rien!

It is with the same mock innocence that L’air de Rien fools you into believing it is a simple musk fragrance. Musks of course have been a love of mine from ever since I recall first sampling one, a rite of passage. It was thus with a sense of exaltation that I put L’air de Rien on my skin. If nothing else it proved as unique and contradictory as the woman who inspired it. Like she said herself of her life:

"I don't know why people keep banging on about the '60s. I was very conventional because I came from a conventional family and I didn't go off with different people - I rather wish I had now, seeing all the fun everyone else was having"

If her perfume is meant to be worn “like a veil over one’s body”, then it is with Salome’s subversive power of being driven by a higher entity that one would do it. Only Salome wore multiple veils and here we only have a few: the notes of the fragrance progress so rapidly that one is confused as to the denouement.
There is cosiness and snuggliness aplenty. A strange feeling of humaness, as if a living and breathing human being has entered a dark, forgotten room in an old abandoned cottage in the Yorkshire countryside or the scriptorium in the The Name of the Rose; coincidentally among my most favourite novels (the film of course necessarily excised much of the esoterica of the book by Eco).
Like old parchment there is a bitter mustiness to L’air de Rien that gives a perverse, armospheric sexiness to the sweeter note of amber that clutches on to shadowy musk and oakmoss for dear life.

If you have secretly fantasized about having a roll on the floor of the dark kitchen in the murderous monastery of the above-mentioned film with a handsome young monk, then this is your scent. Literally nothing lay hidden underneath Valentina Vargas’ dirty cloak as she silently seduced Christian Slater with all the rough innocence of their respective youth and all the postcoital regret of the eternally unattainable.
Lacrimae mundi, tears of the world...


Click here for the famous nude scene from The Name of the Rose. Warning: Not office-suitable!

Pic of Jane Birkin and Charles Gainsbourg sent to me by mail unaccredited. Pic of Andrew Birkin from The Telegraph 2003. Artwork by Polish illustrator Zdzisław Beksiński courtesy of BekinskiOvh.org

Pontevecchio men's by Nobile 1942: fragrance review

Lured in by Pontevecchio W, the corresponding fragrance for women, which received a glowing review at Perfume Shrine some days ago {click for review}, there I was testing the masculine companion also laced with iris to see where it would get me... I am glad to report that it did get me places and it was very worth it.

Pontevecchio for men is a fresh masculine fragrance that exudes classic qualities and quiet, indefinable strength. It is not terribly innovative and this might be considered a fault by some; however it sheds good taste on its wearer and somehow you can't knock that. Classicism is sometimes much needed of.

According to the official promo by Nobile 1942:

With PONTEVECCHIO, we have created a scent for a demanding, modern man, able to maintain a fluid continuity with tradition and traditional values. We have embodied the traits of a man of strong, dynamic character, yet non-aggressive and always in balance; a man that seduces with a confident, magnetic allure, surprises with moments of tenderness and vulnerability, with a genuine vitality that never compromises his inner strength, which comes through in every decision, including his choice of fragrance.

The overture begins on a flight of bergamot and sweet mandarin which add their sparkling, juicy qualities to the proceedings. Those two essences used come from southern Italy (Sicily and Calabria) and the essential oils are obtained by natural expression. They do smell succulent and real, as if you have just juiced them up yourself in your kitchen on a bright sunny day in June, for making some traditional spoon-sweet using their rinds.
Coupled with the woody, parts oily, parts powdery heart of notes of iris and the rather more masculine spicy rosiness of geranium, the fragrance entinces you to lean closer to get a whiff of this traditional man you can depend on for quite fortitude. The mysterious whisper of somalian incense, the earthiness of vetiver and patchouli envelop you in a cloud of slight smokiness and damp soil that leaves you with a hankering for walks hand in hand across a riverside. In fact the reassuring yet somber arpeggio of vetiver is most pronounced, accompanied by a sotto voce of austere cedar and rosewood.

The company divulged to me that those essences are obtained by steam distillation, a process that retains their graceful qualities, giving stability. Supreme care into the handling of ingredients, with a high ratio of naturals, is of real essence to Massimo and Stefania Nobile. And it shows.
The drydown is the reflection of someone dashing yet dependable, caring and one you can lean on: in short, aren't we all secretly after that?


Pontevecchio for men is available in Colonia Maxima concentration, which is averagely tenacious.

Official notes:
Head: Bergamot, Mandarine, Incense
Heart: Pink Jasmine , Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Orris
Base: Musk, Patchouly, Sandal, Vetiver


Aiming to maintain their artisanal character and to ensure an exclusive distribution, Nobile 1942 scents are available only in the following shops ~and nowhere in the United States so far:

TAD (in Rome and Milan)
La Rose Noire (in Paris)
Quartier 206 Dept. Store (in Berlin)
Herboristes (in Athens)
L Group in Kazakhstan
and online from First in Fragrance/ Aus liebe zum duft where one can order samples.

The duo Vespriesperidati for men and for women by Nobile 1942 has been wonderfuly covered by Cognoscented.



The sexy scent review I promised you is coming up soon!

Pic of Cary Grant from silverscreen legends

Optical Scentsibilities: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Surely you have heard the above dictum: "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". It's actually a quote by Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832) Lacon, volume I, no. 183. The man had won a place in my heart for his other quote: "Many books require no thought from those who read them, and for a very simple reason; they made no such demand upon those who wrote them". But perhaps it is irrelevant to perfume advertising, so let's focus on the first one.

Now you might call me wicked and you might call me laborious in search (and I might be both), but don't you get an eerie resemblance between those two images? F by Ferragamo, by the way lauched in 2006 while Femme by Rochas was advertised thus some years ago. And one might argue that the hand on the nape is a classic pose anyway. After all, there are other examples of such images in advertising. But I propose to you that this duo is a bit eye-catching. The position of the hands, the choice of angle, even the dishevelled hair! Don't you think?

And then of course there are the instances in which there is some imagery that, although quite common and classic in positioning, angles, shades and all the paraphernalia of photography and art synthesis, inspires itself another copy.

Directly, I might add and not indirectly, which might be understandable and quite common. We have numerous times stressed the importance of influence here at the Shrine. However, yes, this artwork at the right hand is indeed an actual painting, meant to be hung at somebody's wall. And if you pay a minimal amount of attention you will notice that not only it reproduces the pose, shades and general feel but the people depicted are the spitting image of the models appearing on the Ralph Lauren advertisment of Romance (Lauren's romantic approach to scents for women and for men launched a few years ago).
To me, this is a case of cart leading the horse instead of vice versa...




Many more exciting optical scentsibilities soon and please be tuned in for a review of a smashing sexy scent shortly!

Ads from imagesdesparfum and parfumsdepub. Artwork Insieme I by Escha courtesy of angelart.com

Twin Peaks ~Barbara Bui Le parfum & Rykiel Woman-not for men!

When Barbara Bui had first released her boutique-exclusive scent Le Parfum, little did I know of it. In fact if I am to be completely honest I admit I had been oblivious to its very existence up until a short while before its discontinuation. You can call this DPSS: Delayed Perfume Sniffing Syndrome. It’s the thing that happens when you delay to test something only to discover with dismay that you like it well enough when it is too late to purchase some in a relatively easy way that doesn’t involve jumping through hoops.

Le Parfum was a beautiful scent. It’s also sadly discontinued. You have to hunt the auctions to get it. Why this happened is a mystery worth of a Ruth Rendel denouement. But happily there is a comparable perfume that although not exactly a copycat or dupe, it possesses the best characteristics of Barbara Bui’s fragrance for those who enjoyed it and in my humble opinion it is even better in some ways to it. It’s no coincidence that both were composed by nose Anne Flipo (of L’artisan La Chasse aux Papillons fame). Perfume Shrine had been the first one to report this on the ever popular Makeupalley site back in the beginning of 2006.
I am referring of course to Sonia Rykiel Woman-not for men! Yes, the exclamation point is there on purpose, it’s not intended to be a comment on the writer’s part. I guess the makers want to emphasize that it is a feminine potion and bet on the alluring vibe this has on the female sensibility. At this point it is important to note that the comparison is for the original Eau de parfum concentration in the purple and black bottle, cap with bronze studs like the hardware of a trendy it-bag, because the newer eau de toilette in the pink bottle is a completely different scent that is veering more to the fruity floral way to perdition. Personally I have come to expect a lot from Sonia Rykiel and the latter interpretation left me a little bit disappointed. As did Belle en Rykiel {click for review} up to a certain extent; which is a decent scent that does not commit the cardinal sin of smelling like a myriad other things. Perhaps I was a bit demanding. Anyway... Rykiel Woman-not for men! in the eau de parfum concentration has really captured a soft spot in my heart that is hard for other contestants to shake.

Barbara Bui Le Parfum is creamier, focusing on the inherent smoothness of sandalwood that smothers the smoky incense note, rendering it warm and powdery soft, the complete antithesis of churchy smell that usually gets associated with incense. The sweet vanillic aroma of heliotropin rounds out the base. This is a fragrance for the boudoir, a tight microfiber teddy over an ample bosom, much like another soft smoky specimen, the indomitable Fifi, although there we have a blond tobacco smoking bombshell in textured lace. Despite the official proclaiming of Bui containing undefined spices, I do not detect much of any but rather a citrusy top.

In contrast, Rykiel Woman-not for men! opens with the piquant pink pepper note that has proven to be an early 2000s mega success as it is used in many compositions lending them its contrasting cool-warm palette that serves to bring to focus the rest of the composition as a counterpoint; pink pepper is a bit rosy, which makes it subtler than the regular varieties of black or white pepper. Pepper in general is a fascinating note that may make or ruin a scent, due to its sheer potency.

But like Mae West when it’s good it’s very, very good and when it’s bad it’s even better! Meaning when pronounced it has the ability to grab you by the nose and make you pay attention. In tandem with the leathery/oud and musky fond surfacing pretty soon, Rykiel Woman-not for men! smells a little rougher than its sister scent. But perhaps this is why I love it so! The leathery/suede note is completely modern, recalling neither the classic Cuir de Russie versions with their tarry aspect, nor the Spanish leathers of intense pungency and spiciness. It is smooth and nubuck-like-soft, making it extremely wearable. As the perfume dries down softness and restrained sweetness surface, bringing it closer to Barbara Bui, especially in its incense smokiness with a hay-like powderiness. It stays like this on skin for hours, bringing forth all kind of compliments from “you smell goooood” to naughty winks.
Grab it now before they discontinue it too!

Barbara Bui Le Parfum notes:
spices, incense, jasmine, musk, amber, sandalwood, heliotrope, cedar.
Rykiel Woman-not for men (EDP) notes:
pink pepper, violet, date, jasmine petals, Bulgarian rose, black pepper, olibanum, agarwood, leather, amber.

Sonia's Rykiel Woman-not for men! is available from major department stores and online.


More surprises and exciting features on the Shrine coming up soon!!

Pic of twins by Diane Arbus via Transidex. Pic of Barbara Bui from their site. Pic of Rykiel Woman from escentual

Anonimo Veneziano by Nobile 1942: fragrance review

"I had removed my mask, and was drinking some coffee under the ‘procuraties’ of St. Mark’s Square, when a fine-looking female mask struck me gallantly on the shoulder with her fan. As I did not know who she was I did not take much notice of it, and after I had finished my coffee I put on my mask and walked towards the Spiaggia del Sepulcro, where M. de Bragadin’s gondola was waiting for me. As I was getting near the Ponte del Paglia I saw the same masked woman attentively looking at some wonderful monster shewn for a few pence. I went up to her; and asked her why she had struck me with her fan.
“To punish you for not knowing me again after having saved my life.”

From the memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

You open up your eyes to see she's not there anymore. You never had the chance to ask her her name...



Like Casanova (1725-1798), that "king of kiss and tell" (himself the author of this proverbial reputation)used to say: "nothing is surer than that we will no longer desire them, for one does not desire what one possesses."

Anonimo Veneziano is the name of a feminine fragrance by niche Italina brand Nobile 1942 that serves better than names as an evocation of a mysterious rencontre in the dark alleys of Venice during Carnival time.

It is coincidentally also the name of a rather melodramatic film from 1970 by Enrico Maria Salerno with a memorable music score and a plot line like "Love Story", featuring the alluring Brazilian-born Florinda Bolkan. Florinda also appeared in Visconti's "The Damned" (a long time favourite of Perfume Shrine) and she is the embodiment of the high-cheekboned mysterious dark woman. Not unlike the one whom Casanova might have rescued and never asked her name...

According to the Nobile 1942 promo:

Venice: her alluring womanly grace - let's get into all the brightness of gold.

ANONIMO VENEZIANO is the quintessence of womanliness - its mystery, its alluring ineffability. Its scent notes are tailored as to create a magnificent though delicate score.
A real masterpiece of equilibrium between naivety and sophistication.
It has no name - it is just time, place and dream.

The predominant note throughout this oriental fragrance is the sensuous feel of labdanum enhanced by the crispness of hesperidic notes of a discreetly sweet character. Bronzed and pulsating with warmth, a sultry crackle; there is perhaps also a touch of the spice caravan that stopped in the Venetian port.
The delicate sweetness is further supported by the bouquet of ylang ylang and jasmine that later surface. The former is particularly noticeable with its intense, lush character.
I feel that Anonimo Veneziano is what I had hoped the original Coco by Chanel , with which they share common elements, would be on my skin. Smooth, erotic, delicately spicy and subtly leathery resting on a sweetish ambery base with soft woods that lingers and lingers. The mystery that is woven throughout the drydown is what lured you in and made you forget mere technicalities, such as names.


Official notes:
Top: bergamot, red mandarin, brazilian orange, light jasmine
Middle: Rosa Damascena essence, dawn jasmine from India, ylang ylang, lotus flower
Bottom: cistus, indonesian patchouly, sandalwood from India, powdery vanilla

Available in Colonia Intensa (eau de toilette) and Fragranza Suprema (eau de parfum)concentration. Both have great tenacity and smell rich.

Images uploaded on Flickr by sph/step into the mist and Kaykoeverhart/venetian mask.

Pontevecchio W by Nobile 1942: fragrance review

"'Leonora,'" he read, "'sat pensive and alone. Before her lay the
rich champaign of Tuscany, dotted over with many a smiling
village. The season was spring.[...]A golden haze. [...]Off the towers of
Florence, while the bank on which she sat was carpeted with
violets. All unobserved Antonio stole up behind her--"

From E.M Forster's novel Room with a View.


Sometimes you come across a visage that speaks where no words are uttered. There is a nobility in the brow, vulnerability in the eyes, lips of petal soft promise and your heart aches a little. It doesn't matter where or when you see it, your psyche remembers it with a longing that remains unexplicable and beyond the carnal. True beauty in the spiritual sense has this effect. If that emotion was bottled in a flacon to be tentatively dosed for reminiscence's sake, it would be Pontevecchio W by Nobile 1942.

A feminine scent that compliments the male Pontevecchio, it is based on Iris Florentina, the precious rhizomes of which are proving to be so popular these last few seasons. Of course the Florentine rapport is not lost on us: Pontevecchio is the bridge over Arno, bien entendu.
And what does this journey to Florence smell like you ask?

"A young girl, transfigured by Italy! And why shouldn't she be transfigured? It happened to the Goths!"

It is those memorable words by Eleanor Lavish, the quirky and melodramatic novelist played by Judi Dench in Merchant-Ivory's film 1985 film "Room with a View" that come to mind.

Nobile 1942 chose well in picking Florence as the backdrop for their feminine tour de force. Please take a moment to see the promotional presentation devised for this perfume:click here

The mood evoked is also matched by the sublime music of Zbigniew Preisner’s “Van den Budenmayer concerto in Mi minore” for Krzysztof Kieślowski’s film “La double vie de Veronique”. (The soprano is Polish singer Elzbieta Towarnicka).
The effect is trully haunting in its beauty...

(uploaded by mixailaggelos2004)

Pontevecchio for women plays upon the delicate iris like a harp in the hands of an angel. The softest caress of magical powdery rose enfolds it, singing together like crystalline soprani melancholic tunes. The citrusy top notes bring cool air straight from behind the Pearly Gates it seems with a virginal feel of silent luminosity. It combines elements of both Bulgari Pour Femme and Creed's Fleurissimo into a lovely garland of precious flowers. The apricoty cheek of a Madonna with child, O mio Bambino Caro from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, a karyatis supporting on her delicate head a florentine palazzo floor; pure unadulterated classicism beckoning you into succumbing to its charms.
It cools down into an indefinable emrace of musk and wood that is silky skin soft.

Pontevecchio Woman comes in both colonia intensa (eau de toilette) and fragranza suprema (eau de parfum), the former being a little more citrusy and crystalline and my personal preference. They both have very good lasting power on skin.

Official notes:
Top: bergamot, mandarin, coriander seeds
Middle: iris florentina, bulgarian rose, jasmine from India
Bottom: white musk, ambery woods, sandalwood from India

Live the dream renting this filmand read the book online here.

Pic of actress Rose Byrne from the otherwise terrible, terrible film "Troy" (allmoviephotocom)

New niche line: Nobile 1942

“I have the simplest of tastes; I am always satisfied with the best”. This delightful aphorism by Oscar Wilde serves as the leitmotif for niche Italian brand Nobile 1942. Not exactly newcomers, as they hail from as back as –wait, you guessed it!- 1942, Nobile has recently been brought to my attention. The results have been more than satisfactory. And on top of that, they are not fully "discovered" yet, which is a big plus as well.

Umberto Nobile, the patriach of the firm, had always been an agent of the most glamorous perfumery marks and following his innate inclination started a perfume emporium in the year 1942 in Rome, with war at the gates. His love for beauty was passed on to the rest of the family, who decided to search on quality as a mission producing work made of sensations, allurement and intuition. The Nobile brand is still in the hands of the family, Massimo and Stefania Nobile, now residing in Arenzano, Genova. They are focusing on the best quality ingredients using natural products whenever possible and applying the old techniques of maceration, steeping, filtration and distillation.

Natural raw materials provide a greater complexity themselves and often produce the slight variation in performance on skin that aromachemicals in most commercial products are not in the habit of producing, rendering the common allegation –or even complaint- of individual skin chemistry a bogus claim. This is both an asset for the perfumer and a liability. It means a greater stability of the product and a calculated reaction in the consumer, which in marketing terms is extremely desirable. However it also detracts from the joy of discovering something afresh everyday, thus accounting for the often referenced boredom with the same smell day in day out.

Indeed as I went through the testing process of the Nobile 1942 fragrances I discerned some noticable variation of the same scents in the final effect produced. Taking into account that hormones, diet and medication did not vary from one day to the next (indeed the latter was absent altogether) I could hazard the guess that this was due to slight variations in skin temperature, room relative humidity and perhaps…mood. In any case Nobile 1942 scents proved to be pleasurable and some of them spectacular in every incarnation they took upon contact with my skin.
Opening up the sample case I was struck by the beauty and style of the presentation which shows cleraly why the Italians are masterful in affairs of design. It’s no coincidence that Ferrari is an Italian car, nor is it any less coincidental that they are the land of the opera and of living life to the full: from gelati to espresso, via the Galleria Uffici and the Murano glassblowers, Italians do know how to make beautiful things.

The papier goffré of the packaging as well as the logo and names etched in silver or gold depending on scent are simply a sight to behold. There is a tactile pleasure to be derived by handling beautiful objects and the relief of the packaging makes for another sensuous touch beyond the scent lurking inside.
The fragrances themselves are beautifully constructed, luminous and clear in their invocations, singing in unison.

There are three sub-divisions within the brand:

Pontevecchio, with one scent for women and another for men. Presented in Colonia intensa (equivalent to Eau de toilette) and Fragranza suprema (equivalent to Eau de parfum), they are trully beautiful and individual.

Anonimo Veneziano, a feminine fragrance built on enigmatic and sensous notes that capture the dark shades behind medieval palazzi during an evening stroll in Venice.

Vespriesperidati, an eau-de-cologne-like scent for both sexes, which is the lattest addition in the line.


Reviews and added commentary on all of them coming up next!!

Pics courtesy of the Nobile brand

A little teasing!

Worshippers of the Shrine, please stay tuned for next posts which will occupy themselves with a new niche line with fabulous products!

Optical Scentsibilities: head thrown back in abandon

It had been no secret that Tom Ford's Black Orchid for women photoshoot involving Carin Roitfield's daughter (Carin being the editor in chief of French Vogue, no less) had been "inspired" by old Hollywood iconography. Tom Ford if nothing else is a brilliant marketeer who can always be relied upon to know which images will tick the fancy of his target audience. Or perhaps not.

In this case he was inspired by this Veronica Lake photo {click to see it!} by George Hurrell from 1941. The famous peek-a-boo platinum hair is now spawled all over the bed in a pose of surrender and what seems like vague expectation of who knows what.
A phone call, a caress, a bullet?


Dita von Teese, that gorgeous specimen of burlesque, has always relied on old-style Hollywood glam to project her divinely contrasted features. I had used this exact pic in lieu of the official one when I reviewed Black Orchid upon its launch {click for review}. It had seemed more glam than the official one and besides Dita has been a favourite for a long time.

Guerlain also had their own share in this department, alloting their iconic oriental Shalimar a place for this pose of surrender.

The original Opium advertisement with Jerry Hall, poster child of the late 70s, early 80s was first to be inspired by the glamour of yore. In this photo shoot she throws her head back as if high on the addictive powers of Opium. Very fitting considering the line is "For those who are addicted to Yves Saint Laurent".

This was my favourite from the group of Opium advertisments, if only because the fiery red of the model's hair (is it Angie Everheart?)is so complimentary to the cinnabar/vermillon colour of the perfume's flacon and so antithetical to the electric blue background. Remember electric blue, that favourite shade of the 80s that was vibrant like cloud charges on a night of temptest? It offset other shades so vividly...
Of course that pose can be also traced back to Veronica Lake in another shot by George Hurrell. This one: here! Pretty amazing, huh?

Perhaps one might trace the positioning of the body in such a manner to painting in the first place. In particular the iconography of St.Peter’s crucifixion, here by Luca Giordano (1692). Martyrs are often depicted in poses of abandon, as if they are left to their fate, willingly surrundering themselves to higher exigencies.

Then again I might be pushing it…

Ads from okadi,imagedesparfums and parfumsdepub. Veronica Lake pic from Ebay. Painting Crucufixion of St.Peter by angel-art-house.com

The Dior Chypres series ~Miss Dior: fragrance review

“I will tell you of a perfume which my mistress has from the graces and the gods of love; when you smell it, you will ask of the deities to make of you only a nose”. It is in those words that the Roman writer Catullus speaks of the seductive guiles of feminine fragrance. Miss Dior is such a seductive scent, compelling you to ask the deities for favors they ~alas!~ cannot grant you.
Almost everything has been said about this classic of classics that saw the light of day in 1947, so I won’t bore you with the same old, same old about the New Look and how it came about. Instead I will tentatively try to give you the feel I get from this scent and the associations I get in my mind.

Technically a floral leathery chypre, Miss Dior is a soigné miss only in exterior appearances, all prim and proper, because once inside the beast takes over and you smell the animal in its peak of copulating frenzy. There is some element of appocrine in the fragrance and I am not talking about sweat or urine. Although there is the clean overlay of aldehydic waxiness and soft flowers you catch a whiff of more feral, impolite essences. Under the clean exterior there is the carnal cat-call and you feel as if it is perhaps too scrubbed clean to be without ulterior motive. I suspect this is due to civet or civetone, because there is also a pronounced warmth in the background, despite the cooler opening.

The effect is more evident in extrait de parfum especially, which bears a marked difference to the eau de toilette. The latter is more powdery with the slightly bitter, cottony feel of coumarin and has an exuberant, bright green start due to the inclusion of galbanum and aromatic clary sage. Those two ingredients, along with styralyl acetate (naturally found in gardenia buds), is what makes me think of the original Ma Griffe by Carven to which it professes kinship in its initial stages. The galbanum touch might also recall the verdancy of Balmain’s Vent Vert (which came out the same year), although the latter is stridently green in the vintage edition which might seem jarring compared to Miss Dior. The latter also has a soft peachiness to it, characteristic of the Roudnitska touch presumely, which must be derived from some aldehydic compound or other molecular combination, different though from the C14 of Mitsouko. It is a peachiness that I have encountered in hair products, hence my assumption that it is chemically constructed.
The base is smothered in troubling patchouli, moss and earthy vetiver. However this is not the pared down patchouli of modern fragrances that is so ubiquitous in everything churned out at a frantic pace in the last couple of years. There is shady vibrancy in this that defies the clean aspect of the modern patchouli interpretations and a roundness in which notes do not compete with each other for stage space.

As I first inhale whiffs of Miss Dior sprayed into the air, I am transported into a mirage that entails majestic mountains surrounding meadows of lavender and narcissi in bloom, where ultra prim damsels wade through. Their long flaxen hair down, their eyes bright with anticipation in their precious moments of freedom as they turn past oak trees into a little slice of heaven; a pond filled with crystalline waters. And there, out of the blue emerges the catalyst: the object of fantasy and secret longing of who knows what exactly. Acres of moist skin, droplets shinning in the morning sun and wet hair that smells like it hadn’t been washed in a while; that fatty, waxy smell of familiarity, yet for them uncharted territory still. The pungency of horse and saddle distantly echoed in the background.

Here it is:


(Levis commercial uploaded by ladynea)
{The song is "Inside" by one-hit wonder Stiltskin (from 1994)}.

Christian Dior confided that

"...I created this perfume to dress every woman with a trail of desire, and to see emerging from her small bottle all my dresses...”.

Based on a formula by Jean Carles, it was composed by Paul Vacher and later re-arranged in 1992 by Edmond Roudnitska in extrait de parfum. It hoped to open new vistas of optimism after the privations of the war and in a way it did.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case with older creations, there has been some re-orchestration of Miss Dior’s symphony since. Very recent batches do not smell as oily and precise as they did, due to a mollifying of the top notes that deducted the sharp peppery greeness of galbanum giving way to a citrus leaf aroma, not unlike the one in O de Lancome. Also an attenuation of the chypre accord with more vetiver makes the new version less assertive and murky than it used to, rendering it less erotic in effect. At least Evernia Prunastri (oakmoss) and Evernia Furfurea (tree moss) are still listed, although to what ratio it is unknown (hypothesized to a lesser one).
If you happen upon Eau de Cologne bottles, those are surely vintage and they are a pretty good acquisition in lieu of extrait de parfum, if you can’t afford or find it.

It is interesting to note that by today’s standards Miss Dior smells “old-fashioned”, even though it was conceived as a young fragrance aimed at debutantes. Less polite souls would baptize it “old lady”, a blanket term so lacking in qualitative nuance that renders it completely useless. Indeed I was able to witness its effect personally. I happened to spritz a vintage (circa 1985) emerging from a ladies’ restroom, washing in front of two teenager girls who were watching me through the mirror while glossing their puckered lips. Aren’t those times tittilating for budding womanhood? Of course I volunteered to scent them, ever eager to introduce young girls into proper perfumes. One of them staggered back in what seemed like abject horror (judging by the look in her eye) professing the opinion it was “too heavy for her”, the other was more cooperative and allowed me two spritzes on her woolen scarf. Although at first she too seemed a little overwhelmed, after a minute, when alcohol had evaporated, she took the scarf close to her nose and nuzzled deeply. Yeah, there was a look of mischief in her eye as she thanked me. And there you have it: Miss Dior has this double effect; it will make some think it’s heavy and old, it will entrance others on second sniff. I am sure that girl went off to venture into romantic escapades with ackward beaux that could not appreciate the raw power of its labdanum and moss base; beaux whose fathers will be much more receptive to her nubile charms, American-Beauty-style.

Miss Dior is the scent of sexual awakening. A trully naughty perfume under the prim and proper exterior of houndstooth. But hounds do discover the best prey, don’t they?

Official notes: galbanum, bergamot, clary sage, gardenia, jasmine, narcissus, neroli, rose, patchouli, oakmoss, labdanum, sandalwood

NOTA BENE: The above review pertains to the 1947 fragrance formula and the reformulations happening till the early 2000s. As of 2011, the classic Miss Dior is renamed Miss Dior EDT Originale and Miss Dior Cherie from 2005 has become simply... Miss Dior. Please read this article with pics on how to spot which Miss Dior fragrance version you're buying.

For our French-speaking readers there is a nice clip about the 1947 introduction of the New Look with a confessionary voiceover by Fanny Ardant.
Click here:

(uploaded by vodeotv)

We have more surprises on the Shrine for you later on...

Ad from okadi.

The Dior chypre series ~Eau Fraiche: fragrance review

One might think that unisex or “shared” fragrances, like DNA remnants on a TV show that focuses on forensics, can be traced back to CK One and the 1990s. That one would be much mistaken. Almost every house of perfumery and many small artisanal local parfumeries in Mediterranean countries, notably Italy and France, brandished their own recipe of eau de cologne for cooling down on hot days and refreshing after a bath in the not so distant past. For parfums Christian Dior that emblematic scent could have been Eau Fraîche.

Well before the time women usurped Eau Sauvage for their own use thus catapulting the last masculine bastion, Eau Fraîche could have been shared between both sexes as early as 1953 reversing the situation: a woman’s perfume that can be worn by males. The advertisments from 1957 showed two hands, one male the other female, stretching to clasp the bottle suggesting its vague intent to appeal to both.

Eau Fraîche drew upon a rich tradition that had been semi-forgotten during the first half of the 20th century, when marketing decided that separate smells should appeal to different genders. On the contrary, it harkens back to the times of the first Eaux de Cologne, like 4711 or less well known exempla Hungary Water and Florida Water. These interpretations of the basic concept of a refreshing alcoholic splash utilised hesperidic top notes evaporating at a zingy pace, along with refreshing herbs and light woods or musk for a little tenacity. Purpotedly Hungary Water served the Queen of Hungary, from which the name derives, really well: she was said to have found a young husband in her very advanced age! I don’t know if it can be attributed to the Water’s miraculous qualities, although everyone with a sceptic bone in their bodies would think not; still it was widely believed that the essenses used in those refreshing toners were beneficial to body and spirit. And aromatherpeutically speaking, so they are.

However 1953 was perhaps too early for unisex smells and women were priviliged to add a fresher chypre to their collections, almost two decades before Diorella became the definitive fresh smell for Dior fans. In its rounded flask bottle by Guerry Colas, Eau Fraîche is another in the series to adorn the shelf besides Miss Dior, Diorama and Diorissimo. Notice the almost rattan feel of the sides, suggesting a summery vacation at the Côte d'Azur.

Eau Fraîche begins on a citrus and mandarin burst of juicy freshness with an astrigent appeal. Mandarin lends a little sweetness to the proceedings, due to its less shrill odour profile compared to lemon. Yet they cannot be mistaken for the citrusy fruity fragrances of today, as murky oakmoss surfaces almost simulstaneously giving a chypré feel. Its creator, Edmond Roudnitska, eminent chypre creator knew a thing or two about using it as the perfect backdrop to notes of clarity and translucence.
This oakmoss base is like the background buzz and scratches on an old vinyl taking rounds on an old set: you know digital is so much better, yet you feel a strange nostalgia for something that either irritated you when you were actually using it or which you have never known, simply because you are a child of the 1990s. Oakmoss can lend a subversive mantle to anything with its musty yet sensual feel and if you have ever smelled the ingredient in its raw state you know what I am talking about. In this regard, Eau Fraîche features it rather heavily and it is immediately apparent; a trait that would drive away many of the people who are averse to chypres.

I could perhaps discern its heritage to Caron’s Eaux series. Some of them have a similarly chypré accord which sets them apart from their cousins that pose on shelfs in department stores, all dolled up in their fruity colourful rinds.
To a lesser degree one can also discern a comparable feel in Bulgari Eau parfumée au Thé Vert, a scent that was also aimed at both sexes, well ahead of CK One. A scent that has a smoked wood autumnal feel to it despite the limpid shade of the frosted bottle that would inspire one to use it in a heatwave.

Eau Fraîche also includes rosewood, heavy in suave linalool, and a subtle vanillic touch that rounds it out beautifully. A fragrance for bien-être dans sa peau, as the French use to say: feel good in your skin. A fragrance suggesting laid-back style and insouciance like the 1971 advertisment depicted above shows in such few strokes.
Men as well as women would be strongly adviced not to miss this little-known refined gem.


The Dior Chypres series is not over yet: stay tuned!

Ads from okadi. Bottle pic from toutenparfum

Dior sketch ads: how lovely!

How can an obituary be glamorous? Or related to scent barring the mental connection with funeral flowers? Well, it can, if it involves René Gruau, chief visualiser and illustrator for parfums Christian Dior.
Here is his obuitary from the Guardian:

"René Gruau (Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli delle Camminate), graphic artist, born February 4 1909; died March 31 2004" (from the Guardian 15 April 2004)

Guardian obituaries

It says so little...In fact it was exactly Gruau that persuaded Dior to accept the offer of textile magnate Marcel Boussac to help establish a fashion house. After all not many know that Christian Dior began as an illustrator himself. The rest is of course history.

Born in Rimini, Italy, in 1910 as Renato Conte de Savagli-Ricardelli, he had a French mother, Marie Gruau, who was known as a great beauty and must surely be held responsible for providing the son with his first glimpse of beauty that culminated in his vision and aesthetic explorations.

Interestingly he borrowed his mother's name, of which he used "G" for a signature, visible on his sketches for Dior, surmounted by what seems to be a star based on an ink-splash (later he put this symbol on his Rolls-Royce, of all things!)
Using a heavier charcoal outline or thick paint brush was his signature look at an era that preferred watercolours and delicate delineations. It was his modernity that differentiated him and which was a companion till the very end, making his work seem current even today in a world that has practically seen everything.
Apart from Dior he also did illustrations for Balmain, Lanvin, Schiaparelli and his favourite, Balenciaga. He was also instrumental in trying to give a younger image to Givenchy couture. Not to forget his work for films (who can forget his "La Dolce Vita" or "French CanCan" art posters?)and for "glossies": Flair, Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. His provision for Moulin Rouge and Lido remind us of another famous artist of posters with arguably low subjects turned into high art: Toulouse-Lautrec.
But his work for Dior parfums is crystallised someplace in the best part of perfume lovers' mind.

We can see in this not often referenced pic of the first three Dior fragrances that the three perfumes look to be embodients of three "sisters", dressed in comparable fashions: the outlines of the bodies hidden beneath meters of cloth, their heads clothed in loose hoods. The choice of rose, black and white seems to be characteristic of Gruau's palette, even to the modern day. Here they represent different olfactory profiles. It would be interesting to guess which is which! Of course the easiest one would be to attribute white to Diorissimo, it being a more virginal lily of the valley scent (although, not quite!). But which is Miss Dior and which Diorama? Therein lies the charm.

"Some of his artworks were what we now call "brand images" - the pearl-necklaced swan he dreamed up for Miss Dior perfume after Dior gave him a whiff and a briefing" (quote from the Guardian article above). Here it is from 1950. A true classic, just like a string of lustruous pearls on a delicate lily throat.

However apart from vulnerability, there is also the hint of the animalistic in Miss Dior that is so evocatively suggested in this 1949 advertisement: a woman's hand resting on a leopard's paw. The long fingers of a pale feminine hand resting on the spotted fur. Elegance and ferociousness rolled into one burst of olfactory mirth; like the glorious parfum itself!

In 1950 he draw an image of a woman almost melting into a what seems like a giant white lotus flower in a pool of black ink. It also vaguely reminds us of the pon-pon of dusting powder; which is not averse to the dry feel of chypré perfumes, of which Diorama {click here for review} and Miss Dior are great examples, for which the ad was conceived (it run for both).
Gloriously simple, gloriously evocative.

The elegant sweep of his intense brushstrokes can be seen in this Dior Dior advertisement from 1978. The black "ribbon" both delineates the dress (witness the sleeve and the drape of the cloth sketched in a sweep) and his signature. I call this an apotheosis of design calligraphy. Don't you?

Diorella always had the air of independence and élan that is so characteristic to the French parfum du jour. We might as well mention here that although France is considered to be the olfactory capital of the world, this by no means equals heavy bombastic perfumes being considered bon chic bon genre for the day. It is much more elegant to save the romantic and seductive potions for the night, the opera and the ballet or the club than for the errands of the day. For those instances classy BCBG Parisians opt for something light and zingy, like Diorella. {click here for review} And which image denotes an active woman off to town better than this one, pants and boots encasing dynamic gams, sketched by Gruau?

"He limned sexy gentlemen's limbs for the men's range Eau Sauvage far into the 1980s" (quote from the Guardian article above). And what an intriguing idea this is! It hints at both mystery (the hidden torso and face) as well as virility (the hairy legs). This came out in 1966. They just don't make them like this anymore... On a subsequent image from 1970 (interesting to note that by then the sexual revolution was in full swing), the white bathrobe is substituted by a piece of furry hide that plays upon the "sauvage" (=wild) connotation.
Less intriguing than the previous incarnation, but just as playful.

"Perhaps this latter image would befit the 1980s flanker Eau Sauvage Extreme to a T, in its black opaque bottle and ferocious name. The white bathrobe however wasn't abandonded, resurfacing again in 1971, 1977 and 1978. Some things are just too good to let go!

A great artist and a witty man, to be sure.



If I have persuaded you to take an interest in this artist's work, take a moment to revel in these glorious fashion sketches....

We will continue with the Dior chypres shortly. Stay tuned!

Pics from artnet, operagloves and okadi