Friday, May 28, 2010

Christopher Brosius: "In this country, a lot of people wear perfume for everyone else"

A very good profile of Christopher Brosius, the man behind Demeter fragrances and CB I Hate Perfume innovative scents is published on the Wall Street Journal by author Paul Glader. (click the link to read the article).

"In this country, a lot of people wear perfume for everyone else," said Mr. Brosius, 47 years old. "People wear my perfume for themselves first. Everyone else comes second." A former architectury student, Brosius now makes 36 blended perfume (costing between $65 to $275 for different sizes) and caters to those with eclectic tastes and those who....hate perfume. Well, not really, but the concept is of a perfumery that trancends the seductive, the keeping up with the Joneses and the aspirational social climbing.
What I especially liked is that "Regardless of demand, he says he wants to keep his perfume staff at five or fewer. 'This is, really, a luxury business,' he said 'Part of that means remaining small.' The recession dented his sales last year, but now he says growth is back on the rise, and he is considering a move to a larger factory and, perhaps, a storefront in Manhattan. He's also thinking of launching a clothing line."

On that last part, Avery Gilbert had the most hilarious comment (and artwork to accompany it): "I met Brosius once at a Fragrance Foundation event in New York where he was wearing a cape and black leather pants with what appeared to be a silver-studded codpiece". Codpieces or not for this new venture, let's hope Brosius maintains the perfume business anyway.


photo of Christopher Brosius via Sniffapalooza Magazine

4 comments:

  1. CB is a truly unique-au-monde gent.
    I fell for him the first time we met; he is eclectic, brilliant, and multi-faceted.

    I think you, Mz. E.- would adore him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, dearest Ida,
    if mr. Christopher Brosius could grant an interview to the Shrine, we would have myriads of questions to ask him that would be eclectic and multi-faceted (don't know for brilliant, but will give it my best shot! LOL)

    I think I'd be certainly very very intrigued, and if you say I'd adore, who am I to contradict you? :-)

    Hugs!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, my friend...
    I can't answer THAT for you ;-0, alas.

    [I DO know that's he's been crazy busy, of late, and travelling a lot]

    You both share many interests in common.
    And both have great vocabularies to put to very good use, LOL !

    Love to you...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I adore the CB line and the thought and care behind them. I admire trying to keep small and therefore control the quality too. They are only just available here, I'd had to order samples from overseas before so that's pretty exciting- and I guess a away of busting the recession.

    ReplyDelete

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