The new fragrance by Comme des Garçons is called Wonderwood and focuses of course on...woods! The unisex fragrance is acompanied by a short film shot by the Quay Brothers who are highly renowned for their stop motion filming technique. The story involves a man for whom the love of trees simply cannot be put into words. The edgy video has been uploaded on Youtube where you can watch it with ease (the video had debuted exclusively at Love Magazine UK). The video medium is fast becoming the new vehicle through which top brands choose to promote their products, often assisted by artistic direction by top creators.
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That's very beautiful and more than a little creepy. And here's what I wonder (heh): When I see that video, I respond to it because I know CdG's fragrances pretty well, and I have always liked their wood notes quite a bit, so I think this is definitely something I'd like to smell. But. What if you're someone who isn't knowledgeable enough about fragrance to know about wood notes? What is it that person is supposed to respond to in that video? "Oh, I'd like to smell sort of creepy and sepia-toned -- I should get some of this!" It just makes me wonder (there it is again!) who exactly this is for. I'd be interested in hearing what the folks behind this had to say about it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful--I love the video. I don't know CdG's fragrances, but this would make me a good bit more curious about trying them. To address StyleSpy's question: I am only a little experienced with wood notes--cedar and rosewood, for instance--but this has piqued my curiosity. Also, I do not take this video as any kind of signifier of what something smells like, but rather an expression of longing for something--the smells of the pine forest, for example. Or the way hardwood smells when it is cut and planed (parquet flooring tiles). Pine cones, seeds, acorns all bringing forth the wood in its many stages of life. I'll watch this several more times.
ReplyDeleteSS,
ReplyDeleteit is a little creepy, then again woods have always been a little creepy, haven't they? I am thinking of Grimm tales, Hansel and Gretel, the bid bad wolf, the Blair Witch project, te Antichrist movie, all pel-mel for our purposes.
One would assume that such videos are more aimed at people who are familiar with the brand by Kawakubo, than interested in just shopping for a woods fragrance. As you succinctly point out, it wouldn't make much sense any differently. Probably the CDG brand has raised awareness so that more people look into their ancillary-to-the-lifestyle (sounds almost heretic to say that for CDG) products such as fragrances? My theory at any rate...
QC,
ReplyDeleteit's beautiful and creepy, both. LOL Hmm, yeah, the way you interpret it there is some correlation with woody notes in scents, although it wouldn't be apparent immediately to an uninitiated viewer, I suppose. Then again, are they targeting uninitiated buyers? I believe their fragrances are sold only in concept stores and online at boutiques?
can't watch the vid- am at work! but always exciting to hear of a new CDG of course!
ReplyDeleteK,
ReplyDeleteif you get a minute at home, it's worth it. It's quite eerie and beautiful in its way. ;-)