Showing posts with label exhibition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exhibition. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Win an Exclusive Invitation to "The Garden of Wonders, a Journey Through Scents"

It is my great honor to be able to invite you in the latest project I have been involved in and which has occupied a lot of my time this past winter, as evidenced by the irregular posting on this blog.
The Garden of Wonders, a Journey Through Scents is a project by the Be Open Foundation a creative think tank organized in the historical Orto Botanico di Brera in Milan, within Energy for Creativity, this spring at the context of Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy. The announcement is posted on this link.


The exhibition set up is designed by famous Italian architect Ferrucio Laviani who has created a "diffused museum" where all parts will communicate with each other and with the Garden area.
The set up includes 3 major installations: The Houses of Wonders, resurrecting 8 historical perfume houses with an emphasis on the design & context of their course presented through the sensitivity of 8 art directors; A Journey Through Scents, an interactive promenade along the historical milestones of perfumery with olfactory fountains that pour replications of these "wonders" and of the main olfactory "styles", as well as a concise map of the provenance of raw materials and evolution of extraction techniques ; and A Vision in a Box which focuses on the design & packaging elements in perfumery and the various twists it can communicate in the contemporary art world.


To give you an idea:
"Piero Lissoni's idea is developed around the title Lundborg and the laboratory of a “nose”: the centre of the set up is a perfume lab sculpture made of stills, ampoules, vases with black orchids and hanging plants, chemical glasses in huge proportions so to evoke the story of the brand and the working place where  John Marlie Lundborg created his famous Violette Flor in 1860. The room is then covered with two big and light bookshelves with backlight panels to enhance the shapes of the bottles.
Lissoni explains: “The room is filled with  700 bottles in 4 different vesrions; these have all been made specifically for the exhibition taking the inspiration from the brands's most famous ones and produced just like in the old days”.
The two installations above mentioned, together with the ones by Fernando and Humberto Campana, Dimore Studio, Front, Jaime Hayon, Jean-Marie Massaud and Nendo  will be within a diffused museum created by Ferruccio Laviani.
The Garden of Wonders is inspired by the history of perfume and the history of raw materials from all over the world; each perfume represented a real and imaginary journey of goods and cultures making it an ante litteram global product. In more recent years the relationship between fragrances and the look of the packages has become more and more intense, to such an extent that it has created well-defined brand identities, some of which are still used today."

The Garden of Wonders, a Journey Through Scents
13-19 April 2015 h.10-23 (special preview during Milan Design Week)
20 April-24 May 2015 h.10-22

The contributors of The Garden of Wonders, A Journey of Scents are:
Tord Boontje, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Dimorestudio, Front, Jaime Hayon, Lissoni Associati, Jean Marie Massaud, Nendo, Gerald Ghislain, Elena Vosnaki, Werner Aisslinger, Analogia Project, Philippe Bestenheider, GamFratesi, Lucidi Pevere, Karim Mekhtigian, Mist-o, Ludovica + Roberto palomba, Victor Vasilev, and Thukral & Tagra.

Follow Be Open Foundation on Facebook. Watch the news on the news page of Be Open.


I have 10 exclusive invitations to be distributed to 10 lucky winners who will post a comment below for a draw. Winners announced tomorrow evening. 

Although I will be traveling by the end of the week on perfumed routes, there will also be another draw for a special Easter prize for 5 lucky readers shortly, so stay tuned on Perfume Shrine.

Monday, September 15, 2014

The Jewels of Mumtaz Mahal: a Guerlain Exhibition

A meeting between Laurent Baillot (President & General Director at Guerlain) and Vinita Jain (an aficionado and collector of Mughal jewelry, an entrepreneur and part of the family possessing the Darjeeling plantations at the slopes of the Himalaya) during the shooting of the Shalimar perfume commercial in India resulted in an exhibition that is currently being shown at the flagship boutique of Guerlain between 3rd September and 14th November 2014.
Their common passion for the Taj Mahal is the trigger that brings us The Jewels of Mumtaz Mahal, the love story of whom is enshrined in the famous Guerlain parfum phare, Shalimar, commemorating the gardens in which she took promenades with her husband Shah Jahan.


But the image of the great beauty, Mumtaz Mahal, doesn't correspond to the favorite wife of the most mighty ruler of Asia, the contemporary of Louis XIII. She accompanied her husband during his travels and visits to the utmost posts of his empire and even to his military campaigns! And it's during one of the latter that she died, giving birth to her 14th child.

The three spectacular jewels of Mumtaz Mahal that Vinita possesses (a necklace torque, a "secret" ring and a headpiece jewel)  became the focus of the exhibition that Guerlain's president is all too proud to present today. Three months worth to admire the jewels worn 400 years ago, worthy of A 1001 Nights.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Esxence: the art perfumery's event for 2014

Like every March in the last 5 years and counting, Esxence: The Scent of Excellence is taking over Milan for the 6th edition of the art perfumery event during which creators, perfumers, distributors, critics and perfume lovers alike will be participating into the biggest exhibition this side of the Atlantic this spring. The event will space itself during 3 days, from March 20th till March 23rd, Thursday to Saturday from 10:30am to 6:30pm and on Sunday from 10:30am till 4:30pm at the Triennale di Milano.




The official site can be accessed here and full list of exhibitors can be seen on this link. Exhibitors interested in participating need to apply using this form, while journalists can download their invitation for attending on this link.

Surely an event not to miss, Esxence will be the meeting place for all the brands who excel at niche perfumery. Catch you there!

Friday, November 8, 2013

Dior Dedicates an Exhibition to Miss Dior perfume

Christian Dior's first perfume created in 1947, Miss Dior becomes for the first time the subject of a dedicated exhibition that highlights the heritage of the venerable house. From November 13 to 25 at the Curve Gallery at the Grand Palais in Paris, the exhibition "The Spirit of Dior Miss Dior", reveals the creations of five female artists designed around the fragrance. Each work is thus based on a symbol of Miss Dior, such as the bow, the rose or the perfume's muse, actress Natalie Portman. Mythical signed Dior dresses, but also contemporary works of Raf Simons will punctuate the visit.


It is here important to note that Dior is sequencing the story in such a way as to present a somewhat different perfume composition (the formerly "Miss Dior Cherie" now changed into simply "Miss Dior") as the heir of the original creation from 1947 (sold now as "Miss Dior Originale" for dedicated fans). The curating of an artistic exhibition in such a way tries to mingle history and marketing in a way that highlights the heritage of the house as its prime selling vantage point. In a way this is what the revamped Dior site is trying to accomplish as well.

Beyond the story of the perfume, nevertheless, the exhibition at the Grand Palais sketches a portrait of Christian Dior the man, revealing the artistic influences of the designer who began his career as an art dealer in Paris. The loft space then includes works by Salvador Dali and Man Ray. The history of the House of Dior is also traced through original documents, manuscripts and rare photos. The objects are grouped, each time accompanied by an iconic Dior couture gown. Those with an eye for fashion history won't be disappointed.

"The Spirit of Dior, Miss Dior" is free for the public.
From November 13 to 25 at the Curve Gallery at the Grand Palais in Paris, 11am to 8pm.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: 
Miss Dior (Originale) fragrance review
Chronology and Comparison of Fragrance Editions of Miss Dior
Christian Dior news & reviews.  



Friday, August 30, 2013

Exhibition IP01 London: Perfumer Cecile Zarokian and Illustrator Matthieu Appriou

Come and greet perfumer Cécile Zarokian in London during IP01.
Cécile has developed an artistic project with an illustrator, Matthieu Appriou, leading previously to an exhibition in Paris, which was part of the event Rives de la Beauté,: the objective of [IP]01 was to correlate 6 visuals and 6 perfumes, in perfect harmony. One of the two universes gives birth to the other, then reverse: paint brush following olfactory narration, nose lead by sketch. Now in London, the adventure continues...


Exhibition 01

When
September 5th - October 4th 2013
Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm

Where
Illuminum Lounge, 41 Dover Street, Mayfair
LondonW1S 4NS

What it involves
Cécile secretly creates 3 fragrances (1,2 and 3). Matthieu seizes the fragrances and translates them into visual emotions.
Matthieu creates 3 images (4,5 and 6). Cécile draws her inspiration from them and depicts the images olfactively.

Sounds like a morning or afternoon well spent!


Thursday, June 20, 2013

FRAGments - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/Collective

FRAGments - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/ Collective will bring together olfactory and perfume artists from across North America in a gallery setting to present a curated selection of their work. The event will be the first in a series to be held in a unique space and coincide with the first Saturday of the season. Each event will feature a moderated salon discussion followed by a reception and exhibition where perfumer/creators will be able to present their work in a collective pop- up shop designed and styled by FRAGments.


The name for the series is derived from FRAGRANCE MOVEMENT and picks up on the slang word for perfume, "FRAG". While the event represents a collective, implicit is the recognition that independent, artisan perfumers are fragments of a whole that move in different directions. FRAGments seeks to celebrate these differences.

Artisan perfumery is a growing movement where individuals are exploring unique olfactory directions through a variety of fragrant media and palettes” says Maggie Mahboubian, founder and curator of FRAGments. “However, very few venues exist for these perfumers to present their handcrafted work. FRAGments will fill that gap”. She adds, “it will provide a small scale, intimate forum for artisan perfumers to interact directly with their audience”. Another unique aspect of this event is that it will define a community and spotlight the art of fragrance design through interpretive and experimental work.

The first FRAGments event will be held at MorYork Gallery in Los Angeles, the studio of eclectic sculptor, Clare Graham whose work visually embodies the spirit of this diverse group of perfumers, who create unique, multifaceted and experimental olfactory art. For more information about Clare Graham and this extraordinary venue please visit: www.claregraham.com

The event will begin with a salon-style discussion session moderated by Saskia Wilson- Brown. Ms. Wilson-Brown is the director of the newly formed Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. The IAO supports the work of olfactory artists through grants, research opportunities, lectures, workshops and a materials library. For more information please visit www.artandolfaction.com

Event Details:
Summer Solstice Saturday, June 22, 2013
11am-12pm, Moderated Discussion Session with perfumers 12pm-5pm Pop-up Shop
The following artists will present their work at the 1st FRAGments event on June 22:
JK DeLapp, The Rising Phoenix Perfumery (www.TheRisingPhoenixGroup.com) David Falsberg, Phoenicia Perfumes (www.phoeniciaperfumes.com)
Amanda Feeley, Esscentual Alchemy (
www.esscentualalchemy.mysupadupa.comLisa Fong, Artemisia Natural Perfume (www.artemisiaperfume.com)
Heather Kauffman, Jolie Laide Perfume (www.etsy.com/shop/JolieLaidePerfume) Maggie Mahboubian, Parfums Lalun (www.parfumslalun.com)
Christi Meshell, House of Matriarch (
www.matriarch.biz)
Mik, MIKMOI San Francisco (
www.mikmoi.com)
Ayala Moriel, Ayala Moriel Parfums (www.ayalamoriel.com)
Persephenie (
www.persephenie.com)
Sherri Sebastian, Sebastian Signs (
www.sebastiansigns.com)
Nikki Sherritt, Rebel and Mercury Parfums (
www.rebelandmercuryperfumes.comMeredith Smith, Sweet Anthem Perfumes (www.sweetanthemperfumes.com) Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz, DSH Perfumes (www.dshperfumes.com)
Laurie Stern, Velvet and Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery (www.purrfumery.com) Roxana Villa, Roxana Illunimated Perfume (www.illuminatedperfume.com) Shelley Waddington, En Voyage Perfume (www.envoyageperfumes.com)

Event Highlights and Notables:
*Persephenie will present an experimental olfaction project.
*En Voyage Perfume will be launching their new fragrance at the 1st FRAGments event. *House of Matriarch will spotlight their Blackbird fragrance which was just named a Top 10 fragrance for 2013 by 
Men's Journalmagazine, the only Indie fragrance that made their Top 10 list.
*Esscentual Alchemy will present “Moon Valley” - Featured in Vogue UK May '13 issue in their Natural Beauty Selections.
*Mario Gomez, Olfactory Ambassador will represent perfumers who are not able to attend event.

FRAGments - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/Collective The 1st Event to be held on June 22, 2013 at MorYork Gallery, 4959 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Exposition Chanel: a Cultural History

via reelphoto.blogspot.com


Chanel is bringing their heritage regarding their parfum phare, the oerennial No.5, into an exhibition this spring in Paris. From May 5th to June 5th Le Palais de Tokyo will showcase the cultural milieu in which the prestigious No.5 was born and matured. This exhibit which reprises many artists of the first quarter of the 20th century is briefly hinted at at the dedicated Chanel Culture site, accessed here.

Where: 13 Avenue President Wilson
When: Every day except Tuesdays, from noon to midnight.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

[IP]01 exhibition in Paris: Where Drawing & Perfume Meet

Perfumer Cécile Zarokian and illustrator Matthieu Appriou are uniting illustration and perfumery in a unique vernissage that will take place on 28th September 2011 (starting at 18:30), incorporated into the Rives de la Beaute exhibition (28Sep-2Oct) in Paris at Atelier-Galerie, 51, rue de Vnaigriers-75010 (that's in the 10th arrondissement). The name of the project is of course self-evident: I for illustrator, P for perfumer...

We have liked Zarokian's work on Perfume Shrine indeed: Her Epic for Women for Amouage has received raves on a review we had posted in the not too distant past. But who is she? Let's see in more detail.

Cécile Zarokian graduated from I.S.I.P.C.A (Institut Supérieur International de la Parfumerie, Cosmétique et Aromatique Alimentaire), the reference school for perfumery training worldwide founded by Jean-Jacques Guerlain in Versailles in 1970. During her two-year vocational training in Grasse Cécile learned how to create perfumes under supervision of Robertet, one of the leading creators and manufacturers of fragrances in France. Consequently she pursued her carreer at Robertet’s creative centre in Paris, where Cécile strengthened her knowledge of perfumer trade on behalf of Michel Almairac, who has successfully competed for numerous fragrances during his carreer.
She was still a trainee when she won her first woman’s eau de parfum, Epic for Woman, which had been designed for an Omanese fragrances brand, Amouage, and launched in France at the end of 2009.

In 2011, Cécile decided to found her own company, CECILE ZAROKIAN SARL, in order to be able to dedicate her entire time to working freely as a freelance perfumer. You can check it out at:
www.cecilezarokian.com

Matthieu Appriou graduated from the École supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Brest in 2000.
He went on with his artistic research by creating installations in Les Beaux-Arts.
Matthieu exhibited two pieces of work in 2001 and 2003 respectively: “On va tous y perdre des plumes” at the Centre d’Art Passerelle, in Brest for the collective exhibition Au bénéfice du doute, and “Châto immo” at the gallery 40mcube within the project of Chantier public, in Rennes.
Since 2005, he has settled in Paris collaborating with the agency Comme ça on projects for
J.M.Weston, Hennessy, Krug, DomPerignon, La rose des vents-Scène Nationale de Villeneuve d’Ascq, Le théâtre de l’agora-Scène Nationale d’Evry-Essonne.

In 2008, he created NO-OM, and worked on the graphic standards of the group regart.net
(Webflashfestival / Centre Georges Pompidou), as well as that of Champagne Jean Comyn.
He also contributed to the design of the web sites of Bollinger, Château Lynch Bages as a consultant and created the 2009 demoguide site for Microsoft.

Illustrator under the pseudo “Telmolindo”, currently reprsented by  the artist agency Créasenso, he has worked for  La Caisse desMonuments Nationaux, Eurostar, Van Cleef & Arpels, le Musée des Ducs de Nantes as well as for Archéa, Musée d’archéologie of the town of Louvres. You can check out his website here.

You can also check out the Project on its own page.

Monday, January 3, 2011

L'Osmotheque participates in Esxcence exhibition

The most important perfume conservation museum in the world, l’Osmothèque, founded in 1990, is going to be participating in Esxcence The Scent of Excellence 2011 this coming March (find more info on links below).
Initiatives and opportunities to smell some of the meticulously recreated masterpieces from the early 20th century history of perfumery will be available to the public. Among them, historic and extremely hard to find specimens of Houbigant's Fougère Royale (1882), Coty's La Rose Jacqueminot (1904), Coty's L’Origan (1905), Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs (1912), Coty's Le Chypre (1917), and Millot's Crêpe de Chine (1925). An opportunity not to miss!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Esxence 2011 Niche Perfumery Exhibition

ESXENCE 2011, the exhibition for the appreciation of Artistic Perfumery will take place at Le Palazzo della Permanente, Via F. Turati 34, in Milan, Italy from 31 March to 3 April 2011.
Opening Hours:
Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April, for professional and press visitors only: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April, open to the public: 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
For further information, please contact: I.C.E. Organising Secretariat: tel. +39.02.34538354 or visit the official Esxence link.

Esxence The Scent of Excellence, now on its third installation, is once again the must-attend benchmark and rendezvous for brand owners, creators, producers, distributors, buyers and retailers from all over the world, an ideal event for developing a constantly growing market that can offer competitive advantages to those who produce fragrances that are not intended to appeal to everybody, but to express olfactory creativity and communication. This is a sector that the statistics show to be maturing coherently, guaranteeing that its dealers achieve results comparable to those of conventional perfumery. After achieving an increase of 54% in brands represented in 2010 compared to the previous year and thousands of visitors from more than 24 different countries, the main aim of the 2011 edition is to pursue its activity of contributing to developing Artistic Perfumery as a creative art that springs from human talent, so as to spread knowledge about it and encourage its diffusion as a unique, fascinating artistic heritage. In Italy alone, this sector has reached a turnover estimated at 120 million Euros and has a total potential of more than 850 million Euros at European level.
The Promoting Committee – which has confirmed I.C.E. International Club Exhibitions, a company specialising in niche events, as organiser of Esxence for the third year running – has already chosen the new International Technical Committee of experts in the sector, whose task is to apply predetermined shared parameters to filter the numerous applications to participate, so as to keep access selective and highly qualified.

Esxence The Scent of Excellence 2011 will feature perfume products that make a distinctive mark for their expressive capacity, quality, authenticity and finesse, created to give olfactory form to metals, to stones, to seas, to oceans and to deserts, adopting combinations previously considered impossible. These refined creations convey a sense of strength and vigour, narrating unique, magical stories, acting out dramas and comedies and telling fables from different eras, always plucking the chords of the emotions with their undeniable power to evoke.

info via press release

Thursday, November 11, 2010

First Museum Exhibition of Perfume as Art Form in Museum of Arts & Design

"The first-ever museum exhibition on perfume as an art form will premiere at the Museum of Arts and Design in November 2011. Organized by MAD and curated by Chandler Burr, the scent critic for The New York Times, The Art of Scent, 1889-2011 will examine ten pivotal scents as masterful works of art, crafted from both natural raw materials and synthetic molecules. A special installation designed by architect Toshiko Mori that utilizes atomizing machines will provide visitors with a pure, olfactory experience of each work in the exhibition.
The Art of Scent highlights major stylistic developments in the history of olfactory art, beginning in the late nineteenth century—when the use of synthetic materials ushered in the modern era of fragrances—through the present day." [source]
The interesting part is that it will be a semi-blind reception of the odoriferous craftmanship that is ingrained in the 10 fragrances presented: the viewers will be smelling the scents in identical canisters, devoid of the outer characteristics and only demarcated by name, perfumer and year of creation; this idea is carried on to the exhibition catalogue that will offer 10 identical sample vials of the perfumes presented alongside essays by Chandler Burr. His goal? "My goal for this exhibition is to transform the ways in which people respond to scent artists and their art. The works presented in this exhibition are ones that have each had a profound impact on the history of this artistic medium." These works include Jicky, Chanel No.5, Fracas, Eau d'Issey, Angel and Pleasures.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Alchemy of Taste and Smell: Fragrant Exhibition

Cutting-edge Event with Top Chefs and Perfumer Mandy Aftel Explores Aroma
and Essential Oils in Cooking and Cocktails at Astor Center NYC November 12-13

The Alchemy of Taste and SmellAstor Center, New York City
November 12-13, 2010
For info & tickets: http://www.astorcenternyc.com/

Cooking is alchemy: the art of transforming raw materials into a perfected form. Cooking fuses taste and smell, emotion and memory, culture and nature. The work of chefs today is much discussed, but the process by which new dishes and flavor combinations are created remains mysterious. This event will explore creativity in cooking, the composite nature of flavors and the importance of aroma in food and drink.

The event starts Friday night, with a cocktail making demonstration, followed by a reception and cocktail party that will feature creative cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Saturday will have demonstrations and talks, followed by a meal.

Seven chefs will collaborate on the dinner on Saturday night. The seven-course meal (one course by each chef) will be experimental in nature, exploring new flavor combinations and making explicit the connection between what we smell and what we taste. For instance, a cucumber/melon salad served on a plate scented with mint essence, as a sensory sleight of hand where by the end of the dish the diner thinks that they have eaten the herb, even though they have only smelled it. Mandy Aftel will collaborate on the dinners. The dishes would be accompanied by appropriate wines.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Friday Night, November 12

5:00PM Demonstration - Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders Using Aroma inCocktails (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

7:00-10:00PM Opening Party (The Lounge and The Gallery, up to 250 people) $95

Creative cocktails by Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders. Participating Chefs: David Chang, Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Daniel Patterson, Nils Noren, Bill Corbett

Saturday Day, November 13

11:30PM Demonstration- David Chang, Wylie Dufresne New Flavor Combinations (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

1:00PM Harold McGee Thinking about Flavor (The Gallery, up to 100 people) $45

McGee will outline the chemical and biological nature of flavor. He will describe the molecules that stimulate our senses of taste and smell, how taste and smell work together to create the perception of flavor, and how that perception is influenced by past experience and by context.

2:30PM Demonstration - Daniel Patterson and Johnny Iuzzini Flavor and Aroma (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

Dishes that focus on the interaction between taste and smell. They will each make dishes starting from the same flavor combinations, demonstrating a range of styles and techniques.

3:45PM Panel Discussion Creativity and Flavor (The Gallery, up to 100 people) $35

Five leading chefs will discuss the process by which they create new dishes. (ingredients, technique, childhood memories, cultural associations)

5:00PM Mandy Aftel Creating with Aromas (The Study, up to 36 people) $35
Aftel will demonstrate the process of how she creates with scent --- showing you how to orchestrate the interactions between pure and natural essences when blending a flavor or fragrance. This architecture of aroma will be illustrated graphically by smelling some unexpected combinations, over a range of concentration ratios.

Saturday Night, November 13

7:00PM Dinner. The Lounge (40 people) $300

David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, George Mendes, Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Nils Noren, Daniel Patterson, Bill Corbett, some in collaboration with perfumer Mandy Aftel using her essential oils. The price includes beverage and service.

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Perfume Diaries ~ A Private View

~by guest writer Fiordiligi

On Tuesday afternoon, September 14, 2010, a small group of people had the tremendous privilege of attending a Private View of the Harrods exhibition The Perfume Diaries hosted by the curator, Roja Dove. (If you missed the previous reportage of the Guerlain evening, please read this article). The exhibition, the brainchild of perfumery buyer Emma Hockley, is the biggest that Harrods has ever staged and Roja’s reputation in the industry is such that legendary perfume houses, as well as private collectors including Roja himself, have lent priceless items, many of which have never been seen in public before.

Structured by reference to socio-economic influences over the past century, the exhibition opens with an explanation of the standard construction of perfumes (the pyramid) and the recognized fragrance families and moves on to mouth-watering displays of rare and beautiful items decade by decade. The initial display covers the century from 1800 to 1900 and Roja, a born raconteur, had his audience spellbound explaining the birth of perfumery in England and, later, in France. Many amazing examples were on display, including the original bottles of perfume made for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and Napoleon. Roja explained that in the early days there was no such thing as advertising and bottles were generally of a very simple apothecary style, but with large labels indicating the content. The hope was that passers-by would be enticed by the labels and drawn in to the shop to make a purchase.

We are all familiar with the idea of eau de toilette but the origin of the term was explained by Roja. In the very early days, toile (cloth) was scented with oils, dried, scented again, dried again, and so on, until it became thoroughly impregnated with perfume. It was a very costly luxury. The toile was then used, dry, to rub down the body after sleep and provide freshness and scent when bathing was not terribly common! After this start, it evolved into the liquid product called eau de toilette which we all use today. Roja pointed out an incredibly rare sealed bottle which was the original eau de toilette (“water from the little cloth.”)

In the beginning of the 20th century, great houses such as Guerlain, Houbigant and Piver moved from the simple soliflore scents they had been producing and started to give their perfumes fanciful names (how about Voila Pourquoi j’Aimais Rosine?) as they started to use some of the modern synthetics to make their fragrances more complex. Roja joked that celebrity scents are nothing new, as Guerlain named one of their perfumes Jasmiralda (and yes, there is a full bottle in the exhibition) after Esmeralda, the heroine of Victor Hugo’s popular novel Notre Dame de Paris.

The genius known as the father of modern perfumery, the Corsican Francois Coty, revolutionised the perfume world in the early part of the 20th century, not only with his wonderfully innovative creations but also with the presentation of his scents. He had his friend Baccarat make bottles and another friend, a jeweller by the name of Rene Lalique, make labels and boxes for his perfumes (previously unheard of). The rest, as they say, is history.

The 1920s saw the launch of many masterpieces, and the creation of Chanel No 5 in 1921 with the use of aldehydes was a milestone. Roja showed us an exhibit which belongs to him – a red leather box containing Chanel No 2 (never produced commercially), Chanel No 5, Chanel No 11 (again, not a commercial production) and Chanel No 22. His box is the only one known in the world!

As the exhibition moved through the decades, the stories came thick and fast. We saw the fabulous silver ship presentation of Patou’s Normandie which was presented to every lady in First Class on the inaugural voyage of the luxurious transatlantic liner of the same name. The example of the bottle on display is numbered one, belongs to Roja and was recovered from a skip where it had been jettisoned after Patou was sold.

In the 1940s the wind of change was sweeping through the world after World War II and it brought with it fragrances such as Vent Vert and Miss Dior. One of the few non-perfume exhibits is the original dress from Dior’s New Look collection of 1947, named Miss Dior. Roja also pointed out a bottle in the shape of a dog, called Tian, which contains Miss Dior. This incredibly rare item is named after Monsieur Dior’s dog, called Tian as a diminutive of Christian, his owner’s name.

As we moved into the 1960s Roja talked about the social changes which would have such a huge influence on everyone – the Beatles, the Pill, the mini-skirt and the new freedom of the decade. Dior launched Eau Sauvage which capitalised on the new synthetic hedione (a jasmine derivative). Such was the influence of this scent that just about every perfume made since that time has incorporated this element. Roja showed us an unbelievably rare bottle in the familiar Eau Sauvage ribbed style but with the label Favorit, for that was to be the name until a Dior employee named Monsieur Sauvage, always late for meetings, walked in one day, late as usual, and a colleague said “oh, Sauvage!” The perfume had its new name.

The display for the 1980s had everyone laughing and amongst the tales of excess was the one recounted by Roja which was that when Giorgio was released there was a line outside Harvey Nichols in London stretching right down the street every single day as people rushed to buy this blockbuster! It is also interesting that the first true celebrity fragrance appeared in the 80s, and it was Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds.

The 1990s, with the rejection of excess and embracing of minimalism, together with the fear of HIV/Aids, brought us the anti-scents of Calvin Klein’s Escape and Issey Miyake’s l’Eau d’Issey, using the synthetic Calone, previously used to fragrance detergents. It also brought us the return to childhood which is the sweet and sticky candy-floss of ethyl maltol found in the astonishingly successful Angel.

None of those present wanted the guided tour to end, but after almost two hours we landed in the present day with its “sets” of fragrance, such as Cartier les Heures, Chanel’s Les Exclusifs and Van Cleef and Arpels range. Roja pointed out that this craze for a group of perfumes was started with Guerlain’s Aqua Allegorias and Jean-Charles Brosseau’s Fleurs d’Homme, so there really is nothing new under the sun.

Among the highlights of the afternoon were the incredibly rare early bottles and all the amazing Guerlains, many in mint condition and in very large sizes, all described so vividly by Roja. Next time you feel guilty about buying perfume, remember that until relatively recently, perfume extrait was sold in 30 ml, 60 ml, 120 ml and 250 ml bottles. The little 7.5 ml size was for a lady to keep in her handbag, before the advent of the travel-sized atomizer. And Hermes made (unsigned) coloured leather or crocodile cases for Guerlain, containing bulb atomizers to fill with your favourite scent. Imagine!

A few of the other special items on display and their stories:
  • The Baccarat Papillon (bow-tie) bottles were made of blue glass and covered in gold (they originally contained Guerlain’s Coque d’Or) but some were not covered in gold. Why? Well, the factory doing the gilding burnt down!
  • Receipts and bills for Marie Antoinette, who had the Sevres factory make porcelain flowers for her garden at Versailles, which were scented every day with her favourite perfume.
  • A large leather ledger from Floris shows orders for the King and Queen. The late Queen Mother paid her Floris bill by Postal Order!
  • A “plan” of the Chanel No 5 bottle (i.e. the view looking down from above on the stopper and bottle) reveals itself as a diagram of the layout of the Place Vendome in Paris.

There is so much to see in this museum-class and absolutely enthralling exhibition and anyone who can manage to get to London should make a point of visiting as soon as possible.

pics via cultbeauty.co.uk, vintageposterart.com, britishbeautyexperts.com, quirkyfinds.com

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Very Special Guerlain Event: Fragrant Reportage at Harrods Perfume Diaries

~by guest writer Fiordiligi

The Perfume Diaries exhibition, currently attracting plenty of attention at Harrods department store in London, offered an enticing and perhaps once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Guerlainistas last Thursday, September 9, 2010. Harrods and the organisers of this exhibition managed to persuade the legendary but now somewhat frail Jean-Paul Guerlain to travel to London, accompanied by his successor as “nose” at the house of Guerlain, Thierry Wasser, in order to participate in an interview for a few fortunate perfume fans.



From left to right (click for reviews): Guerlain Pour Troubler, Chant d'Arômes, Fleur Qui Meurt, Après L'Ondée


In an intimate setting within the exhibition space, Jean Paul Guerlain and his protégé (who clearly enjoy a relationship of mutual respect and admiration), responded to questions from the Harrods Fashion and Beauty Director Marigay McKee. A measure of the importance of this event was the appearance of Harrods owner (but perhaps not for much longer if the Press reports are to be believed) Mohammed Al Fayed at the beginning of the session.

The opening question and its response summed up the entire Guerlain ethos: when asked by Ms McKee to explain Guerlain’s longevity as a perfume house, Jean Paul had an unhesitating one-word response: quality. Later, he also insisted that another reason for the success of the House was the fact that they only sell what they can produce; in other words, Guerlain is a perfumer, unlike the fashion houses which “buy in” a fragrance to which the designer’s name can be appended and which can be sold alongside handbags and dresses.

Jean-Paul Guerlain’s first creation for the family business was when he was 15 years old, and he is still making perfume (thank goodness!) some 58 years later. When asked for his most personally meaningful creations, he cited Vetiver and Samsara, and then added Nahema. It is well known that the Guerlain family has always nurtured a tradition of stories lying behind the creation of each fragrance, and Jean Paul talked about the creation of a fragrance being linked to love, being in love or wanting to woo someone. Later, the relationship between food and perfume was also discussed (Jean- Paul apparently being a wonderful cook).

Mention was made of the next scent by M.Guerlain (Arsene Lupin), already discussed here, and the travels he still undertakes in search of the raw materials for Guerlain fragrances, including to Liguria, Calabria (for bergamot) and India. He loves to travel, still, and has particularly fallen in love with Nepal and Tibet.

Naturally, the bulk of the short interview was spent in discussion with the Guerlain legend, but Thierry Wasser, an elegant figure in a dark suit, who clearly worships his mentor, spoke modestly and self-effacingly about how he came to Guerlain through his work at Givaudan and, interestingly, how he always makes up the original formula of the Guerlain “greats” as a reference before attempting to re-work it. The mention of the new IFRA restrictions led to the most marvellously eloquent Gallic shrug and hand gesture from M Guerlain – “pah” would describe it best! Clearly, he, like the rest of us, is not impressed.
Mr.Wasser would obviously not be drawn on any new projects although he did say that something was being planned to celebrate the centenary of Jacques Guerlains’ masterpiece L’Heure Bleue in 2012.

Just one or two questions came from the small audience before the interview ended, to prolonged applause, and it would not be an over-statement to say that Jean Paul Guerlain looked very touched by his reception.

Fiordiligi is going to a private view of the actual exhibition guided by Roja Dove on Tuesday, so hopefully she will grace is with a companion piece here soon!

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Guerlain news, Guerlain Series of reviews


Photo of Guerlain bottles via Grant at Basenotes, many thanks and please visit

Monday, August 23, 2010

Harrods Perfume Diaries Exhibition & Afternoon Tea with a twist


In a delightful combination of tea and perfume Harrods of London will host a perfume exhibition curated by fragrance expert Roja Dove in collaboration with Givaudan entitled The Perfume Diaries this autumn, coinciding with London Fashion Week.
The schedule for the events is as follows:

To complement the exhibition the world’s finest and most revered perfumers will discuss their work in a series of events. These will take place within The Perfume Diaries exhibition, on the Fourth Floor at Harrods, and will work on a drop-in basis. No admission charge applies.

Jade Jagger for Guerlain - Personal Appearance and Fragrance Signing
Wednesday 8th September 2010, 12.30pm – 2pm
Jagger reveals her interpretation of Guerlain’s legendary Shalimar bottle

The House of Guerlain
Thursday 9th September 2010, 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Enjoy a unique presentation by renowned perfumers Jean-Paul Guerlain and Thierry Wasser. To reserve a place at this highly anticipated event please call 020 7730 1234 ext 3020

An Evening of British Perfumery
Thursday 16th September 2010, 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Explore the best of British perfumery, led by curator Roja Dove, with key speakers from Ormonde Jayne, Floris, Grossmith, Penhaligon's and Clive Christian

An Evening of European Perfumery
Tuesday 21st September 2010, 6.30pm – 8.00pm
A celebration of European perfumery, led by curator Roja Dove, with key speakers from Lubin, Mona di Orio, Chantecaille and Givenchy

The Science of Scent
Thursday 23rd September 2010, 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Discover the fascinating creation process of how a fragrance is made, with experts from Givaudan and Proctor & Gamble

The Bottle Makers
Thursday 30th September 2010, 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Discover the history and beauty of the perfume bottle with experts from iconic brand Baccarat

The Perfume Diaries Afternoon Tea
Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard has collaborated with Harrods pastry chefs to create a limited edition afternoon tea inspired by key perfume notes and ingredients. "Eric distils the spirit of the exhibition with a range of six beautifully-crafted pastries, cakes and miniature puddings. Exclusive to Harrods, each delicacy is infused with prominent perfume notes from the classic rose, violet and spice to the more specialised bergamot and lemongrass".
Thursday 2nd September – Saturday 2nd October 2010
Indulge in fragrant afternoon tea in the Georgian Restaurant
Entry via Door 3, Basil Street

Reserve seats for Guerlain event at telephone: 020 7730 1234 ext. 3020

The exhibition previews from Saturday 28th August.

Pic via Cherie City

Thursday, June 24, 2010

New Orleans Museum of Art to Open Fragrance Bottle Exhibition

New Orleans Museum of Art Curator John Keefe and his Department of Creative Arts proudly announce the opening of SCENTS and Sensibility, an appropriately-titled exhibition showcasing 125 objects covering the history of the scent bottle from its ancient origins to the present day. Scents, or perfumes, have been a part of civilization for more than four thousand years and have characterized every known civilization. “Scents and their containers have fascinated the world from Julius Caesar to Coco Chanel,” Keefe said. In celebration of Rene Lalique's 150th birthday, the exhibition includes several of his pieces including the "Hirondelles" piece (depicted) recently reissued by Neiman Marcus.

“Perfume has always been a luxury product and it’s interesting that the bottles accurately reflect different eras,” Keefe said. “Scents and Sensibility is a true representation of changes in styles and fashion. Each vessel is mesmerizing.”

Objects within Scents and Sensibility include scent bottles, powder boxes, talc jars and similar objects made to hold scented contents. Permanent collection pieces as well as those on loan from regional collectors range from approximately 1100 B.C. to the present day. Glass, pottery, gold, porcelain, hardstone and silver are all represented in the collection, as well as some recognizable names: Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Christian Dior, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Peter Carl Fabergé, René Lalique and Stueben Glass. Twentieth-century objects include bottles whom some might look upon with nostalgia, coming from great couturiers such as Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin and Christian Dior, as well as celebrated parfumeurs Guerlain and Desprez.

To celebrate the opening of this fragrance-filled showcase, the Museum will host a free opening reception featuring Hove Parfumeurs from 6-8 p.m. on June 30, 2010. Hove's owner Amy can Calsem Wendel will educate guests regarding how her unique local boutique crafts fragrances using indigenous Creole materials. A full cash bar featuring frozen "couture cosmos" will be available in honor of Chanel, Givency, Dior and other couturiers highlighted within the exhibit. Brennan's Courtyard Cafe will remain open as well, offering a selection of pastires, soups and coffee. This opening event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will remain on display until October 24, 2010.

Wednesdays are FREE for all Museum visitors. Louisiana residents with valid photo identification: Adults, $8; Seniors (65 and up), $7; Children 3-17, $4; Children under 3, free. Out-of-state visitors: Adults, $10; Seniors (65 and up), $9; Children 3-17, $5; Children under 3, free. Free Wednesdays and discounted admission for Louisiana residents is made possible through the generosity of The Helis Foundation. Admission to the adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, featuring work by 61 artists, including several of the 20th century’s great master sculptors is always free.

photo of Rene Lalique bottle for the perfume Les Hirondelles.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Aromatics Along the Silk Road

The American Museum of Natural History will be hosting Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Aromatics Along the Silk Road, featuring renowed natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, which we have hosted on our pages in the past.
Frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, and jasmine were among the valuable commodities traded along the ancient Silk Road , and they are still prized today. Renowned perfumer Mandy Aftel, the nose behind Aftelier perfumes, will awaken the senses as she leads visitors on an aromatic journey.
Attendees will learn about the fascinating world of fragrances and have the chance to sample authentic and pure essences during a discussion about aromatics’ history. This program is part of a series of tastings and lectures for adults and educational programming for children that are being offered in conjunction with the exhibition Traveling the Silk Road : Ancient Pathway to the Modern World, on view until August 15, 2010.

WHEN : Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 pm

WHERE: Linder Theater, first floor
Enter at 77th Street

HOW MUCH: $20

You can purchase tickets online on this link.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Esxence, The Scent of Excellence: Fragrance Exhibition

The second edition of ESXENCE – The Scent of Excellence, the event dedicated to artistic perfumery, will take place in Milan from the 25th till the 28th of March 2010 at the Museo della Permanente in Via Turati, one of the cultural Italian landmarks, in this way renewing it’s value a san artistic event, and giving visibility to excellences that meet a certain level of constant quality.

Esxence the second edition will propose a series of events, educational and informational activities that will alternate in the four-day event, accompanied by meetings and debates in which the industry will analyze the evolution of this niche market. Many will also be the opportunities for brands that wish to increase their exposure, describe their profiles, and their newest products.

During open days (only by invitation) to the public, a series of experiential moments will be proposed in order to discover the fascinating world of perfumery

When
25th – 28th March 2010
Where
Museo della Permanente
Via F.Turati, 34 - Milano

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Les Parfums: Paris perfumes exhibition

From 2nd to 5th of October, Paris will be hosting the fragrance exhibition Les Parfums. A trade show aiming to highlight the new directions in perfumery and re-ignite the love for perfume, all hosted in the city that put scent on a pedestral. For professionals, the initiated and the neophytes, the trade show Les Parfums is free for all and will feature special prices on milestone perfumes from the houses hosted, a consultation and selling point of the best publications dedicated to fragrance, and meeting-up with some of the creators of the most prominent niche makers in today's market:


Amouage, Claudie Pierlot, Etat Libre d'Orange, Frank Los Angeles, Ginaluca Bulega Parfums, Isabey, Kalaris Milano, Linari, Mona di Orio, Neotantric Oasis, P.Frapin et cie, Parfum d'Empire, Parfums d'Orsay, Poiray, Robert Piguet, Susanne Lang, the Hype Noses, Vero Profumo.
The official site of Salon Les Parfums can be reached on this link (in French right now, but will feature an English speaking section shortly).

The exhibition Les Parfums will take place on 2-5 October from 9am to 6:30am (on Saturday till 8:30pm) at L'Atelier Richelieu, 60 rue de Richelieu, 75002, Paris
(Metro: Bourse, Pyramides, Palais Royal)

Have fun!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Il Profumo del Futuro: Pitti Immagine Fragrance Exhibition Florence

The 7th chapter of the Fragranze exhibition by Pitti Imagine, dedicated to the appreciation of artistic perfumery and niche brands will be held during Friday 11th to Sunday 13th September at Florence, Italy. The exhibition is focused on professionals, but is also open to the public on Saturday 12th (price admission 10 euros).

Participating perfumers and brands:
Céline Ellena, Pierre Guillaume, Mona di Orio, Clara Molloy, Honoré des Pres, Sigilli, Nasomatto, Les Parfums de Rosine, Biehl, Lorenzo Villoresi, Vero Kern, Etat Libre d’Orange, Esteban, Penhaligon’s, Byredo, Senke, Andy Tauer, Montale, Mark Buxton, Arturetto Landi, James Heeley, Eugenio Alphandery, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Creed, Miller Harris, Enrico Buccella, Felice Limosani, Annick Goutal, Christian David, Eau d’Italie, Pure Distance, By Terry, Jane Iredale, Laura Tonatto, Sebastian Alvarez Murena, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Bond n9, Maurizio Cerizza, Amouage, Etienne de Swardt, Lisa Simon, Marie Helene Rogeon (Rosine), Olivier Durbano.


Brands and perfumes featured:
Daimiris, Cozumel, Epic, Chaman’s Party, Bois Velours, Acqua Fiorentina, N.20, Blanche, Bois Plume, Alkemi, Oriental Lounge, Havana Vanille, Asprosa, Nuda, Ea, Alambar, Nu Green, Honoré’s Trip, Chaman’s Party, 3 Fleurs, Lime Tonic, Gardenia, Approdo, Futur, Midnight Oud, Chamarré, Cote d’Amour, Rum Tonic, La Rose Legere, Aouda, Night Scented Stock, Mare Nostrum, Nomaoud, Fat Electrician, Jabu, Versilia Vintage, Wazamba, Synthesized Lotus Roots.


Place and Time:
11-12-13 September 2009 from 10am to 6pm
Stazione Leopolda,
Via Fratelli Rosselli, Firenze/Florence

Forum event: Il Profumo del Futuro (fragrance of the future)
on 11th and 12th September 2009
Spazio Alcatraz – Stazione Leopolda
4 talk shows about new natural raw materials, global and regional odours, historical transformations of the olfactive sphere, and sensorial fusion (marrying perfume and wines)


You can download the programme on this link: press Calendario. You can also search for hotel reservations through the Pitti Imagine site (on previous link)

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