Perfumers have the European Commision Irritating the Hell out of Them

Thus is -more or less*- titled the article by Nicole Vulser entitled: "Les créateurs de parfums ont la Commission européenne dans le nez" on Le Monde, which I was alerted to by erstwhile perfumer (and combatant) Sandrine Videault.
In it the matter of IFRA restrictions is rehashed with the emphasis on perfumers who are almost at the brink of a revolution (their words) because of them. IFRA, the International Fragrance Association, as you probably know if you've been following this blog, is a self-regulatory body which every June publishes a list of ingredients that have been deemed by a panel of doctors, allergiologists, specialists on envionmental matters and assorted experts as worthy of banning, restricting or heavily rationing. Based on these findings published the European Comission decides on what laws to implement for the cosmetics and perfume industry. To clarify matters on what this body is exactly I'm quoting: "The European Commission acts as an executive of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union. The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 27 Commissioners. There is one Commissioner per member state, though Commissioners are bound to represent the interests of the EU as a whole rather than their home state. [...] The Commissioners and their immediate teams are based in the Berlaymont building of Brussels". Furthermore, there is the RIFM [Research Institute for Fragrance Materials] annual report which provides info and supplements. The interesting part is all major companies are part of RIFM and IFRA, as well as every aromachemical company (and therefore their subsidiaries and bought-out smaller aroma-producing firms from Grasse etc.)
This is no laughing matter, as it proves the matter is much more complex than the much brandied about opinion that it's all about money, substituting expensive naturals for synthetic substitutes. Several synthetic substitutes are also heavily rationed, you see, and the conglomerates also control companies who are living and breathing in naturals!

Several perfumery ingredients have been banned over the years: The animalics (castoreum, real deer musk and civet) certainly have for long. (Any niche perfumer using covertly using them must be relying on old stock bought at previous decades). Heavily restricted is oakmoss (see two articles on this), Peru balsam, coumarin derivatives, fig leaf absolute and benzyl alcohol (a very common ingredient in several perfumes, classic and modern). Also rationed are geranium essence, jasmine (to extreme limits under the upcoming IFRA 44th Amendment), lavender (gosh, lavender, the 1st aromatherapy oil proposed to just about any novice), cade oil (used to render natural leather notes) and the extract from tea leaves.

That leaves the majority of classic fragrances already mutilated, which brings us to the frantic hunting of vintage specimens as long as the reserves hold. But what will happen next? When these dry up will it mean that several of the perfumes with which generations grew up will have no possible footprint in history? This is a sad and foreboding proposition, much like thinking that Galleria Uffici is vacated in lieu of posters depicting the images that were once "real". The matter is complex, as François Demachy points out that "some perfumes were developed because there were no penalised constraints". More or less it meant that perfumers were mapping territories and were free to roam however they pleased on the world of naturals and synthetics. Guerlain's Thierry Wasser laments: "Among the perfumes we sell, the oldest is over 150 years old. If some day Brussels opposes the essence of rose, what am I to do? There is rose in almost all our perfumes… It is a heritage we need to defend" adding "Jean-Paul Guerlain composed Parure for his mother. We were obliged to discontinue it because we could no longer use the ingredients necessary to produce it. It’s heart-breaking.” The French are certainly very proud of their patrimonie olfactive (olfactory heritage) and that factor might come into play if some "preservation project" gets whipped up for the safe-keeping of historical perfumes. L'Osmotheque is a perfume museum but maybe something on a larger scale with other attributes that would allow more people of different walks of life to be able to partake in this rich tradition. Maybe have some recreations of historical fragrances on display (but not sale, since they won't meet with the criteria)? Maybe devote a line of recreated perfumes in some form that doesn't come in contact with skin or gets pulverised into air? I don't how this could be implemented, I'm just thinking aloud.

The matter of restrictions poses threats to modern perfumes as well (and not only those manufactured within the European Union, because very often the licenses and the sales directive involves Europe too, the most sophisticated luxury-consuming market of them all). Sylvie Polette, the marketing vice-president of Parfums Jean-Paul Gaultier, says: “Brussels will be killing off part of the profession: We aren’t able to rebuild everything in the same manner. This will instigate research, but it translates as a real constraint.” Frédéric Appaire, international marketing manager of Paco Rabanne states: "Our palette is diminishing. This is comparable to telling a painter he’s not allowed to use red, then blue or yellow".

Luckily for us these two prominent perfumers, under the aegis of LVMH no less who oversees classic fragrance houses, Thierry Wasser, in-house perfumer of Guerlain, and François Demachy, overseesing perfumer at Parfums Dior, are quoted in what is essentially a serious reference French newspaper, Le Monde. This means something, as it was often referenced that the industry "had been caught sleeping on the wheel" when these regulatory bodies were first founded, as per the words of a renowned perfumer.
It is also perhaps of some significance that there is a strong rumour that Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, after having quit M6, will be counseling for the giant LVMH luxury house in 2010 with a monetary recompensation that will run "into the six figures" (according to British Telegraph magazine and reported across the media). His aim will be to open the luxury brands into new markets, which basically means Asia (and possibly South America), come to think of it. Blair is already a JP Morgan consultant for Chase and Zurich Financial. The move ~if to be materialized, as it is neither confirmed nor denied for now~ recalls the announcement of Claude Chirac in the direction of PPR and the more recent one of the return of Patrick Ouart, counselor to Nicolas Sarkozy, as right-hand to Bernard Arnault at LVMH.

Whatever the case might be, there is some commotion happening across the luxury industry (LVMH in particular) which might be translateable into changes that might be beneficient to us, the consumers. On the other hand, if there has been speaking up, it most certainly has been with the proviso that every single quote has been carefully monitored by headquarters, as is the usual practice. Which might defeat the purpose, indicating part of a strategy. Let's wait it out and see.

For a complete list of IFRA restricted materials click this IFRA link. And here are the materials in use as of 31 Dec.2009.

For French-reading readers, here is the Le Monde article, in its entirety.

*The idiomatic phrase, which is very a propos in French (as "nez" means nose and also perfumer) indicates a major annoyance.

pics of Belayrmont building via wikimedia commons, Ed.Munch painting The Shout via last.fm.

Interview with master perfumer Jean Claude Ellena

The first thing I sense in Jean Claude Ellena is his jovial, warm manner upon “C’est Jean Claude Ellena!” (This is Jean Claude Ellena!) Me, perfume writer and immense fan of his work, I feel a sense of elation as a dream has come true, due to extraordinary circumstances: a one-to-one interview with one of the truly Greats! His graciousness in granting me personally and the Perfume Shrine a big segment of his precious time is obliging and I can sense how truly charming his personality is; the things you have heard about that part are not tales. Like him or not, there is no doubt in my mind that Jean Claude Ellena is writing history as we speak. His coherent vision, his distinctive, instantly recognizable style, and his understated sense of chic have ushered in a new form of perfumes’ authoring that revolutionized the industry and has several esteemed perfumers following his lead. In 50 or 100 years from now, people will talk about him the way they’re talking about Jacques Guerlain, Germaine Cellier or indeed his former mentor Edmond Roudnitska. Not to suggest that he hasn’t cornered enough attention already! His appointment as in-house perfumer at Hermès has penned more lines than the latest Pulitzer Prize and waged quite a few jealous tongues in private. He remains unaffected, intent on his own ~admittedly ambitious, as befits his Aries, Scorpio rising, personality~ personal Ithaca; the journey is just as much an enriching pleasure as the final destination!

This interview in my mind had a core theme all along: Mare Nostrum, the Mediterranean, that infinite source of inspiration for civilizations aplenty and so I began by asking him a rather unusual question: “I have always entertained the ~wonderful to me~ idea that you have some distant Greek root in your lineage as both your demeanor & philosophical stance on life and your style of simple, austere and confident strokes is echoing the ideals of this civilization. Chandler Burr writes somewhere in "The Perfect Scent" that Ellena means “the Greek”, which is correct [Hellena is the official name for Greek, as evidenced in the now defunct royal title ‘King of the Hellenes’]. Being Greek I had always wanted to ask whether there is some truth to that, much as it is for Bulgari for instance (whose grandfather was indeed Greek, immigrating to Italy). At any rate I perceive you as very Mediterranean-inspired. Do you agree?” Jean Claude is thinking this over: “I can’t say that I am certain on this, don’t have records, but my grandmother did come from the Eastern Mediterranean, a long-time ago, the family traversing though Italy in the beginning of the 20th and finally residing at the South of France where we’re today. It’s true; the place has played an important part in shaping me, but also the ideas of the place, the ideals if you please. The Mediterranean spirit, the classical spirit of uniting beauty and la raison (reason, logic, sense) is very much my own too. This is something that has roots in Greek philosophy where beauty and reason were one and the same, but also in the problematic of one of my most favorite authors, Albert Camus. There is the entangled connection between beauty and logic, something that is very important to remember today. There is too much reason and reasoning behind everything today, especially with the Anglo-Saxon way of thinking in business, which is a bit “loud”, a bit all too present. We sidetrack beauty in favor of reason and that’s not how things should be, perhaps! My perfumes are constructed with the intention of no tricks, no labyrinths. You have to say “Ah that smells good!” That’s generous, that’s very Mediterranean. Then again there must be a minutely thought-out process, a methodology behind everything down to the last detail. But in general our century has lost la sensibilité, the sensibility; human beings have forgotten about it, resulting in a mass-market approach to everything ~products, relationships…Jean Giono’s books give that sense to life, that life has no inherent logic, no pattern. We have lost that sense of sensing the world, its strangeness and its charm”. The beautiful quote of Camus comes to mind: “At the heart of all beauty lies something inhuman, and these hills, the softness of the sky, the outline of these trees at this very minute lose the illusory meaning with which we had clothed them, henceforth more remote than a lost paradise... that denseness and that strangeness of the world is absurd...”

Jean Claude’s own childhood and young age opened up vistas to this beauty that he appreciates in subtle and finer things. It’s inevitable that picturing him growing up in a family of perfumers in Grasse (his father and brother are also perfumers, as is his daughter Céline), amidst the wonderful paysage, reading Jean Giono when he was 30, I wonder if he ever dreamt that one day he would arrive where he is now. “Absolutely not! It never occurred to me. I was doing badly at school, so my father said ‘you have to work’. And indeed that’s what happened. I started in the industry and learned from the craft. Even as a small boy I’d go with my grandmother for flower-picking at dawn in the Grasse fields. At 16 I began work at Antoine Chiris in Grasse, one of the oldest perfume houses in the world and with my 4-years experience when in 1968 the Givaudan établissement opened a perfumery school in Geneva I went there. I was the first student to enroll at that school!” He apprenticed under Maurice Thiboud, even at that early time simplifying the formulae to their essentials. “I was lucky in that I met a lot of people, I learned from them, they said I had potential and they encouraged me. I was never sure of my talent, whatever that may be; but I am very certain that I enjoy immensely what I do, I can tell you that!” And now his daughter Céline is continuing in his footsteps. “You must be very proud!” “Indeed I am! Family is very important to me”. His tie with his wife Susannah, of Irish and artistic ancestry, goes back 40 years and he has kept close ties with his extended family. They all live close by and spend every Christmas under the same roof. A very Mediterranean thing, I might add!

It was at 19 that Jean Claude Ellena got interested in Roudnitska, prompted by an article in a magazine given him by his father titled “Advice to a Young Perfumer”. He found in it the spark of a new direction: simplicity! The thought has taken a specific shape in my mind: “I can’t help noticing that the Spartan outlook in life in general requires some maturity; Greeks used to say “Laconism (ie.being simple, to the point) means Philosophizing”. Usually when someone is new in any profession they want to add, to augment, to impress, to go over the top! In perfumes, that means more power, more diffusion, more notes, and more ornamentation. Your own style is pared-down, loving to subtract: if you can say a whole essay in a few lines, you do so! Do you feel that this is something you learned from Roudnitska, or was the path to simplicity and maturity in your own life that necessitated this stance?” He laughs merrily as he recalls an argument they had with Roudnitska one day talking about philosophy. “Oh, but we had fun with Edmond! Good times together! We both believed that beauty is synonymous with generosity. He was very important to me. He opened a door to perfumery; he showed a new way, that things had to be simpler than they were at the time when a formula might contain hundreds of sub compounds representing various notes. But I like to think that I am going further, progressing what he started. This Spartan outlook you talk of is a necessity that has some ideal behind it and it also has quite a French expression in music. If you listen to Ravel or Debussy ~whom I both love very much~ there is this aspect of discreet pleasure, of sensuality, an intellectualism that is not devoid of sensuousness, of sensory pleasure in its simple melodious form.” As pleasure is a sensory notion, at this point we revert on his fragrances’ style: they have the sexiness of a woman who doesn’t flaunt her charms, but rather hides more than she reveals, instigating the desire to dig deeper and see what lies beneath, and leaving things to the imagination. “This is much more interesting, more intriguing! I like that idea. I try to follow it in my perfumes.”

You might be wondering how we have come thus far without mentioning the word minimalism ~it has become almost an axiom that whenever Ellena’s name is uttered in perfume circles, the word minimalism ensues. As if it was his manifesto. I feel that some people misunderstand the term attributing to it only the “transparent”, “watery” effect of many of his fragrances while on the contrary reading his book Le Parfum in the Que sais-je? Series I understand that he attributes to it the sense of playing “note for note”: devoid of sentimentality. He is categorical on this: “I don’t ascribe myself to minimalism; this is a misconception of my work. Simplicity is not minimalism and I don’t consider my perfumes minimalistic. The thing is they don’t try to say a lot of things at once; they are what they are! They provoke an impression, a feeling, which often requires months of reading behind it. They are simple, delicate, but like we discussed before, like Impressionistic music, they certainly have sentiment, they’re not only a mental exercise!”
“Apart from the aesthetic choice is there also some practicality into opting for sparse formulae? One tends to rely much less on ready-made bases like it was customary in the past, therefore there is better control of quality/supply of raw materials (and less variability on their standards), and also it gives the opportunity to start one’s own small niche house, like you did with The Different Company. Would you agree?” I ask him. He’s quick to do so. “Of course there is the technical aspect as well. As you correctly surmise, it’s easier to control the quality levels that way and to be completely certain of the vocabulary one uses in authoring. To bring you an example, I used to use Haitian vetiver + vetiverol + acetate vetyverile but I was never satisfied. Now I have a special distillation of vetiver, tailored-made for me. Why am I doing that? Because vetiver ~which is a material I adore~ has a very earthy feel. That’s its charm but it also often overshadows the top notes, it tends to engulf everything at its stride. So this concentrée de vetiver bypasses that problem and allows me to work like I want to. On the other hand there are two patchoulis on the raw materials market today, the “clean” one which you can smell in a plethora of fragrances and the real one. But whereas the “clean” one is popular and can be incorporated easily into a formula it lacks character, it has a one-dimensional personality. On the other hand real patchouli has a distinctive character, is multi-faceted and aids my formula into being what it is, when I choose to weave it in. I only use real patchouli myself.”

The luxury market is a vast theme for discussion but one he is quite eager to discuss. I sense that Hermès has largely emerged as the ne plus ultra chic luxury house (which it always was, in its way), but also gained momentum in its perfumery section over other luxury brands ~even over Guerlain which is a classic perfumes house, at least in the eyes of perfume lovers who seek distinction. In great part this triumph can be attributed to Jean Claude Ellena: a coherence of style that never seems to try too hard (at least in the outer effect, not the creative process, naturally!). I ask him if he believes that being appointed in-house perfumer for Hermès in 2004 has been a change of course for the company, five years now into it. He doesn’t want to take full credit: “It’s a deliberate direction that Jean-Louis Dumas Hermès and Véronique Gautier have taken and I suited them. I collaborated with them into a new wave which was pre-decided for Hermès but also evolved along the way. The brand wanted a different kind of product. There was no artistic director for the perfumery section before and although I had created Amazone Eau de fraîcheur for them in 1989, I didn’t know they wanted me for in-house perfumer till the question was asked. Our first collaboration with newly appointed Véronique was for Un Jardin en Méditerranée in 2002. But I ask questions to my own style, I show a new generosity and the result came out such as you see now. The power at Hermès is that the artist calls the shots. There are no focus groups, no marketing research on what we should launch. Only very few people decide on the finality of the launch. Hermès is very quality focused”. It is a small, traditional house that wasn’t initially thought of in relation to perfumes, but which has gained a respected following. “We are not going after big money, but after good money. We propose very sophisticated products for those who have a taste for them. We do not want to become too big, just be on a normal level. The increasing of an already superior quality is in my mind the only way out of the current economic crisis ~which hasn’t hit Hermès for what is worth. I like that we have an honest approach to the customer. It’s as if we say to them ‘If you like the product (and I do want them to like the product obviously), it’s OK and we’re very pleased. But even if you don’t like the product, that’s OK too’. I don’t want to break my back trying to cajole or deceive the customer, trying to ‘win’ them at all costs, be everything to everyone! There would be dishonesty in doing that and I don’t like it. I prefer to attract the ones who can become attracted in the first place. We’re not trying to outdo everyone in this business!”

At this point our discussion takes a path into other perfumes in the upscale, luxury game, a game that is ferocious, despite appearances and although tact dictates I cannot reveal the names discussed (it’s not very hard to guess anyway) he literally chuckles mischievously as I mention that his Hermessences have created several followers of the concept down the road! He is quick to point out that the prestige card is being played a lot, which might implicate the novelty factor that the exclusive Hermessences had in the first place, being a series of fragrances to be circulated only through Hermès boutiques; as well as the big size of expensive products. “There is a very obvious, easy way to show quality, Ellena says. You either increase the price or you increase the size. These are both very visual interpretations of luxury and the eyes play an important role in the luxury market. As to whether a big bottle has any real relevance, if there is a demand for it from the customer base, then why not? I don’t find it a bad thing in itself assuming there is a use for it.” When I point out that in perfumes a big bottle poses a very tangible obstacle in being a monetary investment when building a vast collection for the fragance enthusiast (as it is such a commitment over smaller ones), he reflects a bit on the market at large. “I do think there is no more excitement due to too many things on the market. There is too much product out and companies driven by the economic approach often don’t care for repeat customers, those loyal to one or two fragrances. They know that new brings in money, so they’re launching a hundred new things instead of focusing on less. I can’t say that I approve.” However one cannot dismiss the fact that products aim to sell, even if on a level-headed schedule. Therefore my question on marketability has some bearing on this. I have been curious along with many whether the transparency and watery effects predominant in this school of perfumery which Jean Claude represents are targeted to the Asian market which abhors opulent Westernized creations and applies scent very delicately. “What would you have to say to this, Jean Claude, in relation to your scents created for Hermès, especially the latest Un Jardin après la Mousson, Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan, the exclusive Japan-only issue Eau de Ginza based on cherry blossom {Eau de Ginza was part of specific Hermès creations- including a silk scarf- especially designed to celebrate the Hermès Boutique of Ginza re-opening in 2006} and the new Hermès Colognes?”
Since we are dispelling myths, we might as well shatter that one as well: “There is no such planning or aim behind all this. It’s not borne out of a marketing strategy, but out of an aesthetic choice mainly. It’s true that Eau de Ginza was aimed for exclusive distribution in our Ginza Boutique in Tokyo, but in general the Asian market doesn’t really feature too much in perfume buying. They are not buying many fragrances, or if they do, they only buy them for the presentation. Hermès is a smaller-scale brand, a family controlled business with a very upscale profile. It’s very well known in Japan, but not predominantly for our perfumes, more for the silks and leather goods. Hermès is very popular in France, Spain, Italy and Germany, in Europe in general, where the perfumes sell well, and comparatively not very prominent in the USA. It has a very European profile and aesthetic and this is tied to its history. It hasn’t ventured outside its boutiques, like so many designer brands have, like ~to bring an example~ Chanel or Armani have their accessories such as sunglasses or watches available outside their stores. Hermès is boutique-only with the exception of some of its perfumes and only that. This keeps a certain level in everything but also a certain smaller scale recognisability; which is fine by me!”

The notion of fragrances thought out in relation to the house’s tradition and the markets in which it is most popular brings us to the latest offerings by Hermès: a new Colognes Collection (the Hermès Colognes are more than a trio, rather a Collection with upcoming additions…) comprising Eau de pamplemousse rose, Eau de gentiane blanche (2009) & Eau d'orange verte (1979). Eau d’orange verte, originally titled Eau de Cologne d’Hermès, was created for Hermès in 1979 by Françoise Caron. Eau d’orange verte has notes of orange, mandarin, lemon, mint leaves, blackcurrant buds, oakmoss and patchouli. The other two were created by Jean Claude Ellena to launch later this spring along with the older one as a trio presentation [1]. Eau de pamplemousse rose is “somewhat classic,” with notes of grapefruit, orange, rhubofix and vetiver while Eau de gentiane blanche is aimed as “a counterpart to traditional cologne,” without any citrus notes. It contains notes of gentian, white musk, iris and incense. The bottle design for Les Colognes Hermès is uniform, derived from a carriage lantern, and housed in the signature orange of Hermès, sealed and wrapped in a ribbon-like sleeve. How did the concept came along? “The concept of the Cologne Collection came with the desire to make real perfumery, the artisan way. The Eau d’orange verte one has been a very successful Hermès fragrance because it’s simple and sophisticated, in other words it is a product which philosophically has its ties with what Hermès stands for as a house. Cologne is a product that has a rich history behind it, it’s linked to the past, to the beginnings of Western perfumery and the fragrance industry and it also has a very Mediterranean sensibility about it, l’oranger, le bigaradier, the citrus fruits, the refreshing part; but here is the challenge, to make it modern again, to tie it with today’s sensibility and needs! The Eau de pamplemousse rose is not pink grapefruit, like it might be translated; it is grapefuit and rose.” I interject that he must like that grapefruit accord as he has used it in In Love Again and Hermessence Rose Ikebana, as well as a smaller facet of it as a small rosy wink in Kelly Calèche and I ask him whether he has thought about his next Hermessence. He laughs good-humouredly once more, he laughs a lot in fact ~I sense he’s much too polite to contradict me even if that weren’t so~ and he nods. “It’s a couture version of the accord; you must smell it on your own skin! There is a special finish to it, which can be sensed when applied to the skin, can’t put it into words that well. I work on two or three projects at a time. Work a bit on one, have a little vacation, occupy myself with another. The latest Hermessence is Vanille Galante of course and we haven’t thought about a new one. It will come...”

The mention of couture brings me to another question: “Many perfumers do custom-made perfumes for wealthy patrons for a hefty fee and it’s been very au courant in ‘diluted’ form by some niche brands that supposedly ‘mix’ something for you or encourage layering of simpler notes to create something unique for each customer. Would you mind elaborating on your own antithesis to “parfumerie sur mesure?” He doesn’t hesitate one bit. “I don’t want to lie, therefore I don’t like custom-made perfume making. If you come to me and say you want something for yourself only and you describe it and it turns out you want something like Shalimar what am I going to do? Make something that pleases that side of you, something that will please your ego and conform to your desire. It would take me a couple of days and I could lie and say it took me months. But that’s not creation! There’s no vision or real artistry behind this, as it only demands a good technician. As I consider myself a good technician I would certainly be able to create that which you want, but I wouldn’t want to do that. Would you love the result in six months from now? Or would it be just a passing whim, something that you liked without knowing why and how? A mere pleasing of your ego is just that ~a phase, a whim, a caprice! That’s not the way to make something lasting. I prefer a more artistic approach, that of the couturier. A couturier designs a dress for a show and you see it at the defilé and admire it and say I want that, but for me. And therefore I take it and adjust the measurements to suit you, but it’s still my creation, my vision, an artwork which has been slightly tweaked for you to claim it as your own and that way you can appreciate it as art rather than artistry.” It is such conviction which separates Jean Claude from the many that are devoting their talents to a rich clientele which demands things on a whim.

He’s also very committed to the present. In the words of Camus: “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present”. Ellena’s style doesn’t do the tango (ie.one step ahead, two steps back). There is no nostalgia or atavism in his work: his gaze is on the here and now and on to the future. Even in his homage to previous scents, such as his L’Eau d’Hiver for Frédéric Malle is to Guelain’s Après L’Ondée, there is a sense of modernity. “How do you feel about the perfume-enthusiasts’ community who is so attached to classics of older times, some which are revered without the people in question even having the chance to smell them as they truly were at their prime?” He ponders on it philosophically: “You’re absolutely right! One cannot really replicate an era, or how an old classic smelled like. The fragrance has changed due to various reasons, but the sensibilities have also changed resulting in a fake experience. But in general there is no sense in nostalgizing. Because nostalgia brings along a sense of regret and regret means sadness (tristesse), and this doesn’t make sense for the creation process. There is a feel of decadence in nostalgia and of the end. Mais on ne peut pas construire l’avenir seulement sur l’histoire! (One can’t build the future only on history). Therefore we may admire the past but we must look into the future”.

“Talking about the perfume online community, I am aware that you are aware of its voice. Do you feel that in some small part it can shape some directions in the market? Is it something that you sometimes discuss with your colleagues?” Jean Claude is quite encouraging: “I am most certain that it can. There is an interest in what people discuss online”. And what about the new trend of corporate blogs (I mention a few names)? Is Hermès thinking of launching one too? “No, it’s not an Hermès way to communicate and I am convinced personally that the consumer can see the difference between a real blog such as yours and a blog handled by a brand, powered by a company only for promotion. And this might have some bearing on the issue at hand as well, which is sad. However, we had created an online page for Terre d’Hermès which was encouraging a sort of dialogue between us and the audience. We asked for visitors to write their stories on perfume in general, not just Terre d’Hermès or Hermès for that matter and we would publish the best, the most passionate ones channeling their feelings about perfumes; we had received more than 1000 mails, some of them were wonderful!”
[If you go to this linkyou can click on "Perfumer, Alchimiste et Poète" for a clip of JCE and on "Contes" to read some of the submitted stories, a couple of which are penned by Jean Claude himself].

As I have gnawed on what seems like close to an hour and a half of his time, I am recapitulating bringing this full circle with his life-views. Over the years reading intently about his work I recall many little tidbits; I had greatly enjoyed this quote of his: “I don’t create from a brief but from an experience I live. It might be an experience on the spot, on a real place, as for the Garden-Perfumes; a souvenir from an experience within Hermès, as for Kelly Calèche inspired after a visit at the Hermès leather stock; or a personal creative challenge around a material, as for the Hermessence collection. For me, creation means to try to build a road while walking". So from all the experiences in your life, which one is the most precious which you would have loved to turn into a perfume? I ask him. It’s a question he doesn’t want to respond to with something specific. “I can’t say that I want a specific experience embottled. I do not desire to be understood on isolated pieces, but on my body of work; nor do I want specific segments to characterize my spirit. There is a certain volonté (desire, volition) in me to grasp things out of life, all experiences are good, even the bad ones, I take everything and get nourished by them each day. I don’t know where it will lead in the end, but I am walking on the path all the same. The world is not perfect, yes…Mais malgré tout, je regarde la joie!", he accents his words with great emphasis, with passion. (Despite everything, I hold on to the joy). Are you an optimist then? I tentatively ask. “Je suis un pessimiste heureux” he laughs heartily with his generous, charming, very Southern-French way. A happy pessimist, then, like the hero of André Blanc, Henry de Montherlant [2] ...that’s Jean Claude Ellena!

Sincere, heartfelt thanks to Jean Claude himself and the Hermès team for the consideration of the PerfumeShrine.
Copyright ©Elena Vosnaki for the Perfume Shrine, All Rights Reserved.

[1]The Hermès Colognes Collection will work its way out into the world starting in May at Hermès boutiques, and then in June Hermès fragrance doors including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman. By early 2010, the Hermès Colognes Collection will reach a total of about 300 U.S. doors, including Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and Sephora.
[2]Montherlant, Un pessimiste heureux by André Blanc was issued in 1968 by éditions Centurion.

The matter of the potential of his scents for reformulation has been already addressed on this article, therefore has not been included. Related reading on Perfumeshrine: Jean Claude Ellena, Hermès

The Luxury Market amidst the Recession and Other Bedtime Stories

It's natural to think that in times of downsizing and economic difficulties for the vast majority of people in the western world via a domino-effect of the world economy, prices of goods should follow and adjust to demand and reduced affluence. Interestingly and somewhat perversely, the luxury market differentiates itself from the above mentioned syllogism in its agressive ~yet macroeconomically sane~ swift that seemingly raises prices to truly unatainable levels for most. The crux of the matter is why? What repurcussions is this creating? And where will it stop? In discussing this with online acquaintances, some of which happen to be investors, I came across interesting and eye-opening facts from which I deduct some conclusions concerning the marketing course that is being shaped.

The business headlines were rampant with pessimistic sounding news: Porsche sales skidding by 36%, Daimler sales sliding by 35%, Tiffany cutting forecast, as their post holiday sales declined by 21% and the luxe store Saks Fifth Avenue cutting jobs after facing a decline of their stock from $18 to $2.41 per share. So did Burberrys. "After a holiday season marked by steep discounting, the sector, whose clientele traditionally didn't worry about price, finds itself forced to redefine "luxury" while searching for ways to lure paying customers back into their stores." [source]. The quintessential American group of fragrances and cosmetics, the Lauder Group, cut forecast too, cutting 550million$ of costs by laying off people. And yet, right and left, I have been watching prices get raised in many items that are specifically attached to the point of focus of this very venue, ie.fine fragrance.

There were rumours by the end of last year that luxury brands would lower their prices, but so far nothing in that direction has materialized. Ironically, lowering the prices damages the prestige, the image, the very "unattainability" which is de iuro the very definition of luxury itself. During hardship people will specify their purchases geared by the very notion of prestige and what is perceived as quality, i.e. buying things that are not cheap but also do not lose their value long-term. Brands like Hermès or Chanel are sort of benefiting from this course, treating it to different effects: Whereas Chanel ~having the most recgnisable luxe brand on the planet~ is trying to handle both the wanna-be luxury participants crowding for its more mainstream products and the connoisseurs hankering after the more arcane , Hermès is playing it old-school, patrician sang froid (ie. not seen to be making an effort, although obviously nothing is left to chance). To wit: Their fourth-quarter revenues rose 6.2%, despite a 13% drop in Japan.[source] "The definition of luxury is going to evolve," said Saks Chief Executive Steve Sadove in an interview. "Consumers still want brands and luxury even though they may think of it differently. Anyone that says luxury is dead, they are wrong". Across the board, top-end retailers are trimming costs and inventory and launching initiatives aimed at drumming up business without resorting to profit-eroding discounts. A sense of urgency is evident, as the economic downturn that has been pinching the rest of the retail sector for months finally caught up with the premium end of the market. [source]

Yet the French luxury giant LVMH buoyed by strong performances from Parfums Christian Dior and perfumery chain Sephora, has flouted the global recession by posting full-year global sales growth of 4% and keeping profits despite everything. Which is the probable explanation and rationalisation of the bombardment of launches from their fragrance lion-share holder, parfums Guerlain, which we have been discussing here for some time now and which incidentally raised their prices of their boutique catalogue as of last week. But other players in the field aren't far behind as French beauty giant L’Oréal is set to open its first ever standalone combining two of its brands, the US-based Kiehl’s and Japanese makeup artist and beauty brand Shu Uemura, in Strasbourg, France, this month. A new shop with rather upmarket brands? Who would have thought it a good move. And yet! Diptyque has been issuing new products and is set to raise their prices too. Certain American e-tailers of niche fragrances on the other hand have been cunningly raising their prices without much fanfare while all the while advertising sales to their numerous customers, when the parent company of Euro-origin has not raised their own prices to the same products!

Furthermore, there are subdivisions within the luxury beauty market that is knowing a growth instead of a downturn: "The beauty business may be suffering as a whole in the US and Europe, but the natural personal-care segment posted double-digit growth in both regions, according to new data from US market-research group Kline & Company" [source].

The question of how to price luxury items and the outlook for the sector sparked a lively debate among two top executives attending the Financo event, namely between Mickey Drexler, chief executive of J. Crew Group Inc and Neiman Marcus's Tansky. The latter defended his end of the market with these words: "We've been forced to compete on price and price alone, and we don't like it," he said. "It's essential that we as an industry find a way to put a stop to this. There remains a segment who wants finer things. Unique and special merchandising is still selling better than mundane things. We have to retrain our customers. We are trying to think outside of the box that's not price-driven." To that there are other sympathizers and accolytes: "I don't think people are going to stop aspiring," said Marty Wikstrom, non-executive director of Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, a founding partner in Atelier Management LLC, which specializes in buying and developing luxury brands. And furthermore, it's spelled out for us by Terry Lundgren, chief executive of Macy's: "It's time to make sure you've got exciting inventory. Certainly industry inventory has to be in line with consumer demand. It's been out of whack for too long. There's too much sameness. You need to have merchandise harder to find and have it special." Trunk shows, designer appearences, pampering of good customers is following too to rekindle the buying desire bug.

So there in a nutshell you have the direction the market is going to in the following months or even next couple of years. It is only the more mid-market brands that will try to interject more affordable new products in their inventory to try to attract and retain spending from their core clientele so as not to lose them. (Low-end market is considered non applicable as the initial outlay doesn't seem that important from the point of view of the consumer). Don't expect cut-backs from your favourite luxury and the select niche brands which will survive unscathed, however; on the contrary do expect them to raise their prices and agressively demand your choice over other competitors' products by making their merchandise -and I quote- "hard to find" and "special"!

It's high time we bring the luxury market back to task and remind them the time-honoured economic law of supply and demand.

2007 in Retrospect: 13 Honest and Cynical Musings of a Perfume Lover

What I liked in 2007

1) So many lovely new releases were mainstream perfumes that could be actually had at a big store. From Infusion d’Iris by Prada to Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia by Estée Lauder through Hèrmes Kelly Calècheand Gaultier Le Fleur du Mâle, I found quite a few scents that I am thinking of upgrading into a full bottle in the future. There is something to be said for being able to purchase a decent perfume without having to jump through hoops or paying inordinate amounts of money on online auctions or sellers.

2) So many fledging or “smaller” (in terms of reputation or business volume, not value) perfumers have come to my attention in the last year and it has been a real pleasure knowing them and sampling their work. Although Perfume Shrine has shown an interest for the artisanal houses from the very start, it is encouraging to see that those perfumers have gained recognition and respect. We will continue to back up their efforts whenever they deserve it.

3) The vogue for “celebrity” scents has finally begun to show signs of waning. Although the releases have been certainly numerous, they have often gone out of the scene without making much of a bleep on the radar. This is what I mean by waning…I interpret this as a healthy sign, after whole seasons when there were sane people who were eager to purchase Jessica Simpson’s nauseating Dessert line! This will allow the few, decent and sometimes quite good fragrances that have arisen from this trend of emulating one’s favourite celebrity through olfactory terms to stand prouder on the shelf and be unapologetic for their till now declassé image.

4) The direction towards the new “chypres” away from the fruity florals of the past few years is a welcome relief. However, this is risky, because they might pose the danger of becoming ubiquitous themselves. In fact they’re about to…I can’t begin to note how many feature the “clean” patchouli base so prevalent among these new contestants: YSL Elle, Dior Midnight Poison, Gucci by Gucci, DKNY Delicious Night, Britney Spears Believe... Companies, take note!

5) Givenchy did the coup and issued decent, delectable re-issues of their classic fragrances in their line Les Mythiques. If only every house did it as well. Brownie points, good people at Givenchy: you have redeemed yourselves for the lapses of previous years which had turned a luxury brand into a run-of-the-mill department store name.

6) Perfume lovers are not that stupid after all. After a scandal on Ebay this past summer, when someone was revealed to be bying and filling up vintage empty perfume bottles with undefined juice and then selling them masquerading as the authentic thing, it was determined that people do pay attention. Some more than others; but that’s nothing new. At least, those who did had the good sense of community to alert other people to the scam. Justice hasn’t been metted out yet, because damages to disenchanted buyers haven’t been paid, but at least now people pay a lot more attention and are not that ready to believe that there is some huge vault of vintage treasures that someone out of the goodness of their heart is selling at moderate prices.

6) The huge readership of Perfume Shrine has shown yet again that they are here for the –hopefully good- content first and foremost and not for public relations or networking. I value that and appreciate it more than you know. Even you, numerous lurkers who don’t want to admit reading us regularly! Heartfelt thanks for the support, your interesting commentary and your valueable feedback on assorted scented matters.



What I didn’t like in 2007

1) The pretence in advertorials continues: from the Nasomatto manifesto for their scent for hysteria(!) ~which reminds me of 19th century “scientific” treatises focusing on abusing women~ to the By Kilian encyclopedic name-dropping of famous authors and oeuvres (to a zenith of excess!), there is a point of saturation when a little modesty and restraint might serve them better. The consumer becomes jaded or sceptical after a while and –dare I utter the word? - a little repulsed.

2) The prices of niche lines have escalated inordinarily. At this point one has to put a small mortgage on one’s house, car or favourite pet in order to be able to get the scent they have been craving. Surely, more expensive doesn’t automatically equate more upscale quality.
But the online business catering to perfume lovers has also gone upward in prices. Understandably, they need to make up for the costs. But somewhere deep, deep down it saddens me to think that people who would really love to sample an exclusive Serge Lutens have to pay upwards of 130$ for a bell jar that is 1/3 full, when the new, full one is available throughout Europe for –the comparatively meak- 100euros. For their sake, I hope prices go down.

3) Chanel decided to make it hard for their discerning fans to get Les Exclusifs. I have elaborated on this sufficiently in the past. But, to add insult to injury, they have withdrawn the small extrait de parfum bottles from the online shops and almost all the boutiques across the world (barring Paris ~and Harrods perhaps), making it very difficult to get what is essentially the best representation of their illustrious creations. On top of that, private sources that shall remain unnamed tell me that at L’Osmothèque there is a practice of recreating the jus from the rather recent batches of Chanel parfums and not the vintages from the start of the century. This is sad…

4) Lancôme also decided to abandon the plans for a complete revival of their long lost wonders. Cuir/Révolte proved too costly to produce, Climat is getting harder to get when it was widely available before, Sagamore and Sikkim are not the easiest to come by. Lanvin is comparable: Rumeur has been drastically changed and although very pretty in its recent incarnation, it is misleading to retain the old name. Scandal is not scheduled for re-issue. Ever.

5) Luxury seems to have lost its meaning. What passes for luxury is overpriced scented liquid that has an obscure place of origin and is only available at two doors tops around the world. I am sorry, but this is so bourgeois to want to have that just because of its above mentioned attributes that it self-evidently contradicts the élite approach of luxe.
What happened to the genuine enjoyment of something that you love for the associations it has or its intrinsic value? The privilege of time and the attention to detail that went into selecting it for a loved one? The intimate knowledge that you are wearing it in your own unique way on your own unique person that will never be the same as anyone else’s? There will come a time when luxury will be to wear nothing but one’s own natural skin odour. That will be a hard time for the perfume industry I predict.

6) Ava Luxe decided to take an indefinite break. Just when I was discovering her line and finding favourites, worse luck! Serena Ava Franco needed a break after filling order after order for her coveted samples: I can understand that it must have gotten on her last nerve after a while, not being able to do nothing much besides. I just hope she returns full force at some point.

7) I was not really surprised, but I was a little disillusioned to find that so many people (judging by comments left here and there on the Net) found the Nasomatto practice of not issuing notes for their ~variable in quality~ fragrances lamentable and even insulting. For once, I thought this was an innovative and trully liberating move; a course of action that would allow us to really smell what we perceive with our olfactive nerves and not what we have been conditioned to smell through advertorials about notes and accords, when in reality the actual ingredients bear no relation to them.

But I am asking too much, I know... It's cool, Dude!

Pics from allposters.com

Our Leather posts will continue next week with a review of a rare gem. There will be lots of exciting surprises too.

Perfume: gimmick or innovation? And at what price?

A closeted skeleton in the cupboard of perfume business world is price. Actual retail price. And the relevance that it has to the spectrum of factors that determine it.

Of course perfume creation entails many things to consider: costly and not so costly raw materials, perfumer outsourcing (the houses that produce scents use perfumers who invariably work for one of the Big Companies: IFF, Givaudan Roure, Quest, Haarmar & Reimer , Dragoco, Takasago), laboratory experimentation and all that entails (discarded batches, work hours paid to technicians, etc), creative, marketing and PR team budget, packaging and advertising costs, copyright legal clauses. It is difficult, I can tell you!
Even niche companies that work outside the umbrella process just described often have to account for some of the above factors.

However how much of this reflects on the actual quality of the jus? Is price a real indication of quality? Or is it irrelevant of that?
Let’s ponder on this for a while.

Too often among people who occupy themselves with perfume as a hobby there is the prevalent notion that products that cost a lot must be in some form superior to those that are considered inexpensive. The old dictum “I’m not rich enough to buy cheap” is still considered good advice in buying. I remember it was the domineering attitude among women of a previous generation here when they went out shopping for clothes, leather goods and other comparable items: they opted for something seemingly expensive which they assumed would last longer, perform better and give them a sense of decency and class. I certainly agree on those merits if we’re talking about the above goods.
Nevertheless the latest trend is “luxury for all” in the whole industrialized western world translating in good quality objects for relatively affordable prices and this is something that is dear to my heart. I think it is one step ahead of the new money penchant for exhibiting vulgar displays of wealth.
But is it relevant when talking about fragrance?

The issue of raw materials is pivotal to my mind if we are to seriously discuss this. Much as with cosmetics and skincare products, what is contained in the jar or pot is what ultimately makes the crucial difference. If you find yourself reading the ingredients list of Crème de la Mer with its up till some years ago exorbitant price ~ over 130$ for 1oz ~ (and I’m saying “up till some years ago”, because in the last 6-7 years most of the skincare market has gone after its way) you find yourself face to face with mineral oil, thickeners and some algae. Which can be easily had at the drugstore for a mere 99 cents (that is the price of the Nivea cream which is comparable in texture, moisturizing properties and overall feel, per consumers on MUA)!
L’oréal was ahead of the trends when they invested their vast experience and technical expertise on mass-market lines such as Garnier and Plénitude, sold at the shelves of drugstores and supermarkets, using comparable innovations as those used in their upmarket lines such as Rubinstein and Lancôme. The result? The products fly off the shelves in record time and they also win prizes for both ends of the price spectrum for the same amount of research (enter the recent Prix d’Excellence awards bestowed by European journalists regarding their innovative dermo-adaptive molecule used in both Vichy and Lancôme skincare). They’re clearly on to something!
Now I ask again: does this same practice pertain to perfume?

Apparently too often in our modern era perfume ingredients come astoundingly cheap and astoundingly uniform across lines: since it’s usually the same exact Big Companies who produce perfumes for high and low end houses, it is too often the case that a perfume by –say- X prestige brand is also using the majority of ingredients of Y celebrity frag (I’m using the latter reference as celebrity-endorsed scents are too often regarded with disdain among perfume lovers as being “cheap” and not desirable products capitalizing on a passing infatuation with said celebrity ~ which mind you, I’m not 100% disagreeing with!).
All too often they’re manufactured by the same noses/perfumers too! A comparative search is very telling!

So what is so different that validates the difference in retail price, the distribution channel and the consequent expression of elation on the average recipient’s face of such a perfumed gift? (Because surely you have seen some marked difference when you present someone with something from Dior vs. something from Stetson, right?).

For some reason there is an addendum to perfume.
Maybe exactly because it is still something of a mystery: its practices, its ingredients, its way of being composed is not completely revealed to the public. There is a list of some ingredients on the box of perfumes as of lately, but those are simply some of those that are purported to be in danger of skin sensitizing or triggering allergies, hence their inclusion under the newest laws. It is by no means a conclusive list of contents.
And here is where advertising, packaging and marketing enter the equation.

The collective subconscious is coaxed to buy into a myth, especially if we’re talking about big brands and houses with history and pedigree behind them. And indeed many aspects of that myth are beautifully incorporated into the presentation of perfume. Consider the immortal quote of Coco Chanel “A woman without perfume has no future”, or Patou’s campaign for Joy “the costliest perfume in the world”. Or the rich history of Guerlain with the anecdotal stories behind many of their creations, such as the Jicky tale about the young English girl that the son fell hopelessly in love with, the Shalimar tale of the Indian love-affair in the gardens, the 1001 Nights tale behind the creation of Nahéma or the tragic love-story inspired by a novel for the grand Mitsouko.
The fawning over perfume advertising –of which I am no less guilty than most- is also testament to this.
The beautiful flacons are contributing in turn to impulse purchases or calculated decisions from people who are very bent on the visual. Many times the outer cast of something has lied to us about the contents, so we buy the exquisite bottle for it to be displayed for our artistic delectation rather than used for its contents. This is where the limited editions and Baccarat collectibles work so well and will continue to be produced for this exact reason: man (and woman) is a highly visual-oriented animal.

There is also something called concept and conceptual artistic merit (you can click here and here for some insight on what I think). This comes more into play with niche brands, as the big houses are in their vast majority producing press releases that invariably view perfume as a means of seduction or at the very least presentable “package” of the wearer to his/her intended audience.
Niche houses on the contrary have taken steps into bypassing this somehow contained notion by expanding the reasons one might opt for wearing a particular perfume: asserting one’s true personality, invoking olfactory landscapes, sourcing long-forgotten memories, intellectualizing olfaction or even creating a distance and introspective mood that is meant only for the wearer to enjoy ~the olfactory equivalent of an I-pod and headphones on the subway: a modern urban shield from the outer world.
The practice has been explored in various degrees by several niche houses: Lutens with his Arabic tradition concept, F.Malle with his collection of auteurs who produce only what they deem worthy themselves, the pleiad of Natural Perfumers who insist on using their natural essences in a way that is ecologically sound and artistically in tune with the universe, Comme des Garcons with their completely iconoclastic anti-perfumes meant to shock and make you think, Gaubin Daude, Tauer, L’artisan parfumeur, Ormonde Jayne, you name it…They all have tried to give a voice to a vision in their minds and remain consistent with that instead of trying to be all things to all people the way big houses and designer fragrances usually are.
Yet do they all succeed? And are their prices justified by those two tokens mentioned: innovation of vision and raw materials? It seems to me that the answer cannot be a simple blanket one. There are as many nuances in the niche world as there are in products of conglomerates and big Luxury Groups. Some do have better quality than others, some do have a more concrete vision than others and I can see how that might influence a preference and predisposition of looking forward to their latest releases.

This is what ultimately makes decision so difficult and testing of such paramount importance. Because deep down, you know that no matter how much something is praised by perfume connoisseurs or how beautiful the adverts looks or how prestige the brand and name sound, you have to really like it yourself to be able to wear it and enjoy it to the last dregs of a real retailed-price purchased whole bottle (no steals and bargains missy, we’re watching you!).
And if you repurchase, then it is really something to celebrate about: you have found a winner! Bravo!



Top pic originally uploaded on MUA but have since had trouble locating her username. If you do know it, let me know, I think it is brilliant!
Pic of Baldini and Grenouille characters from film "Perfume: story of a murderer" courtesy of Ohnotheydidnt/Livejournal.com.