Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian on Video: A Nose for Scents

Thanks to sillage/pol for bringing this to my attention

Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y: new fragrance

"It comes from my dad's nickname for my mum: 'Linda I love you,'" explained designer Stella McCartney of her forthcoming scent, dubbed L.I.L.Y., according to WWD. But there's more to the christening; rather more prosaicaly, the perfume's name also pays tribute to lily of the valley (and not lily), a favourite blossom of Stella's mother, Linda McCartney.
The floral fragrance however is set to display an earthier, almost masculine side to with truffle extract at the top and oak moss at the base. On the composition Stella McCartney says: "You can't grow moss — you can't plant it unless it wants to grow. I find that quite sexy and sinister, to contrast with the lily of the valley."

The bottle of the fragrance is steeped in nostalgia as well, apparently: English cut crystal being a nod to the vases and glassware found in the country home Stella grew up in. The crustal part is encased into a metallic base for a modern edge.
The new L.I.L.Y fragrance by Stella McCartney, coupled with ancillary products (shower gel and body lotion) will debut in the UK in late January and internationally in March 2012.

Mona di Orio: 1969-2011

I can't describe the feeling I got upon hearing the perfumer Mona di Orio has just died. Totally unexpected! Her untimely passing at the young age of 42 came about during or after surgery, according to reportage.
My deepest condolences to her family and friends and deep sympathies to all perfumistadom mourning for such a young loss.
The best way she can go on living is on our skin, by wearing her perfumes; like my beloved Mona di Orio Carnation, her Nuit Noire, her Nombres d'Or Musc.

Born in 1969 in Annecy, France, of an Italian father and a Spanish mother, Mona was famously a protégée of legendary perfumer Edmond Roudnitska. She went on from there to form her own brand in 2004, Mona di Orio parfums.

The official Facebook page and her partner Jeroen Oude Sogtoen state: "Today, completely unexpected and leaving us in great sorrow, our great inspirer, friend, colleague and name giver to her great loves, her beautifull parfum creations, MONA DI ORIO has passed away.
We are shocked and deeply saddened and speechless but will still help realize her dreams.
Team Mona di Orio Parfums"

Read older interviews with Mona di Orio on Osmoz and at The Perfume Magazine.

Guerlain Cuir de Russie: fragrance review of a rare vintage

The Russian Leather theme (termed Cuir de Russie due to the invasion of the Francophones into the Russian diplomacy) was very popular at the end of the 19th century. (Refer to our article Cuir de Russie vs. Peau d'Espagne for history and differences between leather themes). Tanning de facto involved less than pleasant smells and tradition in many countries was to further aromatize the end product with fragrant essences to hide the manufacturing process off notes: In Italy they used frangipani (hence gants frangipani), in Spain camphor and ambergris, in France orange blossom, violet, iris and musk were the usual essences prefered. Legend has it that Cuir de Russie as a scentscape was randomly born when a Cossack warrior, galloping across the endless Russian steppe, came up with ‘the idea of rubbing his leather boots with birch bark in order to waterproof them’. Russians tanned their leathers with willows and poplars, as these are common species in the vast steppes. The finishing off involved birch bark oil, which when "cooked" in large pans over an open fire gives a very distinctive odour profile. This is roughly what we have come to describe as "Russian Leather" in perfumery.

This commonplace, rural idea gave rise to perfumes termed Cuir de Russie indeed by L.T Piver, Vonna, Godet, Figuenet, even 4711 or the Russian Leather by Davlin (but forget about Caron's famous Tabac Blond: that one was conceptually different), to results that would capture the imagination of perfumers for the better part of the early 20th century. The most popular and well-known incarnation is undoubtedly Chanel's Cuir de Russie (1924), but Guerlain took the idea and flew with it almost exactly 50 years prior to Coco (in 1875), producing one of the first documented Cuir de Russie fragrance types.

Chanel was inspired by the popularity of Les Ballets Russes in the 1920s and her affair with Russian Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich; Guerlain and their perfumer Aimé Guerlain by the military grandeur of all the Russias. At the 1870s Russia was in a pre-revolutionary turmoil, its population booming beyond any expectation (its peasants comprising four fifths of that sum), its military always feared whenever they intervened southerner of their Azov and Don border. Tolstoy was writing Anna Karenina (and publishing in instalments in The Russian Messenger) and War and Peace; both significantly involving military men in the plot. If the French had learned one thing through the recent Franco-Prussian War it was the necessity of building a modern army. Military themes were into the back of people's minds throughout Europe. And, irony of ironies, while the rest of Europe was paying attention to the much needed modernisation proceedings in Imperial Russia, the emerging clan of the Slavophiles was hard at thought on how to return to a simple peasant life!

With this historical  flashback in my mind, I was lucky enough to get some  of the preciously rare old Guerlain perfume through the dedication of an Austrian collector and the fragrance seems to me as the spermatic idea of the leathery backdrop to the quinolines of Guerlain's most classic scent, Shalimar. In fact what I smell is like a cross between Cuir de Russie by Chanel (elegant floralcy upon leather backdrop) and Jicky or Shalimar's drydown (smooth, suede-like, tactile feel, a little smoky).
Even though Cuir de Russie by Guerlain is initially properly bitterish with what seems like herbs, galbanum and oakmoss, with a smoky aspect and not too much tar, the progression veers into a much more supple finish superbly poised between masculine and feminine. The opening notes are folded into the spicy (like carnations), leathery, bitter-almonds facets of styrax resin ~and maybe a hint of the sweetness of Peru balsam as well.
The heart is fanned on jasmine (boosted and "opened" by animalic civet, possibly) and the intermingling with leather is delicious and lush: what I see through Guerlain's Cuir de Russie are purple suede gloves gathering Indian blossoms in the cool evening breeze; a warm wrap upon naked shoulders brushing off long, chandelier earrings while sitting at the dacha; the feel of a firm gloved caress rather than the crack of a military whip...

Related reading on PerfumeShrine: Guerlain series (reviews of Guerlain perfumes), Leather series (reviews, production & history of leather fragrances)

Visit Mr.Guerlain for great photos of Guerlain bottles
Painting On the Turf by Russian painter Ilya Repin

Frederic Malle On Perfume Making: new perfume book & new fragrances to look forward to

Frédéric Malle’s just presented his first book, On Perfume Making, to an enthusiastic reception at Barneys on Dec.6th, hosted by Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson. The publication recalls the inception of each of Malle’s 18 cult-favorite collaborations alongside original illustrations from Greek artist  Konstantin Kakanias who was so excited to be working with Malle (making an exception to his own projects) that he said "it's like working with the new Guerlain!" The beautiful, individualistic illustrations by Kakanias (who gave us cult status whimsical Mrs.Tependris) give a completely new dimension to the tome, as you can see below.

On Perfume Making by F.Malle focuses on how the work in his niche perfumery is organized, relying on the triple axis of rigorous selection process, working with the best perfumers around and allowing time, money & freedom to the full to each of the projects.

Among the attendants to the Barneys presentation of the book were several who sang his praises, notably actress Uma Thurman herself (citing his strive for integrity in fragrance) and the designer Carolina Herrera, who singled out Carnal Flower as her favorite in the line.

The new book is due for an official launch in March 2012, published by Angelika Books.There will be three languages editions, so far: French, English, and German.

Malle is also releasing three new scented candles in his Editions line, composed by Bruno Jovanovic, while he is working on another new perfume with Dominique Ropion and one more fragrance, to be launched, by Sophia Grojsman. The fragrance he's developing with D.Ropion is a floral, on which Malle clarifies: “The key is to create a fragrance that has sex appeal and that seems to come out of your pores,” “It is not just musk.” [quote source]

Stay tuned for more news!

Illustration by Konstantin Kakanias for Angéliques sous la Pluie

photos via style.com