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.  

Optical Scentsibilities: The Imaginative Vintage Perfume Presentation

The enrobing of a perfume in a glass mantle is analogous to the draping of fabric around a beautifully formed body. The outer presentation should complement the interior magnificence. It was just a few years ago that only the lower end of the fragrance market had flamboyant and over-gilded bottles to balance the cheap impression left by the low price asked and the less luxurious smelling experience. The chic stuff circulated in architectural bottles with relatively sparse lines, like with Chanel. But then niche perfumery boomed aiming at a more discerning customer.

Captivating not only the aficionado, who dreams in perfume and can have their beloved elixir dispensed even in a milk carton for all it's worth, but also the loaded purchaser, who views perfume as a precious fashion accessory that completes their luxurious lifestyle or as a gift to be given with the desire to please the eye as much as the nose. Ergo fancier bottle styles have become desirable and coveted again, ranging from the extravagant, like the crystal creations by Agonist or the Swarovski crystal containing Hedonist by Viktoria Minya, to the artistically hand-made such as the Martine Micallef bottles or the glamor of the 1001 Nights of Amouage. But back in time, the imagination of the fragrance bottle designers run into patterns which remind us more of Limoges and Lladro porcelain figures (or in the case of drugstore items of Barbie playthings) than of perfume bottles.
Everyone recalls the model dummy for Schiaparelli's Shocking, reprised by Jean Paul Gaultier in the 1990s. But I have unearthed a few more vintage examples on Ebay to share with you on a rainy day. Here they are.

                   

                 Vintage Novelty Windmill for "Devon Violets" Perfume by Delavelle

                         

                        Vintage Novelty Harp "Heavenscent" Perfume by Nikki de Paris.

             "The Perfume for Heavenly Times" as tagged on the box, depicting a taking aim cupid.

               Vintage Spray Perfume "Malibu Musk" Bottle Palm Tree 1980s

Do you know of any fanciful shaped vintage perfume bottles you'd like to add? Feel free to share in the comments.

(Re)Watch "Perfume: Story of a Murderer" Accompanied by the Film's Scent Track; or Odorama in the Service of Movie Appreciation

The Tom Tykwer directed 2006 film "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" (based itself on the cult 1985 novel Das Parfum by Patrick Suskind) will be accompanied by a newly created “scent track” for screenings in Los Angeles Nov. 6 and 7.

via kino.de

According to The Hollywood Reporter: "The screenings, which are free and open to the public, are being organized by the Institute of Art and Olfaction, an L.A.-based nonprofit that promotes the understanding of fragrance and facilitates its use in art. l.a. Eyeworks will host the screenings at its Beverly Boulevard store and, along with with L.A. perfume boutique Scent Bar, will host private pre-show parties. International Flavors and Fragrance, which stores the recipes, whipped up new batches for the occasion. The scents will be distributed to the audience manually, on card-stock strips."

via kino.de

Readers with a long memory will recall that perfumer Christophe Laudamiel (the mastermind behind DreamAir and scented opera), who has been a fan of the book like myself ever since its first publication back in the 1980s, had created a series of scents inspired by key scenes in the story: Baby, Sea, Aura, Paris 1838, Nuit Napolitaine, or Orgy are as immediately evocative as they are fascinating in their contradictory and derisive nature. At the time of the film's issue in 2006 Thierry Mugler under the aegis of Clarins Group had launched a special coffret with mini bottles containing these "accords" and scents retailing at the super collectible price of 800$.

Laudamiel and his partner Christoph Hornetz approached production company Constantin Films, which, along with Thierry Mugler's fragrance team, loved the idea and so a few select screenings of the 2006 film were accompanied by sniffs of the collection available at the theater lobby. But the upcoming L.A. screenings will be the first in which the scents will be experienced at the moments for which they were intended; the audience will be guided to pass the strip under their nose as soon as the accompanying scene comes on screen.

Sounds like an unmissable opportunity to render a 4th dimension to the cinematic experience: smell.

via kino.de

Les Parfums de Rosine Majalis: new fragrance

Les Parfums de Rosine is launching a new perfume, Majalis. The inspiration comes from the Rosa Majalis, a rose variant native in the Asian mountains. This flower develops an amazing cinnamon scent, which is the reason it's called the "love rose" due to its soft and captivating aura. Les Parfums de Rosine also call it the Cinnamon Rose.

The new perfume, Les Parfums de Rosine Majalis, is inspired by this unique rose to render a soft oriental with spicy complementary notes of pink pepper and nutmeg on a woody background. Bulgarian rose absolute contributes a bright and heady heart note.

The presentation of the bottle is rich and refined as usual: The Rosine bottle wears an amber cap and a silky cinnamon-hued pompon for this scent, tied with a fuchsia pink detail, while the folding box continues the theme of lozenges, but treated in bright metallic fuchsia details on a bronzed card in a cinnamon colour to reflect the mood of the Majalis perfume.

Christmas Gift Shopping part 2: perfume discovery giftsets

In the mad rush to Christmas shopping (or Hannukah or whatever it is you fete) the choices seem endless and the possibility for an error in judgement infinite. I'm trying to make this easier on you by cherry picking some products that will allow for a presentable festive season gift that shows the giftee they matter and will make it easier on you to shorten your browsing history and legwork. You can find them tagged under Christmas Gift Shopping on these pages. Today, it's perfume discovery sets!

I pinched this photo from The Non Blonde.

I have found that while perfume is a highly desirable (and indeed popular) choice of a gift, when offering it you're always met with that awkward moment of inward wonder: will it go down as something enjoyed or will it just gather dust on the bathroom shelf? This is why I highly recommend discovery sets. These are usually small coffrets that for the price tag of a big perfume bottle they give the option to test and wear a few different fragrances. Inevitably not everything will appeal in the same way, but the odds of pleasing are exponentially increased. It is essential that the set includes rather substantial bottles/atomisers size-wise; 7ml and up is the way to go, as anything less might appear as skimpy or mean-spirited.

Niche perfume companies have a few of those sets to choose from and indeed my selection comes via this market share because I just find that, with the prices what they are, niche perfume shopping is a riskier bet for most people from an initial money outlay point of view. The ones I recommend below are my personal selection (non affiliated) and I think they'd make a very fetching gift. Take a moment to explain to the person receiving it how you think that partaking in a luxury is a journey of personal discovery...

First one comes from L'Artisan Parfumeur. The Discovery Set they have prepared for Christmas 2013 has a selection of their best-sellers which might appeal to both women and men and caters to different tastes: from the musky clean and tart classic Mûre et Musc, the ethereally floral La Chasse aux Papillons, the woody, milky goodness of Premier Figuier and the more narcotic floral Nuit de Tubéreuse (the latter is the only Eau de Parfum in a collection of Eau de Toilette spray tubes of 7ml each). It's a 35GBP/40 euros/60$ value, available through the brand's site and at L'Artisan boutiques.

Second one comes from Neela Vermeire Creations (shown on the top of post). The glass travel sprays are cute, with the Ashoka wheel logo on the label, and look big enough to last you a while; they're 10ml each. Plus they come beautifully packaged in an organtina pouch. The fragrances themselves are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. (Need I repeat myself? Check out the Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling reviews on the links). Available through the official e-boutique. (please note however that the Discovery Set contains a sample of the newest Ashoka eau de parfum, but the Discover your India sample packs do not). The Neela Vermeire Creations discovery set retails at 85-90 euros.

The third one is from Parfums MDCI: Very credible perfumes from a brand worth checking out, but this discovery kit save you the Roman bust "caps" of the regular bottles which encumber the purse as well as the eye. The one on parfumsmdci.free.fr is approximately $120USD for a set of five fragrances in 10ml screw-top glass bottles.

Happy shopping!