elle
In ELLE’s September edition there will be a one page musing with lots of pictures on “Alchemy of Style”. This page, by Megan Deem, features inspirations of fashion designers when “they step out of the atelier and into the perfumery”. I must admit: Elle is not on my daily radar so far, but with the one-page article in hand I went on-linie and found a fragrance finder on ELLE. Well, Tauer Perfumes…I could not find there, but anything else would have surprised me and would endanger my niche status ;-)
So, before writing my next few lines, and in light of debates going on about perfume critics that I find personally strange and out of proportions: I am not affiliated to Elle, nor do I know the author, nor do I expect any kind of article about my niche perfumes and perfumery. Ah well..unfortunately! Trust me, Megan Deem, we could do something funny, that would truly interest your readers, a somewhat personal story…..ah well…
Be it: So I got this page to see and I started wandering from reading on-line on Perfumesmellinthings (Marina’s post on Channel 19 and the new Channel 5 huge bottle “Eau Premiere”) to LAMB frangrances by Gwen Stefani in the Elle article.
The later is fluty floral. Yes, no typo: ..”glamorous like a flute of sparkling champagne”.
This inspiration I truly liked. It could be mine. But I would replace the peach and musk by woods and ambergris.
One one hand, I really think that champagne is a lovely beverage, typically French, for it contains alcohol, and needs time and patience until it is matured and ready to drink. Like with many French things it is expensive and there is no real substitute.
Second, I think there is a hidden dirtiness in champagne, a second line, just a hint. It is this musky cepes mushroom, this little dirty cellar where baron and baroness or his mistress…well you know what I mean! I think champagne is glamorous not only because of images of half-naked women dancing in smoky, red carpet shows in the 20-ies, with men in black drinking bubbly wine; it is glamorous because the rich of today drink it and the rich often produce sparkling stories…
Now: I imagine fashion designers, who still design fashion and are not only marketing tigers, to think about bodies all the time, and how to set new lines to contours and shapes. In a sense, a perfume does the same. It brings out body contours and lines. Thus, I indeed feel that fashion designers thinking about perfumes might bring in an expertise and a way of addressing bodies that is refreshing for us perfumers, thinking more in roses and other notes.
There is yet another line, bringing fashion design and perfumery together: Revealing beauty by hiding most of it.
August 21st, 2007 at 11:36 am
What a marvellous series of thoughts and images regarding champagne …
Revealing beauty by hiding most of it.
How truly unAmerican in spirit, and subtle.
It has the kiss of authenticity about it.
Beauty with a mask…
[”There is no true beauty without a strangeness in proportion”- I’m not sure, but I think this is John Millington Synge]
August 21st, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Dear Chayaruchama
Welcome back after your computer troubles! When writing this morning, I did not consider my thoughts being unAmerican…hmm: you make me think in the interview of Vero with Helg from Perfumeshrine, where they were talking about differences between the US and Europe.
hehehe…maybe we Europeans drink too much champagne? Hugs to you!
August 21st, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Fine post both communications and images the information which have given many to reflection. It seems to me, that perfumery give more for imagination, than clothes and fashion designers.
chayaruchama - ” There is no true beauty without a strangeness in proportion ” - what remarkable words. Many thanks
August 21st, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Good evening, Vladimir
Thank you! Maybe you are right about imagination and inspiration and perfumery. And I agree very much with your appraisal of Chayaruchama’s words! Fragrant greetings eastwards.
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:40 am
What interesting musings you posted today. Champagne, fashion, perfume. I loved your images of you know, cellar, baron, baroness, well dressed men and women dancing and drinking bubbly, sigh.
Truly remarkable is the last line ‘revealing beauty by hiding most of it’. Both beauty and sexyness IMHO have nothing to do with revealing half of one’s body, quite the contrary. To prove this point one only needs to look at most of the old Hollywood Glamour Stars who had more sex appeal than half of the people who think they’re ‘it’ today. Not so sure about this being a difference between Europe and America, maybe also a sign of the times (says the European living in America)? Note to self: have to read that interview of yours with Helg!
Stepping off my soapbox now.
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:49 am
This was a fascinating read. In my mind, beauty and fashion are always interwined (and I have to agree with Sabina up there. The observation about old Hollywood is one I often make in my blog.
I loved what you said about replacing the peach and musk with woods and ambergris. That’s the making of a much better perfume.
August 22nd, 2007 at 5:26 am
Dear Gaia
Thank you. I found it an interesting writing experience, because initially I wanted to write about a oakmoss and smoky woods. But then the sparkling wine was somehow popping up.
Dear Sabina
Oh..I so agree with you. True sex appeal has become something rarely seen these days. This is true for men and women and trust me: The difference is not so big between Europa and the US. Maybe over there at your place it is just a little bit more extreme? I got quite tired of the “it” celebs pumping up there lips and other body parts, behaving, dressing and talking far unlike a true star.