Interview with Serge Lutens & Jean Claude Ellena by Vogue {Fragrant Reading} {Scented Quotes of the Day}
Two interviews with two major defining personalities of 20th and 21st century perfumery. Both are French yet their styles and sensibilities differ, some would say diametrally so. On this blog, we might have encouraged people to see a structural contrast between their visions.
Serge Lutens and Jean Claude Ellena answer questions on their art to Vogue, in French. We translate one meaningful quote from each Q & A as our Scented Quote(s) of the Day.
"Comment peut-on savoir si un parfum va durer dans le temps ?
C’est le public qui choisit. Ce qui lui résiste accède à la reconnaissance. Le parfum peut, s’il a des adeptes – je devrais dire des « timbrés » - accéder à quelque chose de plus ou moins légendaire."~
"How can one know that a perfume will be enduringly popular?
- It is the public that chooses. What continues to have its favor comes to be recognized. Perfume can, if it has fans - I should say "addicts" - become more or less of a legend.".....
Interview with Jean Claude Ellena
"Ces parfums matière ont-ils une véritable identité ? (cf. Les Hermessences)
Je crois que la matière n’incarne rien toute seule, respirer un parfum avec un nez vide, comme on peut le dire d’un regard vide n’induit aucun imaginaire. La fragrance acquiert son identité avec des critères simples, son caractère doit être unique et franc. C’est l’artisan-artiste qui fait la différence et ce qu’il met de lui dans son parfum, pas la matière."~
"Do these perfumes-matter have a true identity? (in reference to the Hermessences collection)
- I think the raw material does not embody anything in and of itself; to inhale a perfume with an empty nose, as one would talk of an empty gaze, will not conjure up any imaginary world. A fragrance acquires its identity through simple criteria; its personality must be unique and frank. It is the artisan-artist that makes a difference and what he puts of himself into his perfume, not the raw material."
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