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January 22, 2010Interview with Stephen Weller, Director of Communications for IFRA: Fragrance Safety vs. Perfume Craftsmanship & Creation? {Perfume Q & A) Preamble
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August 13, 2009Q & A with Perfumer Mona di Orio around the Launch of Chamarre Around-The-Launch-Of SeriesMona di Orio is one of the best known names in alternative, independent perfumery from Europe. On the occasion of the launch of her latest opus, Chamarré (richly ornate, brightly colored), we thought it would be enlightening to ask her about her visual tastes and more generally help us better understand her new perfume, an iris-laden composition.  TSS: It is not easy to decipher your perfumes because
you are not exactly where one expects you to be: why does a perfume
called Chamarré starts on such dark, velvety and resinous notes in the
initial stage?Mona di Orio: Chamarré begins with a bunch of lavender followed by the clary sage and one aldehyde... It's a warm and deep departure, to give instantaneously a feeling of well-being and warmth...With a little touch of mystery at the same time ! The "real" essential oil of lavender is wonderful and has a lot of virtues too. In the symbolic language of the flowers it means "good luck"... And it's certainly not an old-fashioned note ! Hygiene by Gustav Klimt TSS: Was L'Heure Bleue a source of inspiration or a subject of study for you? MdO: Absolutely ! When I smelt "L'Heure Bleue" for the first time, I was 15 years old, I had a real emotional shock ! I was so fascinated, so touched... I discovered a beautiful story under my nose, a mysterious travel to follow and such an intense emotion... I will always remember it, I don't have to smell it again, I have it my mind...  Femmes au tombeau by Maurice Denis
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July 9, 2009Q & A with Alexander Lauber Founder of WienerBlut around the Launch of Klubwasser {Perfume Q & A} The Vienna Court Opera in 1902 WienerBlut is a new perfume label that was founded by Alexander Lauber and launched with a first fragrance called Klubwasser (Club Water). My early contact with the brand is through the website. Its welcoming image is striking with its shadowy black and white hues as it immediately puts the accent on the notion of impermanence: we are offered the sight of a multitude of by-now dead people; the music is slightly lugubrious. The texture of the image is that of an old movie frame left on pause indefinetly. You have not arrived at your standard fragrance website. For someone like me who is fascinated by old pictures of cities, I experience the reverse of what you most often see in antique pictures, the half-empty streets here are filled anew with an exhaustive list of ancestors. The brand aims to capture the soul and spirit of Vienna in a rather single-minded manner and through it experience a certain set of values. I was intrigued initially most by this sense of roots and anchoring. Perhaps I asked myself more questions in this case simply because Vienna is not as much today of a global city as London, New York or even Paris, the latter which hovers more on the side of local identity yet is culturally stuck in the minds of people as an international reference. An insistence on Paris and "made in Paris" for a perfume feels completely of-course. The same stress put on perfume and Vienna requires further clarification. To me, after having smelled and written a review of Klubwasser, it can feel like it is more than about Vienna, but I don't think that I could place it as being outside of Europe unless we started thinking of it as an eau that would have been made in Vienna, a fact Lauber likes to insist upon, and then traveled to exotic countries. Klubwasser was made by a fascinating Viennese perfumer specializing in emotional communication called Yogesh Kumar who asks you to bring an oft-worn garment to a private consultation when you ask him to create your own unique personal scent. He will smell your scarf or shirt, analyze and understand your personal olfactory imprint and create a composition around that non-replicable personal body scent component. Kumar has also a commercial line of fragrances I had never heard of which looks like a territory to be explored. But back to WienerBlut. When fragrances are issued that come accompanied with an historic background it tends to trigger the reaction of wanting to elucidate some of the tradition that stands behind those scents. But as we know, "tradition" may be quite an illusory concept and in some instances it may just be a specific type of springboard to creation involving the historical imagination supported by some information and a good dose of retro sensitivity. Klubwasser is undeniably retro -- but see where "retro" leads us to: an all or mostly natural perfume that is like the past encapsulated in the present-day preoccupation for greenness and eco-friendly products. It is like a movement to go back to a perfumery that is closer to 19th century perfumery than ever...Will the 20th century be just an intermission? Q & A with Alexander Lauber around the Launch of Klubwasser TSS: Do you remember when you first became interested in the world of aromas and perfume? Alexander Lauber: As a child, I lived in several different parts of the world. The scents of these places have always belonged to the most powerful memories: a food market in Bologna, the subway in Paris, the Atlantic ocean at Cape Cod, the carpet of my grandparents house. I often tried to conserve these scents in jars, books or clothes and take them with me. The first perfume I perceived as a brand and not merely as the scent of a certain person was Poison [by Dior].... 
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July 6, 2009Jacques Fath Irissime (2009): From Iris Gris to Irissime: A Contemporary Version of Iris Gris {New Perfume} - Q & A with Fabrice Biré of Panouge around the Launch of Irissime {Perfume Q & A} Last year a rumor started circulating on the Internet that a classic perfume by couturier Jacques Fath, the mythical Iris Gris (Gray Iris), was going to be resurrected. It is nearly impossible to find it nowadays, although it surfaces on very rare occasions; a set of Jacques Fath fragrances including the very elusive Iris Gris just recently sold on eBay (picture below). The perfume has not been lost to historic amnesia however thanks in part to perfumer Guy Robert who in the now out-of-print book Les Sens du Parfum counts it as one of the masterpieces of perfumery, one which was composed by nose Vincent Roubert. Guy Robert is quick to add though that his list is not exhaustive and presents a few of the best creations of a few of the best creators in perfumery. Vincent Roubert is thus included as the author of both Iris Gris and L'Aimant by Coty, the latter a much more readily available scent nowadays. L'Aimant was a spin-off version on Chanel No.5. For those interested in just smelling and not owning necessarily a perfume, a historically reconstituted version of iris Gris can be smelt at L'Osmothèque today thanks to the efforts of perfumer-curators. Needless to say it is now considered a museum piece. The sheer fact that the fragrance is nearly extinct in its original state has of course not lessened the levels of admiration for it but rather increased them. As it has become by historical accident even more exclusive and rare, we get the last ingredient needed for a perfume to become the stuff of legend: extreme exclusivity. Sometimes you have to wonder about that ultimate psychological element when perfectly wonderful fragrances can be had at drugstore prices and are not for that reason put on a pedestal, like L'Aimant for instance, the other masterpiece listed by Guy Robert.  An original bottle of Iris Gris I first learned about the project thanks to a reader who was wondering if I had heard about it and if one could give any credence to the rumor. After inquiring further and getting some helpful advice from Haarman & Reimer as well as Symrise later on, the company Panouge confirmed to me last summer that they were working on a reconstitution of the celebrated iris perfume which first appeared in 1946...
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November 10, 2008Interview with David Pybus around Scents of Time: Invitation To Smell Like Divine Divas {Fragrance Interview} Interview with David Pybus Around Scents of Time & The New Maya David Pybus, by his own admission, is a chemist turned "aromancer" in order to satisfy the more artistic streak in his personality. He is also an author and has written three books: The Chemistry of Fragrances (with Charles Sell), Kodo, The Way of Incense, and Transports of Delights, an anthology of poetic texts following an aromatic thematic, excerpted from world literature. He now hunts for ancient archaeological odoriferous remnants or manuscript records of fragrances in order to recreate them as wearable scents for today's perfume aficionados under his business label, Scents of Time (soon to become an e-commerce site too). His passion for bringing out long lost scents out of the vaults of history has earned him the nickname of "Indiana Jones of the perfume industry". Pybus released three perfumes last year, as previously announced, while a new one called Maya just launched this fall. Next year people will have the opportunity of experiencing two more intriguing perfumes based on phials salvaged from the infamous shipwreck of the Titanic, a floral scent for women and a woody one for men, both called Night Star. We wanted to understand better his venture, the reception it has received, and so asked him for his thoughts. TSS: I was wondering what kind of interest have you seen manifested for your "Indiana-Jones" fragrances? David Pybus: Early days yet as really only launched 3 weeks ago at major UK retailer and it's still 7 weeks to Xmas, but sales steadily rising. Hardest thing is still public awareness. I won £80,000 to create Scents of Time. A major fragrance House probably spends that on one magazine ad or TV placement so I am up against it in terms of creating a presence. - Have you felt that the specialized scope of your venture spoke best to the usual suspects (history buffs, academics, museum-goers...) or have you experienced some surprises there? First launch was at the British Museum which of course is serious archeological stuff! The range was a sell out on day one and has been steadily selling since. With 5 million visitors a year this is a great outlet for me. Wish I could get the Metropolitan Museum in New York interested!... David Pybus setting up a head-space analysis session for the blue lotus. Perfumer Montserrat Moline of Givaudan taking down some notes. Nenufar incorporates the reconstituted scent of the blue lotus.   
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April 4, 2008Interview with Linda Kramer, Assistant Vice-President for Ralph Lauren Fragrances {Perfume Q & A}
When Ralph Wild by Ralph Lauren first discreetly launched in late 2007, we immediately became aware of its existence as we got an email a few days before New Year revealing a certain sense of urgency from a young reader named Terra,
We were able to provide her with a link to Dillard's, where it was already in store, and to make an announcement illustrated with an early preview of the ad found on Sephora with model Amanda Charlwood but without any further details given about the new Ralph. Later we were able to do a brief review of the perfume which we thought was better than expected, offering a nice strawberry jammy quality, like a more laid-back and younger version of Miss Dior Chérie. This time, Ralph Lauren has decided to launch an internet-only communication campaign, including a contest to win a Vespa, and this is why The Scented Salamander got the opportunity to interview assistant vice-president for Ralph Lauren Fragrances Linda Kramer who developed the fragrance together with Olivier Gilotin and Jim Krivda. It is not easy to break the reserve of a corporate officer working for the mainstream fragrance industry, but Linda Kramer graciously accepted to answer some of our questions. We think this Q & A gives you some insights into how a prestige, more mass-marketed fragrance comes about and how it is conceived. For example, the design and packaging inspire the scent composition. If any young people are interested in becoming fragrance developers, you know what to expect. And by the way, Lauren, which is mentioned in the interview, used to be a great perfume. Bring it back! Pauline adds "Ralph Lauren Blue is a great office scent!"
Perfume Q & A with Linda Kramer
1 - How did the creative team decide to express the idea of “wildness” in Ralph Wild?
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February 4, 2008Q & A With Serge Lutens - Part 2 {Perfume Q & A} Photography by Serge Lutens, reproduced with the permission of Peter Gabor - © Reproduction is forbidden, used for pedagogical purposes. As people will see in the second part of our interview with Serge Lutens (see Part 1), he is a mind that always thinks beyond the predictable limits set by a question. Here he expresses himself regarding Baudelaire's legacy, his line of makeup, the mythical Nombre Noir fragrance, niche perfumery, and his contribution to contemporary perfumery. Marie-Helene Wagner: 16 – Do you think that speaking of perfumery, we are the heirs to Baudelaire?  "Coiffe façon Tatlin Tower" by Serge Lutens, an interpretation of the unfinished Tatlin Tower built by architect Vladimir Tatlin.
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Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens - 2ème Partie {Perfume Q & A} Photographie de Serge Lutens, reproduite avec la permission de Peter Gabor - © toute reproduction interdite, usage strictement pédagogique Comme vous pourrez le constater en lisant cette deuxième partie de notre interview avec Serge Lutens (voir la première partie), il est un esprit qui pense toujours au-delà des limites prévisibles assignées par les questions. Ici, il s'exprime sur l'héritage baudelairien, sa collection de fards, le parfum mythique Nombre Noir, la parfumerie dite de "niche", et sa contribution à la parfumerie contemporaine. Marie-Hélène Wagner: 16 - Pensez-vous qu’en matière de parfumerie, nous soyons les héritiers de Baudelaire ? Serge Lutens: - Le parfum n’est pas en soi qu’une senteur. Il est porteur d’imaginaire. Le parfum est épais, il est poison et désir pur. C’est Eros en prison ! Je pense que nous sommes avant tout héritiers de la frustration, mais aussi de la révolte qui fait que les non-soumis aspirent encore…  Continue reading "Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens - 2ème Partie {Perfume Q & A}" »
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February 1, 2008Q & A With Serge Lutens {Perfume Q & A}
In this Q & A with Serge Lutens, the discussion focuses on his latest creation, Five O 'Clock Au Gingembre (in the export range) and the notion of luxury, one of the key concepts that inspired the new scent. We had also wanted to ask him broader questions such as: are we still living with the legacy of Baudelaire where perfumery is concerned? Does Orientalism continue to nurture the creation and the imaginary world of perfumes? We decided to be more concise. But as it turns out, there was no need to put these words black on white. Baudelaire and colonialism (not Orientalism) are evoked. Here is an invitation to step into the Lutensian universe.
Marie-Helene Wagner:
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Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens {Perfume Q & A} Serge Lutens dans les jardins du Palais Royal - photo de Ling Fei
Marie-Hélène Wagner: 1- Le goût redécouvert du gingembre semble avoir été ici votre source d’inspiration initiale. Vous êtes-vous dit quelque chose comme, on va tâcher de faire un parfum, beau, intéressant autour de la matière première gingembre? Si oui, quelles facettes olfactives ou impressions précises autour de ce rhizome parfumé avez-vous voulu faire ressortir? Y eut-il des surprises? Serge Lutens:  Continue reading "Questions & Réponses Avec Serge Lutens {Perfume Q & A}" »
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