In collaboration with bmm Issue N° 32 June 2010
High craftsmanship. Creative innovation. A hidden segment, born with the latest editions of Esxence the Masterpieces section of Cosmoprof Bologna, Fragrances of Pitti Immagine in Florence and White Beauty, it has not escaped to the more “commercial” perfumery where creator’s noses and managers of essence’s houses essences have been inspired by the traditional niche haut de gamme of fragrance, almost unknown to the public. The editors of perfumes, rediscover this way particular flavorings, rare unpublished notes for olfactory agreements made with completely natural materials,very expensive and difficult to find. Fragrances of the new generation become as light as eau. They seduce and give more satisfaction than jewelry. Or then sculptures.They are like a silent music contained within crystal universes.
Prada. The Ephemeral Infusions collection by Prada, launched in 2009, realized with artisanal processes, widens its range with a new feminine fragrance in limited edition: Infusion de Tuebereuse. Light as a typical Italian Eau De Cologne, is a concentrate of fresh and citrus notes from the Mediterranean sea. Like all packages from the collection, this is decorated with a mosaic print of Tuberoses from a print taken from the Prada textile archive.
Balenciaga. Nicolas Ghesquiere, Balenciaga’s creative director, has never made a misstep: Nicolas Ghesquiere, Balenciaga’s Creative Director, has never made a misstep: his collections have always been done with masterful skill, therefore there were high expectations for the new perfume the first since the 1955 Quadrille. A fragile and rigorous Violet, mysterious and introspective, classical and graceful, subtly dominates the fragrance. Supported by an amber background is like a blast of light spring breeze. Raises ancient charm, awakens the memory of departed loves. Its jus floral, similar to undergrowth’s nectar, evolves in spicy and sensual touches and is kept in a bottle-sculpture with the shape of a bell made of blown glass. The gentle presence of Charlotte Gainsbourg, friend and muse of the designer, interprets faithfully the fragrance in the advertising campaign shot by Steven Meisel.
Untitled. It is the name of the first perfume Maison Martin Margiela and expresses individual freedom: “Without any reference to a specific image or a specific environment, it can be interpreted freely and be adapted to each of us“. Created from the nose of Daniela Andrier, the essence is “monolithic“: the Galbanum, raw material, noble and rare is present in every note of this green floral woody essence, incisive, embraces the Bitter Green Bosso, Mastic, Incense, Bitter Orange. It carries within itself an olfactory classic vocabulary nowadays forgotten.
Opium. Trasgressive is the name, with an opulent and intoxicating charm. Capable to revoke the empire of the senses. Ode to the lysergic murky mist narrated by William Somerset Maugham. Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium makes a come back with its original olfactory pyramid, the scandalous perfume launched in 1977, times of rebellion and terror, which name was banned in the Middle East and for years also banned in an Australian region. Inspired by the Chinese courts’ splendours, it’s a bestseller of the world’s perfumery. The new bottle, designed by Stefano Pilati, the creative mind behind YSL fashion brand, remind the Intro, the warriors tools case with a transparent porthole that lights the essence up and invites you to get lost in the oblivion.
John Galliano. The scents are olfactory harmonies that capture the joy of living, just as the first Eau de Toilette by Jhon Galliano, dedicates to the playful and innocent spirit of his female creature. The nose, Christine Nagel, has created elegant essence with delicate powdery and woody notes. Romantic ode to decadence, to the salons of D’Annunzio: the silhouette of the bottle recalls the aristocratic figure of the Marquise Casati painted by Giovanni Boldini, who inspired the young couturier. Created with pure pathos, nurtured, venerated and understood there where others do not seek it. Go sniff it!
Alessio Nesi
