May 2009 Archives

Let me dip my hand into the jar:

Oh, the suspense! Who will win?

It's WaftByCarol!

Carol, I'm sure you'll love every last milliliter of your new bottle from Mr. Tauer (donated by the people at Lucky Scent for the giveaway).

Lucky Scent also sent me a *very* generous pile of samples of Une Rose Chyprée to hand out to those who didn't win the full bottle, so I have 12 more winners of sample packs to announce. Each sample pack winner will receive one carded sample of Une Rose Chyprée, plus a random helping of samples from my own collection (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Liz Zorn, Montale, Tom Ford, Chanel, LesNez, Puredistance, Roxanna Illuminated Perfume, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Aftelier and a lot more):

Musette
Juno
EileenS
Olfacta
Robbie Dillon
Galileo's Daughter
Marin
Dea
ScentSelf
Eric Love
Tammy
BettyBlue38

I also have three winners of totally random sample packs that don't include Une Rose Chyprée, but will include some very cool and special items, nonetheless:

Thomas
Chayaruchama
Tara

So everybody -- thanks for participating in the giveaway. It's a privilege to help bring some olfactory artistry into the lives of others. There will be more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned.

The rest of you (oh, the lucky ones!), make sure you email me your mailing addresses by the end of the week (Friday, June 5th) so I can send your packages out ASAP. You can find my email address at the bottom of the About Me section.

Oud is a fragrance category that a lot of western perfumers are working in lately, and with varying degrees of success (e.g. Montale, Le Labo, Amouage, M. Micallef). Now that Asian markets have become a big source of income for Western luxury and accessory brands, the hunt is on for scents that can bridge the cultural gap between East and West. Oud is one of those scents -- a category of spicy woodsiness that's often the result of the resin procured from Agarwood trees infected with a particular mold virus.

From Wikipedia: "Agarwood (or just Agar) is the resinous heartwood from Aquilaria trees, large evergreens native to southeast Asia. The trees occasionally become infected with mold and begin to produce an aromatic resin in response to this attack. As the infection grows, it results in a very rich, dark resin within the heartwood. The resin is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes."

I recently ran across a blog with photos of the agarwood resin in huge bottles: Face to Face with Arabian Oud. Beyond the photos and the enlightening discussion of the various types of oud (with derision expressed about the Indian "barnyard" ouds that are #1) cheaper to purchase, and so #2) used with more frequency in mass market fragrances), I also found this definition of "oud" to be informative:

"In the Arab world, 'Oud' is a fragrance category -- not the more-precious-than-gold essential oil of the Aquilaria tree. It is a type of smell -- not a type of ingredient that is extracted from a particular substance in a particular way. Just as we have 'musk' hand lotions, 'amber' incense cones, 'rose' soaps, which smell like musk without necessarily containing any deer musk; smell like amber without necessarily containing any ambergris; smell like rose without necessarily containing any rose otto; in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates they have 'Oud' mukhallats, soaps, perfumes, air fresheners, even scented paper tissues. They smell like Oud but don't necessarily contain any agarwood oil."

Well, that certainly helps explain Le Labo Oud 27. It also helps explain Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's Oude Arabique, a rich, sweet oud fragrance that actually does contain agarwood oil, yet blended artfully into a mix of sandalwood, cedarwood, buddahwood (aka false sandalwood), tolu balsam and mastic resins. There's a brief period in its opening when some of that "barnyard" oud scent is present, but it quickly passes and the scent then settles into a smooth, subtle fragrance that wears closely and lasts for 8+ hours.

I consider Hurwitz's Oude Arabique as a type of gateway oud -- an oud for those who don't see the appeal of the harder, more extreme Montale style ouds. I was skeptical when I first approached Hurwitz's take on oud (an independent American perfumer from Boulder, Colorado does oud?), but she quickly won me over. Oude Arabique is exactly the kind of oud fragrance I'm comfortable wearing, and it takes about a nano-second to accustom yourself to its exotic stylings. In other words, it may fashion itself after Asian influences, but its end result is not unfamiliar to what a Western consumer would recognize as perfume (albeit decidedly non-floral).

I highly recommend Oude Arabique to anyone who's curious as to what the fuss of oud is all about, but can't really stomach the majority of what's calling itself oud in the Western market.

Photos of Oude Arabique below. I purchased Hurwitz's extrait formulation rather than the EDP. I liked the EDP version -- soft, smooth -- but felt it lacked the depth I was really looking for out of an oud scent. The extrait concentration provided exactly that.

***Note: Hurwitz is a total DIY ("do it yourself") perfumer, so the packaging, while nice enough, has some issues that detract somewhat from the overall presentation (note the tears in the cardboard inset) -- but it's not a deal-breaker, by any means. The little bottle, however, is cute as can be.

1.) Thierry Mugler Returns to the Fashion Stage for Beyonce:
"Although Mugler took his last bow on the catwalk after his July 2000 couture show and the fashion line bearing his name became unviable and was closed down completely three years later, his influence has never been stronger. From cyber-chic metallic leggings and body-con dresses to his exaggerated, hour glass tailoring, suddenly his looks are everywhere . . . Beyoncé Knowles picked up on the trend and wore a vintage Mugler bustier fashioned out of a Harley motorcycle in some of the photographs for her album I Am Sasha Fierce. More than that, the singer asked him to create 58 new stage costumes for her world tour."

The article goes on to mention that while Mugler is no longer involved in the fashion line that still bears his name (the line has recently been jump-started with designer Rosemary Rodriguez at the helm), he's still passionately involved in the Mugler fragrance line and is preparing a new release for 2010 for which "the name, the concept, the ad campaigns and even the mini-movies designed for the internet (will be) created by him."

Video clip below of the making of the recent Angel ad campaign starring Naomi Watts. Angel is such a success that it has, at times, beaten out Chanel No. 5 as the top selling perfume in France:

I did find it rather sweet of The Telegraph to use a photo of Mugler circa 1999 rather than the frightening "Manfred" disaster he is now.

More on Mugler into Manfred here (WARNING: LINK IS COMPLETELY, THOROUGHLY AND ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR WORK!). Just so you know.

2.) Fake But True -- Lagerfeld's Tweets are Old News:
"When someone mentioned to me that Karl had started a Twitter page, I was curious to know if the page, which is about 26,384 followers strong, was for real or the product of another social networking imposter. It turns out it's the latter. I called Lagerfeld's PR office in Paris and a rep explained that the page is indeed written by a fan posing as Karl, but the quotes are real, pulled from old interviews that have run in various publications. So, mystery solved."

I suppose that having Lagerfeld on Twitter was just too surreal (and delicious!) a dish of candy to be true, but the quotes were certainly perfect Karl-isms because . . . well, because they actually were! And our beloved Fake Karl hasn't posted a Tweet since May 19th. I guess the gig is up? *sob*

3.) 60's Folk-Pop Icon Donovan Goes on a Perfumed Tour:
"Described as a fragrant symphony of music, poetry, color and aroma, the evening's performance features the introduction of natural perfumes into the theater during certain songs and images projected on the theater's screen to complement the musical journey . . . 'Ritual Groove will be the first aromatic concert in modern times,' (said Donovan). 'I'll be working with Mandy Aftel, our dear friend, who is the leading natural perfumer in the world. She composes perfume on an organ. It's not a new thing. It's ancient. The composition of aroma fragrance is composed on base notes and top notes. Just like in music.'"

Video clip below of a Donovan pop hit from 1966, back when people knew who Donovan was:

"I'm just mad about saffron . . . saffron's mad about me"

And just a reminder, Christophe Laudamiel's ScentOpera premiers in New York on May 31st (2009): "ScentOpera, an olfactory odyssey in four movements ... will premiere in a pitch black Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim on May 31. A series of composed scents will be piped directly through a "Scent Organ" to the audience, and music conceived by Icelandic Bjork-bred composer Valgeir Sigurdsson, among others, accompanies the onslaught . . . Each audience chair will be outfitted with scent "microphones" linked to the central organ that will discharge a litany of time-controlled scents. This delivery system was specifically designed over the past two years for this event in collaboration with Flakt Woods, a global leader in integrated ventilation."

Laudamiel has worked with environmental scenting previously, creating eight different scents (he described them as "air sculpture") for the main conference halls of the World Economic Forum in 2008. He's also the "nose" behind numerous mainstream & niche fragrances, including: Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Burberry London, Clinique Happy Heart, Estee Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue and S-eX by S-Perfume.

4.) Christian Lacroix Goes Bust for Lack of Economic Boom:
"After 22 years of bucking trends and ignoring the bottom line, Christian Lacroix has filed for the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in France . . . Haute couture, the bread and butter of Lacroix's operation, will never generate the kind of cash that perfume, accessories and ready-to-wear fashion do, and that's a big reason for the label's demise. While prices for couture dresses often creep into the six figures, very few units are actually sold. Unlike Chanel, Dior and Armani, which boast bestselling perfumes and accessories, Lacroix has continued to rely on its expensive dresses."

Video below for the Christian Lacroix Spring/Summer 2009 collection -- you know, the one that finally drove him into insolvency:

"Sweetie, darling, it's Lacroix!"

Watching AbFab episodes will no longer be the same.

In related news, Italian high-fashion line Salvatore Ferragamo reported a 17% drop in profits for the full year of 2008: "Salvatore Ferragamo SpA reported a 17 percent drop in earnings in 2008 due to marginal revenue growth and a raft of new store openings . . . Last year, the fashion and luxury goods firm increased its retail network to 552 stores from 503, including 19 new boutiques in international airports."

Polo Ralph Lauren also posted significant losses: "Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.'s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings tumbled 57% amid $69 million in store-related write-downs and restructuring charges . . . However, the company predicted a bigger sales drop for the new fiscal year than anticipated by analysts. It anticipates revenue falling by the high-single digits on a percentage basis, but declined to give an earnings outlook due to continuing economic uncertainty."

Perry Ellis announced a profit decline of 37% for the first quarter of 2009: "Apparel maker Perry Ellis International Inc. said Thursday that its profit tumbled 36 percent in its fiscal first quarter . . . Perry Ellis said its gross margins declined during the quarter, pressured by its planned exit of the licensed Ping golf business and by heavy discounts," and J.Crew reported a 33% profit plunge, though sales rose 2% from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Burberry axes its lower price Thomas Burberry line and cuts jobs in Spain: "Britain's largest luxury-goods company, reported a full-year loss after it sold more handbags and apparel at a discount and wrote off the value of its business in Spain . . . 'Markets remain tough,' Chief Financial Officer Stacey Cartwright said on a call after the report, adding that the Spanish writedown amounted to the entire value of Burberry's local business. She said Burberry is 'aggressively' cutting inventory and 'planning more conservatively' this year."

Menswear designer Thom Browne (he of the abysmal shrunken suits that make wearers look like overgrown boys) is also downsizing his company: "The high-end men's wear label has parted ways with its chief executive officer and chief financial officer . . . According to one observer, the scale-back is a wise move in this economy. 'This shows signs that he's running and operating his business in a more responsible manner. It didn't make sense for a company that size to have two senior positions. These days, cutbacks are the normal course of business.'"

"I design a man's suit to look ill-fitting and too small on purpose -- I'm a genius!"

As if to thumb its nose at brands less fortunate, "Chanel opened a 7,100-square-foot boutique in the Dubai Mall last month, its first company owned location in the region . . . Designed by architect Peter Marino, the Dubai Mall unit has a residential feel, with some 4,100 square feet devoted to ready-to-wear and accessories over white and beige marble floors appointed with black furniture."

No one and nothing can keep the Chanel behemoth down.

5.) Travota vs. Forever 21 Ends in Mistrial:
"A mistrial was declared Wednesday in Trovata's lawsuit alleging Forever 21 knowingly copied its designs . . . Trovata alleged the $1.7 billion cheap chic retailer turned out near-identical copies of pieces worn on the runway or published in magazines -- in one instance with labels inside a hoodie that were unique to Trovata. The suit covered seven Trovata pieces, including cardigans, hoodies, shirts and a jacket from fall 2005 to early 2006. Los Angeles-based Forever 21 conceded the similarities between its garments and those of Trovata, but insisted that it broke no laws because the disputed designs were not unique to Trovata."

Trovata, a young jeans and sportswear company, said it will seek a new trial against Forever 21 in the hopes of punishing the global fast fashion company for what it alleges is flagrant theft of its designs and brand image. Numerous similar lawsuits have been initiated against Forever 21 in the last three years from brands such as Anna Sui, Gwen Stefani and Diane von Furstenberg.

Forever 21 has made a business out of monitoring the runway shows for what will be hot in upcoming seasons, then pushing out cheaper version of the items onto their shelves before the original designers have even finished taking orders. The trial between Trovata and Forever 21 was closely watched by industry insiders for clues into how the courts would rule on accusations of design theft when the designs in question are not copyrighted or trademarked.

Video below of the Trovata Spring/Summer 2009 Collection:

6.) Jeans are Recession Proof:
"While consumer spending remains woefully depressed, expensive designer jeans have been one of the few bright spots for manufacturers and retailers, according to NPD Group Inc., a market research company. Sales of premium brand jeans grew 17 percent during 2008 and eked out a 2.3 percent increase in the most recent three-month period, which ended in February, making premium denim one of a few "pockets of growth in an otherwise fizzling fashion market," NPD Group said."

Well, sure -- who has the money to dress up and go out anymore? Just give me some comfy jeans and I'm fine on the sofa watching back episodes of Bones. Oh, what? They were talking about "Premium" jeans? Okay, then, give me some comfy "Premium" jeans and we'll have a backyard bbq. You're all invited. BYOB.

Speaking of bringing your own beer -- Amy Winehouse designs for PPQ: "The range will be all about high end statement pieces, inspired by Amy's style. For example maybe an amazing piece of jewellery like a bracelet, or a dress. It's going to be distributed online, we are going to be providing all materials and doing the design, but Amy will definitely be involved in the creative process."

Hmmmm, junkie-mess designer duds or jeans? Life is full of such difficult choices. BTW: I did appreciate how the spokesperson flat-out acknowledged that Winehouse would have very little to do with the actual hands-on designing of the line that will be sold as having been . . . uh . . . "designed" by her.

I guess slapping your name on a brand label, picking up a check and depositing it in your bank account could potentially be considered a type of "lifestyle" design process? If so, I'd be the *best* designer ever!

Update: Agh! I forgot to mention -- while you're all busy dressing down in jeans and Winehouse rags, the little tykes in your life can now live it up in style in the new Oscar de la Renta line . . . for kids! : "The line, which was unveiled earlier this week at Oscar de la Renta's Melrose Place boutique, will offer tiny shift dresses in floral prints to match the women's dresses . . . The children's dresses will retail for between $200 and $350, with $100 from the sale of each dress donated to the Children's Defense Fund."

Just the thing for teaching those impressionable pre-teen girls all about the wisdom of saving more than one spends.

7.) Consignment Stores Outpace the Competition:
"While department stores have seen sales tumble during the recession, that's not the case for re-sale stores. Their business is up across the country by as much as 25 percent in some places . . . The rule of thumb is that gently used clothes sell for a third of what they would retail for, so a Marc Jacobs dress, which would sell for $450 in a store, sells for $149 at Clothes Heaven."

I wonder if they'll be selling any Lacroix? Awkward!

On May 25th, Bloomberg News reported on a power struggle within Versace, pitting designer Donatella Versace (who owns 20% of the company) against Giancarlo Di Risio, the CEO who was hired to steer the company back into profitability after a number of bad design and marketing decisions put the Versace brand in financial trouble in the early 2000's.

"The family brought in the former Fendi SpA chief in 2004 to stem losses. He worked closely with Donatella to make the collections less flashy and returned the label to profit, helped by sales of accessories and new booming markets, such as Russia."

But Donatella is said to be displeased with some of Di Risio's latest decisions, including cost-cutting in the marketing budget and hiring an outside designer (hot Brit of the moment Christopher Kane) to design a new collection for the brand's lower-priced cheaper-quality label, Versus.

The installation of Kane at Versus was touted as a positive move for Versace, but Donatella apparently chafed at the idea that Kane was given full creative control over the direction of the Versus brand, locking her out of the creative decision-making process for a brand produced under her family's name.

Video clip below of Kane's own Spring/Summer 2009 collection:

Just one day after the Bloomberg article hit the web, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Versace board approved a restructuring deal that sidelines the CEO. The scuttlebutt is that Di Risio will be resigning in the next few days.

"Versace tapped Bain & Co. to craft a new strategy for the fashion house two months ago as tensions between the designer and Mr. Di Risio rose, the people said. Amid falling profits, Mr. Di Risio has pushed Ms. Versace to simplify her designs, so that the house could introduce new accessories and clothes with lower prices, according to one person familiar with the matter. The two have also disagreed over how to cut costs at the fashion house, the person said."

News articles are still touting that nothing is amiss in Versace land, though Business.Scotsman is hinting that the former CEO of Pringle of Scotland might be in consideration to replace Di Risio: "The Versace board is expected to meet today to discuss the departure of current chief executive Giancarlo Di Risio, but it is understood that the fashion house's approach to Winser is in very early stages."

And the Financial Times seems convinced that Di Risio is on his way out the door: "The split has its roots in the global economic crisis, which is hitting the luxury goods market hard. Ms. Versace always felt it necessary to spend lavishly on promotions and parties, and Mr di Risio began to urge caution as the recession bit."

Case in point regarding the "urging caution" aspect, there was a bit of a tussle when Di Risio objected to the fee of a top photographer Donatella wanted for the next Versace ad campaign: "The CEO was recently unhappy that Donatella's choice of photographer for an ad campaign was Mario Testino, who charges at least 100,000 euros ($140,000) a day."

CNN report on "iconic" fashion photographer Mario Testino

But what's a high flying luxury label if it starts behaving like a poor country cousin, cutting back on parties, hiring bargain-basement photographers, and even shifting focus to expanding its lower-cost, lower-priced lines while pulling back on its high-end goods?

Di Risio may be right in the short term -- the entire luxury industry is going through a contraction, and he wants to make sure that Versace is able to weather the storm; but Donatella is right, too, with the marked difference that she's right for the long term of the business and the family name. Versace cannot keep its high-end image or its high-end clientele if it cuts back on glitzy parties, splashy ad campaigns and celebrity pampering to focus, instead, on ramping up production of low-end accessories and logo t-shirt dresses.

Angelina Jolie in a Versace gown at Cannes, 2009

The glamor of the high-end, the excitement of owning even a small piece of the same lush glow of wealth and international acclaim that surrounds, say, Angelina Jolie as she strides down the red carpet at Cannes, is what keeps consumers shopping at the low-end Versus line. After decades in the business, Donatella Versace knows this and is rightly concerned that if Versace loses its high-end luster, it will lose not only its wealthy clientele -- it will lose everything.

Di Risio is an excellent businessman, but the luxury industry is as much about emotions, hopes, aspirations and calculated image as it is about the bottom line, and once a luxury brand starts behaving like a mass-market chain store, it loses its grip on what makes it desirable.

Remember that over the top retro package that was The Party in Manhattan? A refresher below:

Well, the same company has produced a few new fragrances for Spring/Summer called The Garden Party (Wisteria and Frangipani). The Garden Party Frangipani is the one I tested, and it's a fitting companion piece to the deep, musky nature of The Party in Manhattan.

The Garden Party Frangipani won't win any awards for 'Freshest, Lightest Fragrance of the Season' as it's definitely a heavy-lidded, languid, come-hither scent from the start. It feels like a high-summer perfume, something you'd wear in sticky, humid weather that would infuse such potentially oppressive conditions with the recollection of sweet orange rinds, fleshy jasmine flowers and the spicy tropical waft of warm island breezes.

Listed scent notes are: spices, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylonese cinnamon, Indian jasmine absolute, osmanthus absolute, Venezuelan tolu balsam, white musk, oakmoss and East Indian patchouli. There's a distinct muskiness to the entire affair (echoing The Party in Manhattan in this respect) -- it goes on sweet and floral, yet with an undertone of heat, skin and salty air that becomes more pronounced as time passes.

The Garden Party Frangipani strikes me as extremely feminine, but in a glamorous Old Hollywood way, or, rather, in a Hollywood version of the British Colonial way -- full of formal dances in the evening, intense conversations on tropical white sand beaches, and careening down a third-world dirt road in the latest, fastest convertible, locals scattering out of the way as the horn blasts and the over-inflated tires squeal.

Your level of pleasure in the nostalgia trip may vary depending upon whether you identify with the driver of the convertible or the terrified locals.

Again, as with The Party in Manhattan, the company isn't breaking any new ground, and from its marketing copy and retro packaging, I don't suspect it has any intention of doing so. Lucky Scent states that The Garden Party fragrances are crafted from all-natural components, but white musk is a noted synthetic substitute for natural musks, so I'm not exactly certain what "all natural" could be referring to in this instance (beyond functioning as a marketing catch-phrase that we're not meant to question).

***Note: prices for The Garden Party run considerably lower than its sister fragrance, The Party in Manhattan. The Party in Manhattan is $275.00 for 50ml, but The Garden Party fragrances are $165.00 for 50ml. The Garden Party Frangipani fragrance wears much more closely to the skin than The Party in Manhattan, and longevity is good but not great.

Denyse Beaulieu, over at Grain de Musc, alerted me to the new Narciso Rodriguez release, Essence -- not because either of us cares about the fragrance (department store fruity musk), but because the bottle is so gosh darn cool!

Let me quote from Denyse: "Have you ever heard me rave about bottles? No you haven't. My template is the Chanel flacon: simple and functional. But somehow, Ross Lovegrove's design really gets to me - it's like a molten lab bottle filled with quicksilver. Its blurred contours suggest it's about to morph or is in the midst of teleporting. Lovegrove's flowing organic lines appeal to my inner geek: if this is the future, I want in."

Take a number, pal, and get in line.

With so many new perfume releases -- if not new perfume brands, lines, companies, etc. -- still pouring into the market (Denyse writes about that here, as well), I find myself turning into a packaging freak if only to differentiate among the madding crowd.

I've so far focused on niche perfumery because it gave me what I thought was an easy way to drown out half the olfactory static right there, but the number of non-mainstream + artisanal perfume brands has exploded in the last five years, and when one of them has a hit, say, with Iris or incense, then everyone else quickly follows suit and there's suddenly a flood of limited edition iris and incense fragrances and please dear god make it stop I can't hear myself think.

So I figure it's time to add a second level of static elimination, and I'm going to go for packaging on this one. I figure, if a brand is going to trumpet its wares, parade through the market and charge me for the privilege, then I'm definitely in the mood to see the emperor go to the effort of dressing things up a bit.

The Rodriguez Essence went to a lot of trouble getting dressed, and I applaud it for the effort. Saks Fifth Avenue ruined the presentation by putting scotch tape all over the box and leaving dirty fingerprints everywhere, but that just means I won't be doing any further fragrance ordering from their direction (and they wonder why their stock is plummeting). The bottle is, however, an aesthetic pleasure.

Just a little info about Lovegrove, the designer: "Winner of numerous international awards, his work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally, including the museum of modern art in new york, the guggenheim museum new york, axis centre japan, pompidou centre, paris and the design museum london -- where in 1993 he curated the first permanent collection. Lovegrove was awarded the world technology award by Time Magazine and CNN in november 2005."

The bottle is a sculpted glass sheath over a mirrored core, topped by a clear resin cap that looks a bit like an airplane propellor (and spins around like one, too, if you give it a snap). Even the BF said, "Oh, that's a cool bottle!" when he walked past the table this morning -- where I was hunched over in an attempt to get a decent photograph without also capturing my own reflection in the photo. Blasted mirrored bottles.

The PR copy states that "its elemental shape alludes to a woman's
contours to form an exquisite object of art." Okay, whatever. The bottle is curvy and organic and haute in a SoHo art gallery kind of way. It also picks up the colors of whatever environment you place it in, then bends and twists them as you walk past so that it presents an impression of constant motion even when it's sitting still.

Photos below:

Here's another blog post from Anton Steeman about the bottle design, but it goes into a little further detail about the cap:

"The bottle cap is moulded using Surlyn PC 2000 . . . Surlyn is a commercial thermoplastic ionomer resin that was introduced by DuPont in the early 1960's ... Moulded goods made with Surlyn are virtually unbreakable, and offer unusual design freedom, combining toughness, clarity and chemical resistance. It is one of the materials most favoured by designers, for complicated and bold designs. Thanks to a direct removal of this fully massive, isomorphic, and smooth piece from the mould, no mould parting line is visible, leaving the transparency of the cap perfect."

All of which makes me wonder what molten Surlyn PC 2000 smells like . . . ?

UPDATE (05/26/09):

Just to give you an idea of what dealing with a mirrored bottle is like, I present to you, "Portrait of the Photographer in a Perfume Bottle":

Egad!

1.) Perfume.com Loses That Sweet Smell of Success:
"Sales declined 5.5% at Perfume.com in the first quarter and its parent company, Live Current Media Inc., says its ability to stay in business is in doubt . . . 'Revenue growth was challenged as a result of continued softening of consumer discretionary spending in the U.S. market,' the company says in a quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission."

I know we're hearing lots of speculation about how consumers are trading down on their luxury purchases, going for designer cosmetics and fragrances rather than handbags and shoes (the lipstick theory), but maybe it's time to face the idea that sales across the entire retail sector are diminishing in response to a global economy that continues to shed jobs and make consumers nervous.

But on a more positive note, Chanel has announced that it will soon make its entire Les Exclusifs series available online, a much welcome blow to the outdated idea of manufactured exclusivity. Note to designers: if your product is available in chain department stores but not online, you're just foolish, not exclusive.

In sort of related news, Chandler Burr, scent critic for the New York Times, showed up at a May, 2009 Thinking Digital conference in the U.K. where he let slip "that the New York Times is 4-8 weeks from closing its doors and going out of business" . . . does this mean that our favorite perfume snob will soon be booted from his paying columnist gig? Stay tuned.

Video clip below of Chandler talking about how his book "The Emperor of Scent" came to be:

2.) Retailers Unite for Stiletto Stimulus Plan:
"September 10, right as New York Fashion Week will be getting underway, retailers in major cities worldwide will join forces for 'Fashion's Night Out' . . . Around 100 retailers in the United States have already signed on with the intent to put the fun back in shopping, boost sales and make stores more than just a place to buy new things -- instead, they'll become 'more entertaining theaters of commerce.'"

I just received an email from a friend of mine in Seattle who said that the new Neiman Marcus in Bellevue will be having a huge grand opening party on September 10th, so it looks like chain retailers are already putting plans into motion.

Tom Peters, management guru, marketing consultant and author of 'Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age' has been hammering the "It's the Lifestyle, Stupid!" point home for the past six years. If businesses want to stay viable in the future economy, they need to provide more than mere cash registers, sales assistants and peppy pop tunes playing in the background. Think Apple vs. Microsoft -- do you just want software, or do you want an aesthetic? This is how boutique clothiers and/or perfumeries can wrestle back the market from their larger but more stuffy/corporate rivals.

A video clip parody below of how Microsoft would package the iPod. This has correlations with mainstream luxury houses, mainstream perfume brands and chain stores vs. independent houses, boutiques and brands -- consumers want to buy an experience along with the product (of course, this is why Karl Lagerfeld is so adamantly against internet shopping when it comes to Chanel, but there exists a happy median . . . somewhere!):

In not so stimulated news, S&K Menswear to close all stores: "S&K Menswear announced Thursday it will close its remaining 105 stores in 26 states . . . Jonathan Tibus, chief restructuring officer at S&K Menswear, said Thursday that the company would not emerge from bankruptcy protection. 'In spite of our best efforts, the current economic climate left us with no choice but to close down the business,' Tibus said."

And after announcing disastrous first quarter results, Abercrombie & Fitch is caving to pressure and cutting prices: "Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) appears to have relaxed its fierce stance against discounting, but the move hardly made up for a self-described fashion "miss" that contributed to the apparel retailer swinging to a loss in the first quarter . . . The retailer had been staunchly defending a largely non-promotional approach, but the ongoing recession appears to be prompting some reconsideration."

Gee, you think?

Gap also announces a drop in profit: "Gap Inc., the largest U.S. clothing retailer, said first-quarter profit dropped 14% as consumers trimmed clothing purchases."

Sales at Old Navy fell by 3%, while Banana Republic posted a 13% drop in sales. Hot Topic gives a gloomy 2nd Quarter profit forecast (where are the sparkly vampires when you really need them?), and Limited Brands (which owns Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works) reported a 97% drop in profit from a year ago.

Meanwhile, discount chain Ross Stores announced a 15% first quarter profit increase; Sears posted an unexpected profit jump as its KMart stores saw an uptick in recent consumer traffic; and last but not least, pricey, high-fashion label Lanvin is doing a bang-up business: "Lanvin, fueled by the creativity of Alber Elbaz, can face the economic crisis "in a healthy way," said executive vice president Thierry Andretta . . . Sales advanced 29 percent ... the gains reflect a retooling of the supply chain, strides in leather goods and a rejuvenated men's wear business."

Video clip below for Lavin's Fall/Winter 2009/2010 runway show:

3.) Giorgio Armani Recovering After Bout with Hepatitis:
"The 74-year-old said in a statement he had decided to 'calm worries' after a high level of interest concerning his personal well-being in the last few days . . . 'I have in fact suffered from hepatitis by poisoning, which, certainly is not a rare illness. Nevertheless it is one which requires some time for a complete recovery,' Armani said."

4.) U2's Bono Sells Anti-Corporate Clothing Line to Corporate Behemoth LVMH:
"In 2005, Bono and his wife Ali Hewson set up Edun, a clothing range that was going to prove there is a different way to end poverty. It was going to be non-corporate and of course "sustainable". At the time MSNBC said it would be 'clothing with a conscience'. Vogue magazine said Edun was going to 'flip capitalism on its head' . . . Last week the rock star announced he has sold out to LVMH, the worlds largest luxury goods company."

Selling a 50% stake in your anti-corporate, anti-capitalist, sustainable and organic clothing company to the largest, most aggressively capitalist luxury and fashion corporation in the world is just about the most . . . uh . . . "creative" way to flip capitalism on its head that I've ever heard of. There is no mention in any press accounts as to how much money Mr. Bono accepted for selling out his organic, sustainable ideals. Thirty pieces of silver, perhaps?

5.) Chanel May Have Audrey Tautou, But Dior Has Marion Cotillard:
"The film, made by La Vie en Rose director Oliver Dahan, sees Cotillard attempting to free a man, 'James', from a room where he is tied up. Cotillard runs across Paris in six-inch Dior platforms to get to him, stopping off to hang precariously from the Eiffel tower clutching a Dior bag and finally bursts into the room in an evening dress, her brown hair dyed blonde."

Mon dieu! I would hope that someone rushing to save me might not worry so much about stopping for the perfect glamor shot . . .

I'm liking these viral videos that large luxury houses are producing. In the era of YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, etc., it's fantastic exposure for a brand as these mini-promo movies get linked, emailed, blog-posted and otherwise passed on (and on). The super saturated glamor of the cinematography and locales is also a smart way to hit the reset button on consumer perception of the brands after last year's spate of 60%-70% off sales seriously undermined their "We're Very Very Very Desirable!" image.

6.) Say It Isn't So! Ex-Assistant Calls Lagerfeld a Narcissist:
"Titled Merci Karl!, the book, as (Arnaud) Maillard puts it, intends to reveal 'a different side' of Lagerfeld. Specifically, the side that 'needs an eternity to get ready in the morning' . . . Of Lagerfeld's collaboration with H&M, which Maillard says his assistants worked on non-stop for three months, the Kaiser spent 'two half-days ... on the drafts. Then he got millions from the Swedes.' As for his assistants: nada."

I'm shocked -- SHOCKED, I tell you! As for H&M, they got what they wanted from Lagerfeld, whether his assistants designed the collection or not. I mean, isn't that what assistants are for? My imaginary assistant (Kiki) does simply *everything* for me. I couldn't breathe without her . . . "Kiki! My martini glass is nearly empty!"

Below is the brilliant ad campaign for H&M's Lagerfeld collection:

"Karl, is it true?!!"

7.) And You Thought Fashion Trends were Fast:
"With the economy ailing, consumers cutting spending, retailers opening fewer stores and vacant space staying empty longer, temporary stores are taking on a new luster . . . A popular use of temporary retail space is the pop-up shop, which allows a brand to make a quick splash in a market. While the life of a pop-up shop may be brief, its impact on consumers can be lasting. Pop-up shops often materialize in unexpected locations, such as Yves Saint Laurent's shop for Stefano Pilati's Edition collection, which opened in February on Manhattan's scruffy Great Jones Street."

Pop-Up Shops have become a way for brands to test markets, shed excess inventory or introduce new looks and new products without overstaying their welcome. Comme des Garcons has its own version of the pop-up store, called the Guerrilla. A little less temporary, but still on the move.

Update: to illustrate this very point, Hermes just announced that it will open a temporary "pop-up" store in East Hampton: "'We have 22 of our own boutiques in the U.S. - East Hampton will be 22 and a half,' Hermès President and CEO Robert Chavez tells the East Hampton Star. He said the company had been eyeing a Hamptons location for a while but that a permanent location just doesn't make sense these days."

8.) And the week wouldn't be complete without a Tweet from our favorite fashion narcissist, (Kaiser) Karl Lagerfeld:

Amen to that.

Mr. Tauer has created quite an uproar among the . . . well, easily uproarable perfume blogging crowd with the upcoming release of his Une Rose Chyprée. For the intensely nose-focused crowd, there's always the search for something new, something exciting, something worth sniffing one's self up into a lather about, and a new release by the independent-minded Andy Tauer is a sure-fire way to get a lather, rinse and repeat cycle in full gear.

***Note: Serge Lutens is also on the guaranteed lather list, but Nuit de Cellophane has already come and gone on the screaming Beatle-esque hype scale, so thank god Mr. Tauer has come along to keep everybody occupied for another couple of months or so. Idle perfume bloggers can be dangerous.

The good news is, if you're the type that generally precedes the word "perfume" with the word "vintage", then Une Rose Chyprée is going to rock you back on your heels. I swear, I've never smelled something so new that smells so old -- it's like a 15ml time-machine back to the days of funky animal musks, natural floral oils and genuine oak moss. The deep reverence for the classics is not my thing, personally, but the painstaking care and attention that went into the creation of Une Rose Chyprée is obvious from the first sniff.

Official fragrance notes are: rosa damascena absolute and essential oil, bay, cinnamon, bergamot, lemon, clementine, bourbon geranium, labdanum, oak moss, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla. The intro is dense, earthy and kind of ambergris musky, then as time passes, layers begin peeling away like a rocket ship jettisoning freshly emptied fuel tanks as it continues to gain altitude. About three to four hours in, the heart of the fragrance breaks free of the atmosphere and the throaty roar of the engines subside.

***Note 2: I debated about the rocket ship metaphor, but I assumed no one else was likely to be doing it, so why the h*ll not? Besides, I figured Marin would get a kick out it, and it's always been my goal in life to kick Marin. Onward!

The mid-phase of Une Rose Chyprée is the part that I truly, unequivocally enjoy -- the labdanum is deliciously smooth, the rose and cinnamon are dusky and dusty (respectively), the geranium adds a nice bit of tickle to the mix and the patchouli/vetiver combo is artfully dry, woodsy (with forest green edges) and almost smoky. Things glide blissfully along like this for hours until more layers shed and the pure, sweet vanilla at the base begins to shine through. The drydown gets purer and simpler still until it's just one glowing vanilla tone, and then *poof* it's gone.

Longevity is 11 to 12 hours. No kidding. I've read customer complaints on the Lucky Scent site where people think the price is steep for 15ml of an EDP, but this is an EDP that lasts longer than 95% of extrait formulations on the market, so no one really has any justification to grouse.

Une Rose Chyprée is the first release in Andy Tauer's Mémorables line, and it boasts some new packaging (did someone say new packaging?). I'm happy to say that Andy hit the look right out of the ballpark. The packaging is clean and simple, yet with an almost Japanese calligraphic feel that suits the exotic throwback nature of the scent without getting all fussy about it. Photos of the bottle and wrapping below:

The people at Lucky Scent generously provided me with an advance bottle (the fragrance isn't officially released until July 1st) so that I could photograph it and then offer my blog readers a chance to snag it for themselves in a giveaway -- so if you dream at night of swimming in languid pools of vintage chypres, now's your chance.

***Note 3: giveaway is limited to U.S. residents and/or addresses. You can enter as an international, but the mailing address needs to be within the U.S. (i.e. you can have a U.S. friend forward the package on to you).

Just leave a comment in the comment section with your name and interest in being included in the giveaway, and I'll be announcing the winner next Friday evening, May 29th (or Saturday morning, or something like that). If you can't get the new comment section to work for you, then you can also send me an email (my email address can be found in the About Me section).

I'll also be giving away samples of other fragrances, as well (Puredistance, Penhaligon, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Aqaba, Yosh Han, Bois 1920, Guerlain, Six Scents, Soivohle, Aroma M and more), so there will be five winners total, maybe more if the samples hold out and enough people express an interest. The giveaway bottle of Une Rose Chyprée is the one featured in the photos, so it's been untied, unwrapped and unboxed, but never sprayed.

Good luck! And be sure to thank the Lucky Scent crew for their generosity.

UPDATE (06/01/09):

The winners have been announced: And the Winner Is . . .

After the tuberose fueled kick of Sands of Aqaba, I'd prepared myself for another Aqaba roundhouse to the nose, yet Aqaba by Aqaba is a softer, more fluid creation . . . a kinder, gentler Aqaba.

Aqaba is the name of a coastal city in the country of Jordan, signaling that the house of Aqaba has its sensibilities firmly planted in the culture and history of the Middle East. In an interview with Fragrantica, Miriam Mirani (founder of Aqaba) states: "The oils and notes of Aqaba are based on actual research I did into the caravan incense route of the Queen of Sheba. On her trading routes she would buy and sell cinnamon, frankincense, cardamom, and many other spices . . . Aqaba (Classic) is the tribute to the legendary love of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon."

The Queen of Sheba/King Solomon tribute angle is cheesy, yes, but everyone and everything needs some kind of marketing hook these days, so I'll just roll with it and move on.

Fragrance notes for Aqaba by Aqaba are: jasmine, rose, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, damask rose, frankincense, peach, tea leaves, white cedarwood and oak moss. The rose is a main focus, as it would be in any respectable Middle Eastern tribute fragrance, but it's blended with the dusky cinnamon, clove and cardamom trio for a warm, smooth ride on the flying carpet, followed by a lengthy drydown that's a pleasure of dried, exotic spices, incense and polished cedar wood (punctuated with a hit of strong black tea).

I expected Aqaba to be a heady brew, but it wears with surprising subtlety. I'm not saying Aqaba is an overall subtle fragrance -- it's far too dramatic to hang shyly in the wings -- but with all its spices, the jasmine and rose, I expected it to be more extreme. I'm happy to report that the composition is finely-tuned and carefully balanced so that it doesn't tilt too far into the rose patch or crash headlong into the spice rack.

If you're a fan of incense fragrances or deep rose scents (such as Andy Tauer's Incense Rose), then Aqaba by Aqaba could very well be your next happy purchase. The marketing imagery and prose is aimed squarely at the female consumer, but Aqaba Classic has a hot desert wind quality (probably the clove and cinnamon) that would smell great on men, too. Longevity is excellent, at 8+ hours.

Aqaba by Aqaba (or Aqaba Classic) is available in both EDP and extrait (parfum) formulations. This review was of the EDP. I imagine the extrait version is even smoother.

Video clip below of a tour through the city of Aqaba:

***Note: I was originally intending on reviewing Serge Lutens Cedre along with the Aqaba Classic, but after a few hours, I was, like, "Cedre who? Lutens what?" The spicy woodsy drydown of Aqaba kicks Cedre's a**.

So this is what I can gather -- in 2005, independent perfumer Yosh Han created a fragrance called 'The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things' as an homage to the allegedly autobiographical collection of stories of the same name by writer JT Leroy: "Then there's JT LeRoy, the 24-year-old reclusive cult figure whom Han has yet to meet in person, who conscripted her via a series of e-mail conversations to design a fragrance for him based on his book 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things,' an autobiographical account of his troubled youth."

Just around that time, the whole JT Leroy hoax began to fall apart, and it was revealed in 2006 that the supposed former child-prostitute/abuse-victim turned NY-hipster extraordinaire JT Leroy was actually a Brooklyn born, 40 year old woman named Laura Albert, with the entire sad, brutalized life story of Leroy created as merely a means of getting editors interested in publishing the books Ms. Albert wanted to write: "'People were generous because they thought they were helping an H.I.V.-positive former drug addict, ex-prostitute, who used the hardships of his life to make art,' said Ira Silverberg, JT Leroy's former literary agent and an early champion."

This caused somewhat of a scandalous ripple throughout the literary/arts world, since entire swathes of the coastal coolest had been eagerly taken in by, and even helped perpetuate, the Leroy hoax: "Writers like Dennis Cooper, Mary Gaitskill and Mary Karr were among those who offered support to Mr. Leroy's literary career, as did several prominent editors at Manhattan publishing houses, and numerous film and pop music celebrities offered him emotional support, including Courtney Love, Tatum O'Neal, Billy Corgan, Shirley Manson and Carrie Fisher."

Once championed as the next white-hot literary star grinding out gritty novels that would "prove to be among the most influential American books of the last 10 years," the JT Leroy phenomenon quickly sputtered to an embarrassed stop after the wig and glasses came off and the mysterious, 20-something, slyly androgynous pose collided with the brick wall of one attention-starved, 40-something, straight white female.

***Note: Gawker has a rundown of the extremely unflattering demise of Laura Albert's alter-ego (and the life it once afforded her): The Girl Who Was JT LeRoy, while the L.A. Weekly published a long, fascinating profile of Laura Albert in early 2008: The Lies and Follies of Laura Albert, aka JT Leroy. The profile isn't fascinating because Albert is fascinating (she's not), but because of how it reveals the hollow center at the heart of the art-world's hype machine.

Yosh Han is said to have felt personally betrayed by the hoax and so withdrew her support from the 'Heart is Deceitful' fragrance. Apparently, when she yanked her support, she took the formula along with her (it's rumored that 'The Heart is Deceitful' has been reformulated since Han's exit and recent reviews use language like "cheap" and "vile") and released it as Trompeur (trompeur means "misleading" in French) under her own brand name in 2007.

Fragrance notes for Trompeur are: bay rum, massoia, parvati sandalwood, sheer musk, vanilla and fig. The concoction is creamy, warm, slightly green, nutty and sweet. Ms. Han stated that she originally created 'The Heart is Deceitful' as an earthy scent with a vibe of overt sexuality (sexual violence and abuse were recurring themes in the writings of Leroy/Albert), but Trompeur comes across as more quiet and comforting than va-va-voom, and I'm all right with that.

I'm not an official fanboy of Yosh Han (I thought her Omniscient 0.96 was an atrocious mess), but I like the easy, casual piece she created for Lucky Scent's Untitled series, and Trompeur has now won me over, as well. Maybe I just enjoy her approach to vanilla -- the way she frames it in leaves, nuts and woods.

BTW: Independent (and very expensive) Berkeley perfumer Mandy Aftel was also suckered in by the whole JT Leroy fabrication -- at the website Celebrity Fragrance Guide, under the section "Custom Scents Created Just for Them", you'll find this tidbit:

Laura Albert may be a complete literary fraud, but she certainly hooked up with some excellent perfumers.

FYI: There's some bitter outcry on perfume forums about how Trompeur is the exact same fragrance as the former 'The Heart is Deceitful' but now costs twice as much, yet Han has built herself a reputation for utilizing excellent materials in her fragrances, and sometimes prices for limited-demand materials go way up from year to year. It's a fact of life.

Below is the preview trailer for the film version of Albert/Leroy's "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things" -- the New York Daily News calls it "an execrable movie" while the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle state that it's "unwatchable":

***Note: In 2007, Laura Albert was found guilty of fraud and ordered to pay $350,000.00 in legal fees in a jury trial that centered around whether a contract she signed with a movie production company was valid because she'd signed it as the fictional JT Leroy and not as herself.

When you're an independent perfume company, perhaps the smartest thing you could do would be to NOT name your fragrance something unpronounceable to the average (oh hell, *any*) consumer. Narziß? Really? That's the best you could come up with? Because when I look at the name on the bottle, my brain immediately thinks, "Oh, yeah, that's Dorissima Narzizi . . . something."

But that mind-boggling bit of botched marketing aside, Dorissima Narzizisomething ("oh, goshdarnit -- Narziss! It's Narziss!") is a fine piece of men's perfumery. It's not going to solve world hunger or unravel the mysteries of quantum mechanics, but it'll sit very nicely on your skin and cause you to smell devastatingly handsome to every man, woman, child and beast within a ten foot radius.

What you do with such power is entirely up to you.

Fragrance notes are: tarragon, royal sage, rose, atlas cedar, vetiver, tonka and fig leaves. I'm not sure where I get the brief burst of sweet citrus at the opening, but I swear it's there, followed by an expertly blended mix of subtle, balsamic rose and dry herbs that finishes with a smooth, woodsy sigh.

The fragrance itself wears very closely to the skin -- this isn't the 'momma said knock you out' potency you get from, say, Parfums MDCI Invasion Barbare -- which makes Narziss an excellent choice for office wear, daily wear and/or social events where you'll be crammed up against a lot of other people who didn't volunteer to inhale your perfume fumes all evening. Longevity is also good -- about eight hours after application and Narziss is still quietly glowing, slightly dusty and slightly sweet.

Right now, the only place that carries the Dorissima line in the United States is Lucky Scent out of Los Angeles, but they just recently dropped the other half of the fragrance twin set (Goldmund) so I can't vouch for how much longer Narziss will still be on the menu. If you like the idea of a men's aromatic fougère that's been tweaked with a mellow, dark rose substituting for the high pitch of lavender, then get yours while you can.

From Now Smell This: "Rarely have I ever been so smitten with a fragrance so quickly, and considering the number of fragrances I test on a weekly basis, that's saying a lot . . . Though my current fragrance wardrobe boasts well over 400 scents, I recently find myself guiltily wishing to wear Narziss more often than not. Bewitching. Period."

So . . . yeah. There you go.

Photos below:

***All right, already, the name Narziß actually refers to a character from the Hermann Hesse novel, Narziss und Goldmund (or, Narcissus and Goldmund). I guess they couldn't really have named it "Narcissus" because then everyone would expect it to smell like, well, narcissus. So they named it Narzizisomething instead . . . *sigh*

It's difficult to take a fragrance company seriously when you read their marketing brochures and find yourself confronted with the glaring evidence of just how very seriously they already take themselves. The Puredistance company is pretty much a case study in this regard: stiff photos of the product (often incorporating blandly attractive models), the words "luxury" and "exclusivity" cropping up about every other sentence, plus mentions of Swarovski crystal, 24kt gold plating and an astronomical price tag all converge to create the impression of near suffocating self-regard.

It's enough to make any sane perfume fanatic turn around and walk away -- except for one tiny, irrefutable piece of fact: the Puredistance perfume just happens to rock the green floral casbah.

I know, who'd of thought, right? With a website that features a generic neo-classical soundtrack and PR copy so dry it could have been written by a Hal9000 ("A Crystal Masterpiece made of Swarovski crystal and 24 carat gold-plate encloses the 17.5 ml Puredistance 1 Perfume Spray" and blah blah blah), I was bracing myself for a big sniff of dullsville, but once I sprayed the perfume on my skin, it clicked: the sleek imagery, the clinical prose, the stripped-down high-luxe aesthetic all serve to woo the unsuspecting contemporary consumer into experiencing a piece of genuine perfumery art.

Created for the Vienna, Austria Puredistance company by Annie Buzantian (also responsible for Estée Lauder Pleasures, Tommy Hilfiger Tommy, Ralph Lauren Pure Turquoise and more), Puredistance is said to have been a fragrance that Ms. Buzantian designed for herself: "Originally, she created this perfume as her personal masterpiece, but by coincidence (or predestination) a Puredistance briefing landed on her desk and the whole idea exactly matched the feel she had when she was creating her personal fragrance."

In an interview with OzMoz.com, Buzantian describes her professional perfumery style as "luminous, joyful compositions, fragrances with a very fluid signature," and this is an excellent summation of the Puredistance perfume, a precisely calibrated vision of organic, green spaces. The structure is fixed at its core, yet suffused with grace and verve, like a triangle of meadow-green silk fluttering from a titanium standard.

But I'm not the only one who's impressed. Some other opinions below:

Perfume Smellin' Things: "One of the most attractive contemporary fresh green florals."

1000 Fragrances: "I sampled the precious perfume and I was amazed by its composition and the new twist brought to luxury perfumes . . . It's very american (or what I imagine about NY), refined like modern architecture with no reference to the past."

Perfume Posse: "After reading through all the marketing materials, you really, really want to hate this perfume or at least make fun of it ... but I just can't. It's stunning and beautiful - lush and rich without falling into the uber-rich notes that scream "expensive!" like the Amouages and Hermes 24 Faubourg."

Perfume FAQs: "Whilst Clive Christian No. 1 is the brash, shiny, jewel-encrusted bling of perfumes, with fans such as the flamboyant Elton John, Pure Distance is the ageless, timeless classic which conjours up images of Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Lauren and Princess Grace of Monaco."

Puredistance is offered in several formats -- a pure Swarovski crystal column with a choice of either 24kt gold or stainless steel embellishment, or you just can forgo the pricey crystal columns and opt to purchase the more utilitarian refill spray on its own.

The 17.5 ml (approx. 1/2 ounce) refill, or "purse spray", is packaged in a rectangular white leather box with a weighted, magnetized cover that prevents the box from falling open and spilling the bottle inside. The presentation is plushly minimal (I know, that sounds like a contradiction, but bear with me) -- the refill spray rests in a white fabric cushion, each refill comes with its own signed certificate of authenticity, and the refill bottle is weighted and balanced so that it rests comfortably in the hand and is easy to use (though the base is rounded like a test tube, so it lays flat instead of standing upright). The Puredistance name is etched into a steel collar below the weighted cap, while also screen printed on the refill bottle itself.

My PR contact at Puredistance mentioned that the refill bottle is available with a choice of either a silver or gold cap. He said the silver cap is the more popular choice overall, but that it varies from country to country. I was supplied with both the gold and silver caps for photographing, and I found that the gold cap works more effectively with the stark white packaging scheme, creating a more dramatic contrast while also visually evoking the warm undertones of the initially fresh and sweetly green Puredistance fragrance.

The refill/purse spray is 32% perfume strength (placing it in the extrait/parfum category) and runs 165 euros (approx. $225.00 U.S. at today's exchange rates), which is no more than a bottle of By Killian, and less than a Vero Profumo. Longevity is excellent, lasting 10+ hours, which is usually a sign of high-quality raw materials. At the very least, it reveals the hand of a perfumer who very much knows what she's doing.

The Puredistance company website lists the notes of the fragrance as: tangerine blossom, cassis, neroli bigarade, magnolia, rose wardia, jasmine, mimosa, sweet amber, vetiver and white musk. The amber/vetiver/musk drydown is effortlessly beautiful and extends for hours.

Photographs of the refill package below. The first photo is with the silver cap, the rest feature the warmer gold:

For its chosen target market, it's a well-considered presentation -- it looks expensive and feels like quality. The Swarovski crystal columns into which the refill spray fits are thousands of dollars worth of stunning, though not absolutely necessary if your interest is more attuned to what's inside the bottle than what's sitting on your dressing table. Fortunately, with the Puredistance refill spray option, fragrance consumers on a less than lavish budget don't have to completely sacrifice the original sleek aesthetic for a more affordable piece of the art fragrance pie.

***Note: in my opinion, the Puredistance perfume is feminine in nature, though others may disagree. I like it, and think it's a striking piece of work, but it possesses an abstractly innocent quality that I would rather smell on a woman than on a man. If you're an abstractly innocent kind of guy, however, then by all means!

UPDATE (05/18/09):

Wow, that was fast! The review only went up yesterday.

(click to enlarge)

One thing I noticed about the Puredistance website is that they pay careful attention to all forms of media discussion regarding their product, including blogs. They're eager that consumers understand the Puredistance perfume isn't just a bunch of hype, and I can't blame them. Contemporary consumers have seen and heard so many overblown descriptions that it's now difficult to spot a quality product that actually lives up to its PR.

1.) Katie Puckrik Smells -- at Beauty and the Dirt!:
Check out Katie's new column at Beauty and the Dirt. It's as savvy and entertaining as her video fragrance reviews on YouTube. From the comments to her Le Labo Labdanum 18 review: "And the question I always have is: who stumbled upon petrified whale hurl on the beach and decided it was the missing link to fine perfumery?"

Oh Katie, the horrific realities at the basis of fine perfumery sometimes keep me awake all night long, too. Hyraceum, for example. I mean . . . really?

Avery Gilbert, author of 'What the Nose Knows' gave Katie a box of glowing props on his blog 'First Nerve': "So who is Katie Puckrik? In one sense it doesn't matter: as a perfume review populist I believe anyone with a flair for smell and the ability to talk about it can play. No need to kowtow before noseurs like Luca Turin and Chandler Burr. Katie Puckrik describes herself as 'a fragrance thrillseeker whose love of perfume borders on the unseemly.' Sounds like a player to me."

Speaking of Chandler Burr, the NYTimes fragrance critic pans the new Kenneth Cole Black with a one-star review, and calls the entire Kenneth Cole fragrance line "one of the worst collections of scent on the market." Ouch! I think I'd rather wear petrified whale hurl.

2.) Luxury Spending Still Lags:
"Spending on high quality products like watches and fine wines has yet to pick up much and could remain depressed until at least September . . . Richemont, the world's third largest luxury group in terms of market value behind LVMH and Hermes, said sales had tumbled 26 percent in April (with profit dropping 31%) after adjusting for exchange rate changes, and warned trading would remain tough."

The article goes on to mention that Bulgari posted its first quarterly loss in ten years; LVMH wines & spirits sales are flat; and luxury group PPR (owner of Gucci Group) stated that it's continuing its focus on cost cutting measures, including shop closures.

The one bright spot? Tod's, the Italian shoe and handbag makers, said "orders for its winter collections were "good" in spite of the grim markets. It posted a 4.9 percent rise in first-quarter sales at constant exchange rates."

In related news, Marc Jacobs spills the beans on what makes LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault happy: ""I only work to please one person, and that's Mr. Arnault. He gave me the job, he wanted me there and he believed I could do it. When he's pleased, I'm pleased and the only way he's pleased is when we sell a lot of product."

Meanwhile, let's take a look back at what Mr. Arnault was predicting for LVMH for 2008: "'The customers we serve are much less affected by these movements in the economy. They have a relatively high level of purchasing power and live in countries where growth will remain strong even if there's a small or medium-sized recession in the United States,' he said. 'There are a certain number of reasons, despite an environment which is disturbed on the financial front...for us to be very confident about 2008,' he added."

A cut and dried example of why you should never take a CEO's word at face value. It's his/her job to put the best spin on things and present a good picture for shareholders and investors. So when you hear CEO's that are now talking about "flat" earnings, cost cutting and/or slow growth, you know we're in trouble.

3.) Current Economy is Hard on Watch/Timepiece Retailers:
"'In the past, many jewelers did not want to bother selling watches under $400 or $500, but that has completely reversed,' says American Watch Guild Executive Director Bert Kalisher. 'Now, stores that never carried watches priced $100 to $400 are starting to stock them, and they find it's working. Consumers are buying at those price points, and watch companies are paying attention to this. They have to.'"

The article mentions that while Swatch Group (which owns Blancpain, Breguet, Longines, Omega, Tissot and more) saw an increase in sales in its China and Middle East markets, this was offset by a steep slump in its Europe and Americas Markets. For the Richemont Group (Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and Van Cleef & Arpels), sales in "Europe and Asia were up 15 percent and 19 percent respectively, while in the Americas and Japan they fell by 2 percent and 7 percent, respectively."

4.) India Investment Group Keeps Hilfiger, but Dumps Gucci:
"The Murjani Group, which runs stores of fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, and luxury brands such as Gucci and Jimmy Choo, was recently in the news for plans to sell off the latter . . . 'We are doing it (selling off Gucci). We have decided to shift the focus to our premium brands (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein), which have been performing at exceptionally high levels. The luxury market will take three-five years before it turns commercially viable whereas the premium market is well-established in the country . . . We will continue to focus on the premium category and not on luxury.'"

Luxury groups (such as Armani, LVMH and PPR) rushed into India during the big economic boom, just so they could have a foothold in what they considered a soon to explode consumer market with a cultural taste for opulence. Journalists wrote of high-end designer boutiques that faced mud streets with no sidewalks, but it was all about being there first and snagging what could turn out to be the best location for when the Indian economy seriously juiced up. In March of 2008, the Times UK wrote: "Reaching consumers is tricky in India . . . hurdles include third world-standard infrastructure, a painfully complex regulatory system, and authorities who are more concerned about cracking down on the booming trade in fake pharmaceuticals than catching the bootleggers of Gucci handbags."

A video clip below of the Gucci Fall/Winter 2009/2010 show -- the kind of product that Indian retail groups are passing over for more affordable lines like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein:

Speaking of Gucci and ditching things, Bottega Veneta (which is part of the Gucci Group's brand lineup) has scrapped plans for a 1,700 square foot stand-alone boutique in a brand new Bellevue, Washington development just outside of Seattle. They're partnering with Neiman Marcus instead: "'We have evaluated the business and decided that we would prefer to test the market, which is new to us, with our long-term partner, Neiman Marcus,' (Bottega Veneta spokeswoman Lisa Pomerantz) said in an e-mail."

5.) Are Luxury Brands Going to Have to Kiss & Make Up with eBay?:
"The European Commission, the 27-nation EU's antitrust regulator, is drafting new guidelines on the extent to which companies can restrict trade through their authorized dealers . . . eBay, owner of the most visited U.S. e-commerce site, would benefit from the rule-change as authorized dealers would be able to sell more luxury goods on the company's network."

The EU commission states that they believe the tighter restrictions that luxury brands place on Internet sales over physical "brick and mortar" stores is unfair to both authorized resellers and consumers. For example, those notices posted at the Saks Fifth Avenue website under a Prada handbag: "Due to high demand, a customer may order no more than three units of this item every thirty days."

Have you ever heard of a sales person at a physical Saks location restricting how much merchandise a customer can purchase? Yeah, me neither.

6.) Lagerfeld's Tweet of the Week:

Do the French really say that, or did he just make it up?

7.) JC Penney Takes a Hit -- Profit Drops 79%:
"J.C. Penney Co. reported a 79 percent decline in first-quarter profit and lowered its forecast for the second quarter and the full year . . . 'Looking to the balance of the year, we expect consumer spending and mall traffic to remain weak, which will be particularly evident against tough comparisons in the second quarter,' said Myron 'Mike' Ullman, Penney's chairman and chief executive officer."

Abercrombie reported a difficult first quarter, as well, with net profits dropping 24%. Nike also finds itself in the hot seat, announcing that it will cut 1,750 jobs or about 5% of its entire global workforce.

Cut that global workforce, Nike -- just do it!

Adidas also announces workforce cuts after first quarter net income falls 97% : "Adidas AG, the world's second-largest sporting-goods maker, plunged in Frankfurt trading after saying half a year's profit will be wiped out as demand slumps worldwide and the company revamps the Reebok brand . . . Chief Executive Officer Herbert Hainer said he'll cut more than 1,000 jobs and close regional offices as part of a plan to save 100 million euros."

8.) The Buyout Rumor That Was More Than a Rumor All Along:
You know how LVMH has been denying rumors that it's in negotiations to sell its Moët Hennessy holdings to global wine & spirits giant Diageo? Well, again, don't trust everything a CEO says: "The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that bankers had been working on plans for a deal for some weeks. LVMH, 47% of which is owned by Bernard Arnault, France's richest man, issued a statement denying it was 'in discussions to divest Moët Hennessy.' However, sources close to the company confirmed that the statement did not refer to The Daily Telegraph's story yesterday, but rather to subsequent reports that claimed the talks between the parties had already started. LVMH refused to rule-out interest in having discussions with Diageo."

The sale of Moët Hennessy makes no sense unless LVMH is in the mood to cut costs and clear the decks in order to focus exclusively on fashion. As part of that new mood, it was announced that LVMH would purchase a stake in U2 lead singer Bono's Edun clothing brand.

I love that the Edun article goes on to note that Bono's real name is Paul Hewson. I didn't know that. And it strikes me as kind of funny in how much it normalizes him: Bono + Paul Hewson = all the air sucked out of a rock star's personae.

And since we're on the topic of Moet Hennesey: By Killian Launches a New Fragrance Series -- "Kilian Hennessy, scion of the cognac family, which is part of luxury giant LVMH ... was inspired by his Middle Eastern customers for his second line of By Kilian, Arabian Nights. 'They like scents that are more animalistic and Oriental, scents closer to their culture,' he said. The Paris-based perfumer said he only approved the formulas of Arabian Nights when they smelled correctly to people he knew from the Middle East."

What is it with thin white Frenchmen and their insistence on butchering oud for the Western market? Wasn't Le Labo Oud 27 punishment enough? To add insult to the misery, By Killian's oud series will run about $395.00 a bottle -- an increase of $170.00 per bottle over his original Black series.

In other fragrance news, Marc Jacobs recently announced the upcoming release of a new perfume, as well. It will be called Lola, and instead of "artificial bananas and wine-cooler strawberry" (Daisy), it will undoubtedly smell like a creamy, fruity tropical drink . . . oh wait, I'm sorry, the PR copy says it will be "more sensual" and "vampy", then goes on to list pear, grapefruit and vanilla notes. Wow. What would we ever do without such cutting-edge creativity in the world?

The alleged inspiration for Jacobs' new fragrance:

"Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl . . . "

Oh c'mon, you just KNOW I'm right! Or, at least, you wish I were right . . . the marketing blitz would be cheese on a stick (i.e. heaven!).

The Daily Mail noted back in September of 2008 that "more than half of all men's colognes are bought by women, which is why the best-selling men's fragrances are those best liked by women (something the industry's 'noses' are very conscious of)", so it's not really a surprise that I'm starting to notice an uptick in the release of high quality yet outright "masculine" fragrances on the niche market.

M. Micallef Le Seducteur, Pafums MDCI Invasion Barbare, Domenico Caraceni 1913, Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Man, Six Scents No. 5, Cereus No. 11, Le Labo Rose 31, Space NK Man, B Never Too Busy to Be Beautiful Dirty, Bond No. 9 Brooklyn . . . and so on. It's turning into a cornucopia of delights for men and the women who love them (or, at least, the women who love the fragrances being produced for men).

That said, once any party gets really rockin', all sorts of types start sneaking in through the back entrance. They're dressed hip enough to pass, and they can usually talk the talk, but the walking part of the equation isn't always quite up to snuff. That's kind of where the Gianni Campagna cologne comes in.

Gianni Campagna himself is one of world's most reputable men's bespoke tailors, was dubbed The Man with the Golden Needle by Forbes and ranked #4 by Askmen.com in their top ten list of Best International Tailors, so his credentials are impeccable.

The problem is, impeccable is fantastic when you want a great fitting suit, but kind of dull as an adjective for describing cologne. Not that I expect a man's cologne to whizz, bang, twist and shout, but a beautifully tailored suit shouldn't be expected to do all the heavy lifting. An impression of success and vitality can be buttressed with proper accessories, too: the glint of cuff links, an unexpectedly fine tourbillon watch, a little bit of flair to the necktie, and yes, even an artsy cologne.

But if your bespoke suit is navy flannel and your cologne is Gianni Campagna, prepare yourself for blending into the reclaimed old growth hardwood paneling.

Listed fragrance notes are: orange, grapefruit, pepper, bay rose, geranium, patchouli, vetiver and cedarwood. All very nice and expertly mixed, now excuse me while I go search for my narcolepsy medication. I feel an attack coming on.

***Note: this is not to say that the Gianni Campagna fragrance isn't any good. It's perfectly acceptable and will undoubtedly elicit compliments for its traditionally masculine, herbal, spicy warmth . . . but it's simply way too predictable, like a power tie at a business meeting. I would choose one of the other more creative scents I listed above over the Gianni Campagna. Even the best dressed man can use a little extra spark now and then.

I've mentioned the work of perfumer Abdes Salaam (aka Dominique Dubrana) on a number of occasions, but hadn't yet devoted a full post to any of his pieces, even though I enjoy his unique and accomplished approach to natural perfumery.

Well, yesterday I received a generous sampler box in the mail from Mr. Salaam, so today I'm sitting back on the couch, drinking my morning cup of coffee, bathed in spicy waves of fragrance.

There's a transparency to Salaam's compositions, even when they're meant to be virile and/or masculine -- they wear like a soft aura instead of creating a brick wall of scent that no one can see past to the real you, and once you visit Salaam's website, you realize that this is a perfumer who's all about The Real You:

"Relying on a deep and wide culture of the natural essences and of their effects, we are able to elaborate -- according to the rules and principles of aromatherapy and olfactory psychology -- true 'psychological fragrances' that will carry to the people messages of 'olfactory communication'."

You can also find some lively and informative discussions of Salaam/Dubrana's fragrances over at Basenotes, where Salaam is an active and contributing member:
1.) profumo.it - I got mine
2.) Profumo.it sample reviews
3.) Profumo Samples: Quarry's Group - Second Parcel

If you read the second link, you'll see the discussion includes a mention of the semi-bespoke fragrance I had Mr. Salaam create for me: Aalacho(#2) -- a base accord of frankincense, tobacco and opoponax, plus castoreum, patchouli, honey bee, sandalwood, angelica and other woods & resins (if I'm remembering correctly). One Basenotes reviewer describes it as "a very refined, resinous (almost austere) woodiness . . . a Tam Dao / Hinoki kind of dryness . . . Aalacho(#2) is 'calmer' than Tam Dao yet conjured up an imagery of coniferous trees."

The experience was educational in that I gained a better understanding of the characteristics of natural essences (Abdes Salaam is an all-natural perfumer), and Mr. Salaam was a pleasure to deal with, albeit in that mysterious and somewhat cryptic sort of way that's the hallmark of interacting with a true artist -- plus I got exactly what I asked for. You can find more information on Salaam's long-distance custom fragrance process here: Abdes Salaam Personalized Perfumes.

As you'll see from the photos below, I received a healthy sampling of Salaam's portfolio, so it's going to take a bit of time to wear my way through them, but out of his fragrances I've so far sampled, here are some initial thoughts:

Tabac: as I've mentioned in earlier posts, Salaam's Tabac is one of my favorite tobacco fragrances on the market -- dry, dusty, slightly boozy, a touch sweet. I get the impression that I'm smelling genuine cured tobacco leaves. Both men and women could wear this, though it lacks overt feminine elements which may leave some women feeling like it's too masculine.

Chocolate Amber: from a previous review -- "a blend of dark cocoa, vanilla and tonka bean (tonka is a kind of leafy, caramelized scent). If you've ever walked into a high-end boutique that specializes in expensive dark chocolates, then you'll immediately understand what perfumer Dominique Dubrana has accomplished: an atmosphere of deep, rich satisfaction. All profumo.it fragrances are all-natural, which lends Chocolate Amber subtlety, despite its sweetness."

Rose des Bois: a new creation from Salaam. Rose seems to be one of the new scent trends (Andy Tauer is soon to release his Rose Chypree) and Middle Eastern attars are rising in popularity, so Rose des Bois is spot-on in its timing. The rose is exceptionally subtle, dark around the edges and balanced perfectly with the woods and vanilla in the base. All of Salaam's scents wear soft and close to the skin, but they exhibit excellent longevity -- it's been six hours after application and Rose des Bois is still sweet, rich and warm on my skin.

Cuba Express: I'm a total sucker for tobacco scents, and Cuba Express smells just like a really good unlit cigar sitting next to a just finished cup of espresso on a weathered wood table in a hot, island rum bar. Cuba Express was composed around the essences of tobacco, coffee, chocolate and rum, with a helping of island fruits and spices. Again, due to its natural composition, the scent wears soft and close, but the longevity is impressive -- over six hours later and it's still chugging along.

Re. Abdes Salaam's spiritual approach to perfumery: I usually respond poorly to what I consider new-age/religious frippery, especially in relation to commercial goods, yet Abdes Salaam's scents still manage to move me. I feel a response to his fragrances the way I feel a response to a Mark Rothko painting when I go to a museum and sit down in front of it. The talent, effort and quality of raw materials that go into his work is obvious, and the result is a deeply satisfying experience.

Photos of the "Scents of the Soul" sampler package below -- I ordered a second full-sized bottle of the Aalacho(#2) fragrance today (there's a story behind there being two versions of Aalacho, but we can talk about that in the comments section if anyone is interested), so I'll have photos of that to add once it arrives:

UPDATE:

I emailed Mr. Salaam about the specific ingredients I'd requested for the Aalacho fragrance (since my brain appears to have deleted that information from the memory backup system aeons ago), and he graciously obliged:

Aalacho(#2): frankincense, opoponax, tobacco, costus, oakmoss, patchouli, cardamom, Mysore sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, angelica, labdanum, styrax, tonka, castoreum and honey bee.

It smells like a dry, crumbling gingerbread house in the middle of a deep forest surrounded by wolves. What's not to love?

I write once a week about the state of the fashion industry, but I thought a good number of you might also be interested in how the numbers are presently shaking down for the fragrance industry -- the fine fragrance industry, in particular.

There are several F&F (flavor and fragrance) giants that control the patents for the majority of synthetic essences/scents that are used in (I think I can safely say) every mainstream fine fragrance on the market today (and I use the term "fine" loosely), as well as the majority of fragrances released from independent and boutique perfumeries (with the all-natural perfumers excluded, natch).

The big (i.e. global) flavor & fragrance corporations are: Symrise, Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) and Firmenich, with Swiss based Givaudan being the largest of the lot. When examining the latest profit reports from each of these companies, a picture of the state of the fine fragrance industry starts to emerge, and it isn't looking too rosy.

Lacoste Love of Pink. Playing the retro card.

In April of this year (2009), Givaudan reported that first quarter sales were down 7.3%; however, they did state that they expected sales for the rest of the year to roll with the punches . . . in all areas except fine fragrance: "'Despite the weak economy, the underlying market should remain resilient for the remainder of the year, with the exception of fine fragrances' ... the company said."

Yet just three years ago, Fine Fragrance was reported to be a growing segment of the market, outperforming its mass market peers in the U.S.: "U.S. fragrance sales rose just 1.8% (in 2005) to slightly more than $6 billion (retail), according to Lauren Beth of Euromonitor International. Of that total, prestige fragrance rose 3.2% to more than $4.7 billion, while sales of mass market scents declined 2.8% to about $1.3 billion." The global increase in fine fragrance sales in 2005 was reported to be 4.6% overall, yet here we now have the largest fragrance supplier in the world posting a 7.3% loss in sales, accompanied by the statement that the fine fragrance industry is doing the worst of all, with no expectation of a quick recovery.

German fragrance developer Symrise reported an increase in sales in flavor components for the first quarter of 2009, but stated that its fragrance sales remained flat: "The scent and care sector posted flat sales of €179.8 million, while flavor and nutrition reported a 5.5% year-over-year gain, totaling €166.9 million." They also reported that, while sales in the U.S. and Asia increased, their European, African and Middle Eastern markets (EAME -- their biggest consumer region) saw a 12% drop in sales.

Higher raw material costs are also eating into profit margins as companies like Symrise attempt to keep their own prices stable and competitive, but inflationary pressures resulting from monetary policies around the world will eventually force price increases -- this is what's known as 'caught between the Scylla and Charybdis' or 'damned if you raise your prices, and damned if you don't'.

New CK ONE ad -- ignoring the 80's for a return to the heroin chic of better times.

Gerold Linzbach, CEO of Symrise, offered this rather grim observation regarding the fragrance industry for 2009: "Customers are continuing to reduce their inventory levels and their ordering behavior remains volatile." Note the inclusion of the word "continuing" . . . cutting back on fragrance production has developed from an economic reactionary event into a now ongoing trend. Linzbach also noted that "The crisis has given people a more sober attitude toward expensive things . . . the whole luxury segment has a big question mark next to it."

Firmenich is a privately held Swiss company, so is not required to post quarterly profit reports, but International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) posted a net income drop of 16% for the first quarter of 2009. Analysts believe that fine fragrance sales haven't yet hit bottom, and had this to say about the IFF fragrance division: "They sense inventory destocking is starting to slow. While sales are expected to decline 20%+ in 2009 vs. 2008, IFF is doing a good job offsetting its highest profitability business with cost savings and new product wins in Functional Fragrances."

In other words, IFF will be focusing more energy into functional fragrance (scents for soaps, household products, personal care items, etc.) to offset the damage from its fine fragrance division.

2009 Israeli marketing campaign for the Christina Aguilara celebrity fragrance.

The CEO of Elizabeth Arden (which saw a net sales decrease of 3.4% this past quarter) shared some observations of his own about the present state of the fragrance economy: "Our North American fragrance business is tracking as we had anticipated. We are seeing modest improvement in retail sales performance and are continuing to build market share. This, however, is being offset by weak conditions in our travel retail and distributor markets, reflecting declining passenger traffic, retailer de-stocking and the impact of credit constraints and currency volatility on our distributors, which is expected to continue."

Elizabeth Arden Pretty -- their latest fragrance release for 2009.

He went on to note that Elizabeth Arden has cut jobs and reduced inventories by $30 million during the quarter, a fact that must be making the CEO's of the above F&F companies sweat. Proctor & Gamble also announced "double-digit declines in (sales) of fine fragrances," which dragged the company down to a 4% profit loss overall for the quarter.

Meanwhile, Estee Lauder reported a 10% decrease in net sales for the quarter, but a 70% overall drop in net earnings due to charges and offsets. Lauder is releasing a trio of splash fragrances this Spring based on their already successful and globally recognized Pleasures perfume in order to woo sales from skittish consumers: "The signature Pleasures perfume is dissected into three key, lively scents and transformed into light splashes that are intended to be used as all-over body sprays."

Note: Light splashes are cheaper to produce, with less actual fragrance materials utilized, yet the profit margins remain just as high as an overall more expensive to manufacture product. Retail prices for such a splash product can be attractively lower without damaging the company's bottom line, an option that's probably sounding more appealing by the minute to the Estee Lauder company.

The Moodie Report notes that: "During the quarter, each of the (Lauder) Company's product categories and geographic regions continued to be adversely impacted by the challenging and volatile global economic conditions. The worldwide economic downturn has negatively affected consumer demand, resulting in weak retail sales and inventory destocking by certain key retailers."

"Destocking by certain key retailers" = "I'm sorry, we no longer carry that item." For an example of this trend, see Neiman Marcus and the vanishing Goutal Les Orientalistes series (update: et tu, Saks?).

Estee Lauder Pleasures -- the prettiest puppy chow commercial ever?

So you might consider grabbing that cult perfume you've always wanted while you still can, especially if you notice that it's getting harder to find (I surfed to Lucky Scent yesterday to pick up some Dorissima Goldmund for a friend, and it was gone, while The Non-Blonde has yet more information on the steadily disappearing Mona di Orio brand) -- fragrance and flavor companies, large and small, are focusing their efforts on products that are selling well, and fine fragrance is unfortunately not one of those categories at the moment.

HENRY DUNAY SABI: I wanted to like Sabi, I've read nice things about it and I was halfway hoping it would be one of those "A-Ha!" experiences where I realize I've just found the perfect Cheer You Up gift for the sis during those times when her three teenagers are making her life a living h*ll, but I just couldn't muster a great deal of enthusiasm for its predictable retro-influenced tap-dance through the green-floral motions.

Sabi, named after Dunay's most popular jewelry collection (and perhaps even after the East African Sabi Star flower, aka Desert Rose, Mock Azalea and Impala Lily), was formulated by jeweler Henry Dunay's perfumer brother Richard Loniewski. It was originally released in 1998 and said to be crafted from 250 different oils (including the usual rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, blah blah bah snoooze) -- though how a mix of 250 separate oils can end-result in something more thin and sharp than the scent of just one single Cambodian Oud is beyond me.

Other opinions differ:

Perfume Smellin' Things thinks Sabi is elegance in a bottle: "I would say it has an almost haunting quality, as the elusive notes weave in and out of the threshold of detection . . . It is exquisitely tender and feminine yet never fluffy or sweet. It is seamlessly elegant, yet it can hold its own at the most glittering party ... or corporate boardroom, or even a wedding."

Pink Manhattan thinks it's smart and sophisticated: "Sabi is supposedly a Diane Sawyer fave. Brainy and graceful--I think that's a nice association . . . Perhaps this is the kind of scent that fits an independent woman who's happy in and accepting of her own skin--a scent for a woman who has lived and seen enough to tell a meaningful tale or two."

But reviewer Chevre on Makeup Alley expresses a more cutting opinion, and one I personally find myself agreeing with: "To me it smelled like a slightly more complex Estee Lauder Beautiful with a very distinctive note of cat urine."

Something tells me that Chevre's quote won't be making it into the Sabi ad copy anytime soon.

And to be frank, I don't buy into the 250 oils PR nonsense the Dunay company is spinning. Has the formula been independently verified? No. Is there any specific mention of which oils are used and what geographical location and/or Flavor&Fragrance company the oils come from? No. Are the oils outright stated to be natural? No -- the use of natural essences/oils is only implied through association with a list of natural-sounding fragrance notes, so I'm crying foul-ball and sticking to it.

Where's truth in advertising when you need it?

I'll give Sabi props for the staying power, though. 6-8 hours+ more. The end phase is still softly green, but powder dry and almost sweet, the slightly sour-ish elements having disappeared a few hours in, but I'm still not completely won over. I sent a bottle of Safi EDP to a friend of mine for Mother's Day and she loved it -- it's fruity, floral, contemporary and dries down to a truly fun and embraceable sandalwood finish. I'd recommend the jaunty Safi over a bottle of the more reserved Sabi any day.

HORS LA MONDE LADY SHILOH: Okay, maybe it's my own darn fault for following the Goutal Les Orientalistes coffret with the likes of Sabi and Lady Shiloh -- kind of like following a course of caviar and champagne with a platter of Saltine crackers and a pitcher of Schlitz -- but I'm just not feeling the fine fragrance love today.

Now, there's always a time for crackers and beer, and lord knows I've downed my share of both, but five star dining it aint, no matter how many crystal candlesticks and pieces of solid silver cutlery you throw at it.

Listed fragrance notes for Hors la Monde (another jewelry company, go figure) Lady Shiloh are: bergamot, Indian jasmine, violet, patchouli, white musk and vetiver. The violet is simple and direct (much more so than with CDG's Stephen Jones collaboration) with a clean musk + grass & earth undertone, and as far as contemporary florals are concerned, the unencumbered 21st century vibe is an improvement over Sabi's more traditional (i.e. retro) composition.

Lady Shiloh, while certainly attractive, is unlikely to bowl anyone over or pitch a mob into a frenzy. I do like the bottle/packaging a lot, though, and because of the attention to detail in its presentation, it would make a nice gift, especially since the fragrance itself is smooth, medium-bodied and pleasant, starting at a high, sparkling pitch and sliding down to a leafy patchouli finish. Longevity is medium to good, depending upon how generously you decide to apply.

It's faint praise, I know, but it'll have to do.

I took some additional photos of the Goutal Les Orientalistes set because #1) it's a beautiful set and fun to take photographs of, and #2) I wanted some photos with the bottles in the A-M-E order as that's how it seems to have been intended by the creators of the set (I'm told that "ame" is French for "soul").

The new photos show a little better the metal cladding on the sides of the Myrrhe Ardente bottle. Both the Encens Flamboyant and Ambre Fetiche bottles have vertical gold oxidized metal strips on each corner, but the Myrrhe Ardente bottle is fully clad on each side of the bottle, with the corners left open for just a thin glimpse at the liquid inside.

The booklet shown in the first two photos is the art booklet that comes with the coffret, describing each fragrance and depicting the Arabian harem paintings that are the alleged inspiration for the series itself.

The second two photos show the bottles sitting atop the actual white leather coffret, with the gold stamped AG initials visible.

You can find the first set of photos here -- Photos: Annick Goutal Les Orientalistes Coffret

1.) The Lagerfeld Twitter of the Week:

Speaking of which, the new full-length Chanel No. 5 ad-film has been released -- it's directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (the director of 'Delicatessen' and 'City of Lost Children'). It features the Chanel logo prominently, and showcases the classic bottle design of No. 5:

Watch their beautiful logo punctuated with beautiful people in beautiful HD.

And while we're on the subject of the importance of the logo, Guess? Sued by Gucci for Trademark Infringement Over Designs: "Guess allegedly sells knockoffs of Gucci's "famous" green-red-green stripe designs and interlocking "GG" patterns on footwear, wallets and other accessories, according to a complaint filed yesterday in federal court in New York. Gucci ... said the products are 'part of a sophisticated and elaborate scheme to target Gucci, to create products that are similar in appearance to the most popular and best-known Gucci products.'"

2.) When PR Translation Goes Awry:
From a Bangladesh PR release -- "Bangla Perfume Ltd has opened its first outlet at Basundhara City shopping mall recently with collection of the world famous Versace and Gucci's latest perfume . . . Onlookers and enthusiasts visitors tested the fragrance. Prepared by Alberto Morillas, the maestro perfume Chef of the world, Versace's Pour Homme is an unparallel scent meant for men of taste; juxtaposed with different flavour of essence. Gucci's EDT is a women's item, lighter but with fresh flowery aroma and mind boggling spew, says a press release."

Hmmmm, describing a new Gucci EDT as "mind boggling spew" could be the new Truth In Advertising.

In potentially related news: Fashion Designer Pierre Cardin Recovering After Fainting Stint -- perhaps he was caught downwind of Gucci's EDT?

3. Hermes Suffers a 4.7% Drop in Revenue:
"Hermes, known for its elegant silk scarves and leather handbags starting at 1,500 euros, said trading in the first quarter was in line with its target of flat full-year revenue . . . Hermes' leather goods were the only products to see any sales growth during the first quarter. Revenue from that area rose 10.2 percent at constant exchange rates and 21.7 percent at current rates. Overall, Hermes saw revenue drop 4.7 percent at constant exchange rates."

The original press release trumpets a 3.2% increase in revenue for the First Quarter, yet the announcement is undercut by the statement of a 4.7% drop overall -- kind of like trying to put pink lipstick on a very grubby sow.

And while It seems that Hermes handbags and leather goods are still selling, the rest of their offerings (scarves, jewelry, clothing, home items, fragrance) are dragging the balance sheet down. I also find it of interest that Hermes is projecting a flat full-year for 2009 rather than anticipating any growth or increase.

But there's hope yet. Erwan Rambourg, a luxury analyst at HSBC, states that "No one is immune to the crisis but Hermès looks like it will weather it better than most . . . Their clients are very faithful." For comparison's sake, LVMH saw a 7% drop in overall revenue for the First Quarter . . . I guess that makes an Hermes client exactly 2.3% more faithful!

A look at what Hermes is having trouble selling:

Though Hermes is far from the only company having trouble with sales: Sotheby's Cut To Junk Status On Declining Art Auction Market -- "In rapid succession, the company's bonds were downgraded to junk-bond status, two marquee items went unsold at its Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale, and the company missed Wall Street's earnings estimates for the fourth quarter."

4.) Fashion Blogger Suffers Pose Fatigue, Must Go Lie Down:
"It took a bit of doing to find women who were neither excessive nor simply idiotic in their choice of garb at Monday's Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute gala opening for 'The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion' . . . I also think I'm starting to suffer from Pose Fatigue. All of those hundreds of women standing in variations of two or three poses...hands on hips, hips forward, one leg forward, one hand on one hip...eventually they all start to blur together, dahlings. Oh, dear, I really think I must lie down."

"With your hand on your hips, you bring your knees in tight"

More Met Gala dish -- Naomi Campbell released a public statement claiming that she was boycotting the Met Costume Gala because a friend, designer Azzedine Alaia, had not been invited: "However, a spy said: 'Please. She only decided not to go after Karl Lagerfeld decided against going.'"

But there may be more to it than that -- Alaia himself expressed displeasure at not being included in the Met retrospective exhibit honoring 80's fashion and so asked the seven models he'd designed dresses for that evening to not wear them: "He blamed the omission (of his designs from the retrospective) not on the Met's chief costume curator Harold Koda, but rather on Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue, who organizes the party. 'She has too much power over this museum,' he said. (Alaïa has had very little presence in Vogue in the last 15 years.) He also conveyed his displeasure to Marc Jacobs, whose company is sponsoring the event, in a telephone call on Saturday."

And since we're on the subject of SuperModels and infights, Agencies Engage in Court Brawl Over SuperModels: "Ford Models is suing Next Management and model Kendra Spears, accusing the rival shop of poaching the 'All-American beauty' who last year was a finalist in Ford's Supermodel of the World competition . . . The blowup over Spears is the latest battle in an ugly feud between Ford and Next. Ford charges that, in the last 10 months, Next has poached three of its models and two of its bookers. Ford filed suit against Next over the earlier acquisitions last August and again in November."

It's moments like these when I despair of a successful manned space mission to Mars.

5.) Burberry to Increase Its Online Presence:
"British clothing brand Burberry is to boost its digital spend to 20% of its total marketing budget as it attempts to build its brand online . . . Burberry is keen to learn from the online success of other retail sectors and take advantage of new sales and marketing opportunities, according to Fred Uribe, director of strategic marketing . . . 'If you look at the major players in the luxury sector, it's remarkable how all of us lag behind other brands such as telcos,' said Uribe."

Burberry will test the waters in online social networking sites and mobile media platforms, as well as advertising with Conde Nast websites. The Alexander McQueen brand is following suit: "Jonathan Akeroyd, CEO of Alexander McQueen, said, 'We've had to become more interactive with customers and have ramped up our activity since the launch of the (U.S.) site.'" An Alexander McQueen U.K. website is in the works.

An example below of why a designer like Alexander McQueen is a good fit for the online world:

In related e-news, May 15th is the last day you can purchase Louis Vuitton products from eLuxury.com. LVMH is shutting the eLuxury site down this summer, and Louis Vuitton will now be its own stand-alone site.

6.) House of Jil Sander Signs a Shoe Development Deal:
"Jil Sander has signed a major shoe deal with Italian manufacturer Iris, a global license to create footwear . . . Under the terms of the agreement, Iris will develop a men's and women's shoe collection, starting with the spring 2010 season . . . The collection will be designed by Raf Simons, Sander's creative director, a position this Belgium designer has held since May 2005."

The minimalist Sander look has come roaring back into vogue, and it should be interesting to see if Raf Simons will be able to translate that retro-sleek vibe into a successful footwear line. Sander has been floundering without a supportive accessories line for years, yet accessories are the bread and butter of nearly every major fashion house.

The article states that the Jil Sander Fall 2009 show "was widely regarded as one of the half dozen best collections on the planet" -- video clip below, so you can make the call yourself:

7.) As If the Economic News Isn't Bad Enough:
"High-end Union Square stores (in San Francisco) felt the wrath of a "black bloc" ... when a herd of about 50 protesters wearing black bandanas over their faces and cloaked in black hoodies tore through O'Farrell and Grant Streets, leaving havoc in their wake . . . The group, police believe to be anarchists, may have splintered off from a May Day protest on immigration, before smashing at least 15 storefront windows in the Union Square shopping district. Debeers, Longchamp, Prada, Armani, Tumi, Guess and Montblanc were among the stores hit by the masked mob. Bystanders said the group shot paintballs and burned fake $100 bills while using bricks and sledgehammers to smash-in windows. Their message: down with capitalism."

I'm not entirely certain when smashing windows and lighting stuff on fire got a label upgrade from vandalism to protest. I also can't possibly imagine how smashing the windows in on luxury boutiques sends any kind of message beyond "I have way too much time on my hands and I can't get a woman to speak to me without her scrambling for a restraining order five minutes later."

In only marginally related news (and despite a dedicated vandalist's best efforts), Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci hold on to their top spots in the global luxury industry: "Leading luxury brands are retaining their value despite the global financial recession. The top three luxury brands last year have maintained their position. This is according to the latest rankings posted by the US magazine, Forbes. French brand Louis Vuitton is still top with a brand value of 19 billion US dollars. Hermes is next with 7.8 billion dollars, and Gucci is valued at 7.4 billion dollars."

Maybe it's because shoppers are cautiously heading back to their old ways: "Elizabeth Anderson told a reporter she'll still buy ice cream and sandwich bags at Wal-Mart, but she's chucking sensibly priced shoes and $60 haircuts for her old $350 pumps and $300 'dos. 'My hair didn't look good, and my feet were hurting,' she explained."

But if they're going back to shopping, they're not buying Bebe: "Bebe Stores Inc swung to a third-quarter loss as expenses rose . . . For the third quarter, it reported a loss of $5.0 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with a profit of $8.3 million, or 9 cents a share, a year ago."

Or Puma: "German sportswear maker Puma said Friday that it posted a net profit of 5.6 million euros, compared to 90.1 million euros a year ago after taking a restructuring charge of 110 million euros . . . The firm said that 2009 will be 'a year of consolidation' and it will focus on adjusting its cost basis to align with the current business environment. 'Due to the worldwide recession, we plan for business to remain challenging in 2009,' it added."

Or Giorgio Armani: "Giorgio Armani, the trend-setting Italian fashion group, reported a 14.6 per cent fall in profits in 2008 in spite of a slight rise in revenues and the opening of 50 new stores, as its owner reflected on a 'difficult' year for the industry."

Or Kenneth Cole: "Revenue fell 16 percent to $103.4 million. Results were lower across the company's divisions, and included a 20 percent drop in same-store sales."

Ouch! Okay, just what/who ARE consumers' buying? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Oh Oh Oh, I know -- they're buying True Religion! : "Premium jeans brand True Religion Apparel Inc's quarterly profit rose 10 percent, as its consumer direct and international segments shored up its revenue base . . . The company, which sells specially-styled denims and sportswear, said there was increased demand for its latest styles among its international clientele . . . Sales at its consumer direct segment, which includes branded retail stores and e-commerce site, soared about 96 percent to $23.1 million, while international segment chipped in with a 26 percent rise in sales at $11.2 million."

"Ugh . . . gross!"

For the last eight months, the Annick Goutal Les Orientalistes coffret has been whispering my name -- I would hear it just after the television had been switched off, the blankets pulled up around my neck, the hum of the air conditioning lulling me into sleep:

"Naaathaaaaaannn . . . I'm still heeeeeeerrrrrrrre!"

Mornings, I would get my cup of coffee, sit at the kitchen table, power up the laptop and check the Aedes de Venustas website to find that, sure enough, there it still was, the Annick Goutal Les Orientalistes coffret, a limited edition white leather box containing three gleaming, gold-metal clad bottles of Ambre Fetiche, Myrhhe Ardente and Encens Flamboyant in the pure parfum (extrait) formulation.

I would sigh, stroke my laptop's LCD screen for a brief, tender moment, then move on with the rest of my day until, once again -- nighttime, the television off, the blankets wrapped and tucked just so, my head nestled into the pillows:

"Naaaaaaaaathaaaaaaaaaannnnn . . . "

What finally nudged me from dreamy contemplation into decisive action was a discussion over at POL about how the Les Orientalistes series is beginning to disappear from retailers' shelves -- and I don't mean that people are buying so much of it that they can't keep it in stock, either. Neiman Marcus no longer shows the LE series on their website, Bergdorf Goodman no longer shows the series on their website, Nordstrom doesn't carry it and Macy's doesn't seem to carry any Goutal at all (at least, not online).

Saks and Dillards are still showing the Les Orientalistes series for sale, but that's a big cutback in retail outlets, and what with the fine fragrance industry as a whole reporting profit losses so far in 2009, well . . . "submit order" suddenly moved to the top of my priority list.

But really, can you blame me?

I'd previously only tested the EDP versions of the series, and in the extrait (pure parfum) formulation, they come across softer, smoother and less heavy. I could easily wear these throughout the summer without feeling like I was overdoing it at all.

I have the Ambre Fetiche and Encens Flamboyant layered as I type this, and the waft of scent is pretty close to what I'd objectively define as gorgeous. It's a shame that Goutal didn't make the extrait version as widely available as the EDP. It would be even more of a shame if the Les Orientalistes EDP series disappears due to a lack of sales, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that demand holds up . . . and I now have my coffret, just in case.

Maybe now I'll finally be able to get some sleep.

PARFUMS DE ROSINE ROSE KASHMIRIE: A soft, sweet rose -- very easy to wear and enjoy. There's a distinct whiff of cotton candy throughout the opening, and while the sugary-vanilla aspects quiet down as the scent progresses, it never fully loses its sweet tooth.

The official fragrance notes listed on the Parfums de Rosine website include a laundry list of spices, florals and incense resins, but I suspect that's simply an attempt to make Rose Kashmirie sound more exotic than what it actually is -- a nice vanilla rose with a pleasant woodsy backdrop and a warm saffron tickle.

Others may quibble and launch into personal rhapsodies about Rose Kashmirie's sensuous glories, but I think the simple and direct summation works just fine.

Longevity is excellent (8 hours+).

***Note: I noticed that the Parfums de Rosine website mentions that their fragrances are "all based on natural essences," but saying a fragrance is based on natural essences is a lot like saying a movie is based on a true story -- you're getting an interpretation of the real thing, with lots of liberties taken for dramatic effect.

CZECH & SPEAKE DARK ROSE: Allegedly a cult favorite that was discontinued and has now been resurrected, Dark Rose is a saffron + rose combo (like Rose Kashmirie) but without all the vanilla and extra florals stirred in, so it comes across as, well . . . darker.

The shadows in Dark Rose are a result of the oudh and patchouli in its base (a medium-bodied oudh -- I like it better than the potent fumigation oudhs I usually encounter in the Montale brand), yet the sandalwood and amber elements serve to smooth out the mix and extend the scent's lifespan on the skin.

A friend of mine just recently returned from a trip to France, and she sent me some genuine oud essence samples that she picked up from an Arabian Oud store in Paris. The actual oud oils are rich, dense and long lasting, almost like a perfume in and of themselves. The drydown to Dark Rose exhibits some of these same characteristics, and while it's highly unlikely that Czech & Speake is using genuine oud oil in Dark Rose, I have to give them credit for choosing a decent synthetic approximation.

Other opinions:

Bois de Jasmin: "Dark Rose makes one discover the rarely exploited aspect of rose, its thorns, thus separating Dark Rose from the sweet and pretty rose compositions."

Sorcery of Scent: "The opening is sprinkled with fragrant saffron before the strikingly rich rose, precious woods, synthetic oudh and white musks combine to create a perfume that is unmistakably Indo-Arabian in nature."

Dark Rose is another 8 hours + fragrance, so you definitely get your money's worth -- which should incite breathy sighs of relief across the net since it's not cheap to begin with.

I received an email from Neil Morris Fragrances yesterday, announcing that they were launching a new bottle size for their Neil Morris Vault series:

"During the past year, we have discovered that most of the people who purchase a Vault fragrance actually purchase multiple fragrances. And we had many requests to offer the scents in a smaller size in order to allow folks to build a fragrance wardrobe without breaking the bank. So as of today, we will be replacing the current two ounce (60ml) bottle with a one ounce (30 ml) spray bottle . . ."

The smart decision to downsize the Neil Morris Vault bottles in response to consumer demand made me think of an article I recently read regarding effective packaging decisions for small businesses and brands -- 9 Packaging Problems That Lose Sales:

"Got any 20lb bags of potatoes lying around? If you are like me, 20 lbs can last a year. Large quantities and amounts do have a special market but generally people are buying in smaller size units. In fact, one of the fasted growing market segments is ready to use and consume. When I was in China, ready to use was the only type packaging available. Single servings were huge there and now they are becoming hot here."

Sonoma Scent Studio 17ml bottles

I also thought of this in relation to the Beth Terry review yesterday. Beth Terry has been in business since 1995, and she's been offering her tall 4.3 ounce bottles from the beginning in an effort to set her brand apart from the competition: "It reflects my sensibility. I wanted to create a bottle that would tower above the rest, like a skyscraper. My fragrances are all 4.3 oz; that amount was unheard of when I started Creative Universe."

But it's fourteen years later and while the market has changed, Beth's packaging hasn't budged (though she recently stated that her bottle supplier no longer carries the bottles she used, so she'll be forced to change gears; this is a good thing, whether she realizes it or not). Chandler Burr writes in his latest NY Times column that "the (fragrance) industry has gone from 50 launches a year to over 1,000 today, an unsustainable, unregulated flood of novelties, the whole driven . . . by marketing and pure, desperate momentum," and this flood of launches, this marketing and desperate momentum, has permanently altered consumer habits and expectations.

We can argue until we're blue in the face about whether this altering is for better or worse, but purchasing habits have changed. Period.

While a 4.3 ounce bottle of perfume was a desirable thing back in the mid-90's, when there were fewer choices and fragrance consumers were more likely to commit to one bottle at a time and/or remain loyal to one particular brand, the late 20th century consolidation of design houses (LVMH, PPR and Richemont), not to mention the rise of massive beauty conglomerates closely tied to flavor & fragrance corporations (IFF Firmenich, Givaudan and Symrise), blurred the line between brands while whetting consumer appetite for the next glistening prize -- "If you liked Gucci Envy, then buy Gucci Envy Me! And don't forget Envy Me 2!"

After the umpteenth multi-million dollar ad campaign, forgetting is not an option.

As a result, our bathroom counters have grown so crowded that a 2 ounce (60ml) bottle, not at all hefty by traditional standards, is more than the average Neil Morris customer now wants and/or needs. Besides, nabbing a tiny bottle of something new soothes the ache for novelty without eating too drastically into the monthly budget (though it's kind of like draining the bank account with a thimble -- it just takes a little longer to reach the bottom).

Shalini 10ml bottle

In a 2003 article, Packaging is moving fast to keep pace with market drivers, Anders Brolin, then head of research and development for Stora Enso Packaging, stated that, "Changes in the demography, with an aging population and a changing social structure, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, mean that we have far more single households. In practical terms, that means that we need smaller and more functional packages."

As everyday products like food and household goods land on store shelves in smaller sizes and single portions, consumers are adjusting their purchasing habits to match. In order to stay relevant, independent perfumers will need to adjust, as well -- slimming down and shrinking the "portion size" to suit the developing retail landscape.

CB I Hate Perfume 15ml bottles

A number of indie perfumers, such as Neil Morris, have sensed this shift in consumer preference and are on top of the trend: Sonoma Scent Studio's largest bottle size is 34ml (about 1 once), while also offering a 17ml (1/2 ounce) size; Soivohle offers a variety of sizes, from as small as 4.5ml to as large as 2 ounces, yet with a full range in-between; the Untitled series that Lucky Scent released in 2006 came in tiny 8ml bottles as a way of enticing consumers to purchase several of the fragrances, if not the entire series; and Christopher Brosius offers his very contemporary CB I Hate Perfume fragrances in 2ml travel sizes, 15ml absolutes and 100ml water formulations.

A recent post at Andy Tauer's blog (of Tauer Perfumes) sees him considering the necessity of changing his packaging to meet shifting consumer desires: "I start, selling maybe 200 bottles of air du désert, where it makes no sense at all to get a screen printed bottle. Then you sell more, change sales channels, end up with more bottles, but the entire presentation and packaging lags behind. And being in the midst of stock issues and bottles and legal issues etc, you do not see that it is time to adjust."

Yet adjusting packaging to adapt to consumer trends and shifts is key to a brand's continued success (see this article where a food company increased its sales by 75% simply through rebranding and repackaging its product). Perhaps one of the most important and timely adjustments an independent perfumer should consider today is the inclusion of a smaller size bottle in his/her lineup to satisfy the increasing demand for less volume, greater diversification and a lower introductory price point.

Tom Ford Private Blend Coffret with 5ml roll-on bottles

So Beth, how about a few townhouses to go with those scyscrapers (small is the new big), and Andy, you're right, a red helmet doesn't turn a bicyclist into a Ferrari, but the point of packaging and design isn't about trying to be something you're not, it's about encouraging the consumer to choose your red helmet over all the other helmets on the shelf.

***Note: computer tech gadgets are the biggest retail success story of the last decade -- the smaller and lighter they get, the faster they fly off the shelves. Consumers no longer equate "big" and "large" with good quality and/or value. Size small fits the contemporary lifestyle.

M. MICALLEF LE SEDUCTEUR: A really nice take on a traditional masculine genre (clean herbal aka fougere), Le Seducteur is dusty, spicy and stops just short of antiseptic, throwing off impressions of dry pine needles, crumbling tree bark, jars of brittle thyme and stems of dried lavender.

Because of its more traditional cologne leanings, Le Seducteur skews mature and I wouldn't expect this to appeal to the Generation Axe crowd, though that doesn't mean they shouldn't wear it.

Listed fragrance notes are: bergamot, mugwort, mint, galbanum, rosemary, nutmeg, thyme, patchouli, tree leaves, musks, leather, pine balm, moss and honey. The dried spices quality is predominant, and the fragrance exhibits excellent longevity (6-8 hours).

SOIVOHLE SOLSTICE: A rich, near delicious (and all-natural) mix of two different kinds of frankincense (Omanian and Somalian), myrhh and what Soivohle perfumer Liz Zorn describes as a "blend of woods, orris, patchouli and vanilla."

The orris (iris root) + frankincense combo is responsible for the introductory sensation of clear, crisp mountain air, while the other natural essences and oils merge seamlessly for a nighttime woods effect, frosted with just enough vanilla to add sweetness and psychological comfort while not completely overwhelming the more subtle earth and pine needle scents. The drydown homestretch is a smooth woodsy amber.

Longevity is excellent here, as well (8+ hours), as I've discovered with all of the Zorn/Soivohle all-natural fragrances I've sampled. Soivohle is quickly becoming my favorite all-natural line due to the depth of their fragrances and how long they last on the skin.

Solstice was originally created as a limited edition Christmas/Solstice fragrance back in 2007, but proved to be popular enough for Ms. Zorn to add to her permanent collection. I'm a fan of it already (I ordered a bottle over the weekend), and I have no intention of waiting for the next winter holiday to slather it on. For me, it's gonna be Christmas every day.

Viva la frankincense!

A solution for the "What's a good fragrance choice for the office now that the weather is getting warmer?" question could very well be the Beth Terry Creative Universe line, a breezy collection of scents from a perfumer with stints at Comme des Garcons and Chrome Hearts under her belt.

The Atlantis Home blog mentions how Ms. Terry sent them bottles of Element of Desire and Vita (the same two bottles she sent to me), stating that "Beth chose these herself knowing that I like heavier scents," but if there's one thing that Element of Desire and Vita are not, it's heavy.

Attractive? Yes. Decent longevity? Yes. Heavy? Oh, h*ll no, unless all you're used to is the scent of dryer sheets and Irish Spring soap; barring that, these are fresh, transparent fragrances that are the very definition of "sheer" -- The Posh Peasant states that "all of Ms. Terry's fragrances are subtle, clean, sparkling and contemporary" and that's a summation I can agree with.

ELEMENT OF DESIRE: Element of Desire is about as Spring clean and light as you're ever going to find in a bottle: a bit of white tea, some drenched florals and a spot-on recreation of the crisp ozonic scent that follows a burst of sun dazzled rain.

If I were ever going to be trapped in an elevator for a few hours with a group of total strangers, the happy, fresh vibe of Element of Desire might be the perfect antidote to claustrophobic anxiety. Hopefully, some kind rescue worker would pump it in through the air vents.

Beth Terry herself, in an April 2007 interview with Michelyn Camen, describes Element of Desire as an attempt to "express (her) smoldering, feminine side," but while it's definitely feminine, the only thing "smoldering" about Element of Desire would be the white cardboard box it's packaged in . . . after you set it on fire.

Listed fragrance notes are: rain drenched greens, citrus, dimbula tea, apricot, peony blossom, water jasmine, pink muguet, white sandalwood and golden amber. There's nothing that particularly stands out in the mix, which is a sign of a perfumer who knows how to blend, so the specific fruit and floral notes seem more like suggestions for how Ms. Terry wishes the fragrance to be perceived. The third to fourth hour in is less sparkling fruity-floral. I'd say it was woodsy or earthy, but it's too transparent to be convincing at either.

VITA: The formula for Vita allegedly contains four different kinds of tea blended with some fruits and a dash of lily of the valley, and while the extra dose of tea results in a slightly warmer, even muskier, effect than what I got out of Element of desire, the fragrance is still clean and sheer, just less effervescent, which makes it cling more closely to the skin.

Both Element of Desire and Vita last about four hours before they start thinning out, but the price point is excellent ($72.00 for 4.3 oz /127ml) which makes the idea of spraying extra throughout the day less painful.

A photo of the Beth Terry Creative Universe bottles below. The ribbon is a detail I added, and is not included with the packaging:

***Note: Ms. Terry describes her packaging as "minimal," but "generic" is closer to the truth, with plain white boxes and bulk glass bottles adorned with white labels that look fresh off a laser printer. This undoubtedly keeps costs down, and while she is good enough to pass that cost-saving on to the consumer, the generic look and feel of the packaging makes for a less than stellar presentation.

A fragrance is meant to be worn, so yes, the focus should ultimately be on what's inside the bottle -- yet a consumer has to reach for that fragrance bottle every day, perhaps choose it from among others in a collection, pick it up and hold it in his her/hand, which makes the visual and tactile elements important for the supporting roles they play in the overall brand experience. While I can appreciate Ms. Terry's fragrances on their own merits, the lack of attention to packaging and presentation has the unfortunate effect of undermining the creativity of her work.

UPDATE:

Click on the photo below for a larger, full view of Terry's bottles:

P.S. -- The sis has been commenting lately that she's looking for a light scent for work, so I'm going to send her the two bottles (she also has two teenaged daughters) and see what kind of extra feedback I can get from both the older and younger crowds.

1.) A teaser for the new Chanel No. 5 campaign:

And more of a peek (in French, and featuring Audrey Tautou):

2.) Cartier Cuts Back Hours on Workforce:
"Richemont, the world's second-largest luxury goods group behind LVMH, is cutting working hours at its main Cartier factory as the economic slowdown dampens demand for pricey timepieces . . . Employees in watch production at the top-end brand will work at 40 percent for a three-month period starting in May, a spokesman for Richemont said. 'In this way, we can retain the staff and production flexibility whilst avoiding a build up of finished goods inventory. We do not want to lose any of our employees,' he said . . . Swiss newspaper L'Agefi reported around 500 employees would be affected."

Meanwhile, Nero fiddles, Rome burns, the show must go on -- Cartier's Star-Studded 100th Anniversary Party. No trouble here, folks -- everything's just dandy.

And just when you thought it was safe to go back to the mall -- Swine Flu Threatens Luxury-Goods Sales: "Luxury goods stocks continued to slide on Tuesday as the swine flu outbreak raised fears it could hold back travellers, traditional buyers of upmarket handbags, watches and other pricey items . . . Bernstein estimated that about 20 percent of luxury products are purchased by people when they travel for business or leisure."

The housing bust, stock market ponzi schemes, the increase in international piracy, massive government debt throughout the world, volatile currency markets, the resumption of nuclear saber rattling . . . and now a new swine flu. It's like a bad episode of Punk'd with Ashton Kutcher as our god. Ugh. That thought just made me ill.

3.) Because Who Doesn't Want to Follow Karl Lagerfeld on Twitter?:

*sigh*

It's enough to make me forgive him for being so stubbornly resistant to the Internet as a sales venue.

4.) Mango Awards Honor Oscar de la Renta:
"Oscar de la Renta took the gold -- the 'Gold Button,' that is -- honoring the longevity of his fashion career at Wednesday night's El Botón-Mango Fashion Awards held in the Hangar, a corporate design facility on the outskirts of Barcelona . . . De la Renta said, ''I was very proud to be included in these difficult economic times. I was honored to receive the Golden Button for my achievements in the fashion world.'"

It's been a tough year for de la Renta: the luxury industry is struggling, the Metropolitan Opera bypassed him and chose a bevvy of European designers for their recent costume designs, he had to debase himself on The View as an apology for criticizing the fashion choices of Michelle Obama and now his wife is caught up in the middle of a juicy court battle over the estate of the late Lady Astor. It's about time the guy caught a break.

Watch Oscar grovel on The View:

Speaking of a struggling luxury industry -- Down and Out: Store Closings Spread in L.A.: "Mulberry, Sergio Rossi and bankrupt Lambertson Truex have shut on exclusive Melrose Place . . . Dozens of stores have closed along Santa Monica's Montana Avenue, a main shopping thoroughfare, including contemporary boutiques Jane Smith, Saylor and Il Primo Passo shoes . . . French Connection ... has shuttered its stores at the Beverly Center mall and . . . Frédéric Fekkai is set to close a flagship salon on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills."

5.) The Top Ten Chinese Fashion Brands to Watch:
"Increasingly, 'Made in China' is replaced by 'Created in China.' Sandra Halliday, WGSN's global managing editor for business resource and analysis at WGSN, says: 'China's status as the world's largest manufacturing country has given its fashion designers a low profile internationally. But we now expect this to change as Chinese creativity moves center stage in the years ahead and the country's role as a leading consumer market with home-grown brands strengthens.'"

The ten names to watch are: Ma Ke, Liang Zi, Guo Pei, He Yan, Li Xiaoyan, Liu Xing, Qi Gang and Lu Kun. That horrible crashing you hear in the background is the sound of European luxury executives jumping out their office windows.

6.) Prada's Profits Fall 22%:
"The Prada group, which controls the Prada, Miu Miu, Car Shoe and Church's labels, has reported a drop in earnings of 22 per cent against last year . . . Prada SpA revealed that standalone stores actually gained 5.6 per cent at constant exchange and that most of the profit impact was as a direct result of the drop in wholesale demand, particularly from the US."

While all the luxury houses had their sights set on burgeoning Asia, they forgot to mind the already established markets, resulting in the U.S. recession hitting just when brand loyalty is at its lowest. Turning former luxury houses into mere production lines for disposable bling was a fantastic idea when girls just wanted to have fun, but now that consumers are looking for high-quality goods that are made to last . . . ?

Oh I get it -- now we're supposed to take you seriously:

7.) Is the Beijing Economy Doing Better Than Expected?:
"I took a quick stroll around the block to shake off some jet lag. In that short time, I noted two new malls filled with Prada, Gucci, Versace and other upscale brands. Gone are the Citigroup Inc. (C) advertisements, but in their place are Deutsche Bank AG (DB) branches, as well as those of domestic China banks, which remain spectacularly liquid - meaning they've escaped the vast majority of the credit-crisis contagion."

Meanwhile, New York isn't doing quite so well. NYC retail fixture Henri Bendel is "restructuring" (code for ditching all their clothing lines and laying off staff): "Henri Bendel, is planning to stop selling clothes this summer and focus on accessories and beauty products as it struggles to lure shoppers during a prolonged recession . . . Several employees briefed on the plans said on Thursday that they were told that Bendel had decided to eliminate the fashion departments because there was no sign of a turnaround in the sale of high-ticket items, but that beauty and gift products were selling well and typically with much higher margins."

They've even taken the step of renting out their third floor to bring in extra cash.

Here's a link to a video clip of Henri Bendel before the luxury bubble burst: French Tuesday at Henri Bendel, November 2007

As if to underscore Henri Bendel's point about apparel being a dead weight in this economy, Abercrombie & Fitch just announced that they're laying off 170 office employees: "Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is cutting 170 jobs at its home office in the wake of a steep decline in sales . . . It is the second round of layoffs this year for the purveyor of pricey casual clothing for young people. In January, the company terminated about 50 employees at its New Albany headquarters, and confirmed that it would not fill dozens of open positions."

Abercrombie made news earlier this year with their refusal to mark down the goods on their shelves, believing that heavy discounting would ruin the brands reputation. Well, an utter lack of moving any product off the shelves can ruin a brand, too.

Update: Even 111 shirtless men couldn't put A&F's balance sheet back together again: