August 2009 Archives

When word of a new release by Nasomatto began surfacing back in April, I took some interest, but not a lot. I found the descriptions overly coy, with references to smuggling and hashish, and the last thing in the world I had any interest in smelling like was some blissed-out back room off an alley in Marrakesh (or some dank stoner's basement somewhere in the U.S.) -- not to mention that the then upcoming Black Afgano was being compared to Nasomatto's Duro, a fragrance that hits all the wrong buttons for me -- so I took a mental pass.

***Note: I may have a strongly negative reaction to Duro (it's nothing but a tin can of kerosene on me), but really, it's not a matter of life and death, and my opinion about it is dramatic for the sake or entertainment -- so if you adore Duro and it smells great on you, more power to ya. Now get off of my cloud.

But as I read more copy regarding Black Afgano in the months following, I began to hear words that I liked: resinous, smoky, incense, wood, tobacco, coffee -- each one of them tripping the wire that alerts the scent hedonist, curled up with a good book and a jug of wine, at the center of my brain's personal Kubla Khan.

So I suppose it was inevitable that a bottle should wind up gracing the master bath countertop at Chez Moi -- wait, Nasomatto is an Italian perfume brand, so maybe what's being graced is actually the master bath countertop at La Mia Casa . . . ? However it's phrased, Master Bathroom Countertop + Nasomatto Black Afgano = Unbridled Happiness.

Nasomatto is a fragrance house that doesn't believe in releasing official scent notes as a guide for consumers (JAR is another brand that eschews listing scent notes in favor of letting consumers simply experience the fragrances without scent-note preconceptions), but that doesn't stop the chorus of internet voices from guessing -- here's what I've gleaned from my rounds so far:

1000 Fragrances: "The main note of the perfume seems to be immortelle absolute wrapped in incense, cedar, caramel - coffee - chicory (ethyl maltol, furaneol, melilot, fenugrec, etc) and some aromatic unusual and almost pungent herbs."

Urban Daddy: "Go ahead, spray a little and take a whiff. Breathe in the top notes of coffee, leather, the illegal drug trade and, of course, danger."

Worse Than Weeds: "Black Afgano has a trace resemblance to (Nasomatto) China White . . . both seem to share similar greenish and civet-y ... aspects. The other predominant note for me in Black Afgano is vetiver -- and plenty of it . . . The vetiver here is earthier, darker ... and it dries down a little smoky and leathery, with noticeable patchouli mid-drydown and a mild but sweetish orange-like citrus opening hit that seems to reemerge again later . . . "

Now Smell This: "the fragrance opens with strong aromas of "dirty" cedar (added cumin?) and musk. There is also a hint of wood-scented cigarette smoke in the opening minutes of the fragrance ... (the) mid-phase of development comes closest to smelling like marijuana with a dry, herbal-leafy accord (think cured tobacco) tinged with a sweet 'sweaty' note. As the scent dries down, there's a brief moment of funky-furry musk, then ... vanillic-amber-y with a touch of patchouli."

British Beauty Blogger: "Why is it black? Because it contains tobacco, coffee, oud and hashish."

I personally find Black Afgano to be a pleasant (though initially tarry), burnt-sugar take on the smoky incense genre. There's nothing particularly druggy or illicit about its scent, and I've already received several compliments while wearing it, along the lines of: "What's that nice incense smell?"

Louise noticed the amber/sugar base coat instantly (she mentioned that she found the sweetness "cloying" for her own tastes, but that it would smell fantastic on her husband), and loved the resinous, smoky layers hovering above. There's definitely a smooth woodsy quality to the proceedings, which signals the proper (and rightful) return of patchouli in its natural form as opposed to the light, airy patchoulis we've been suffering lately.

Several reviewers have noted that Black Afgano has little sillage yet excellent longevity, and while it's true that it doesn't linger in the air after you've left, it definitely makes itself known when you're standing in one place for more than thirty seconds at a time. I was out getting fresh flowers yesterday and the girl behind the counter at the open air flower shop mentioned that she smelled a beautiful incense and asked if it were me. I was amazed. I said, "You're surrounded by flowers, traffic, tourists and the smells from the market, yet you noticed the fragrance I'm wearing?"

So the juice has a definite presence, and I've yet to bump into anyone who doesn't like it. Well, anyone who doesn't like it on me. Score one for Nasomatto. This is the first bottle of theirs I've purchased, as it's the first one of their fragrances that speaks to me -- and trust me, it doesn't sound anything like Duro.

The bottle itself is striking in its dark color scheme. The oversized cap is a genuine deeply-stained wood, and yes, the liquid inside the bottle is black -- or, at the least, a very dark, charred brown, so it goes without saying that it's probably not the best idea to spray Black Afgano directly on your clothes.

The silver label gleams and the thick glass catches the light for a silvery effect, so the piece looks good sitting on a table, shelf or counter. The atomizer sprays a very fine mist, though it does tend to leak a bit while spraying -- this is a common problem I have with atomizers, even good ones. The mist may be fantastic, but I still get perfume running down my fingers by the time I'm done.

The package also includes a very small, slim, black plastic cap to substitute for the oversized wood cap when I'm traveling and need to fit the bottle easily into a one-quart ziploc baggie for airport security screening. Using the plastic travel cap may deflate some of the visual drama, but it's a considerate addition.

The box is made of black cardboard -- nothing special. It gets the job done without adding greatly to the expense of the overall product. The Nasomatto brand is pricy enough as is without going all By Kilian on us.

But back to the fragrance itself, there's much talk about how perfumer Alessandro Gualtieri spent several years experimenting with actual Afghanistan hashish (even "smuggling" it to his lab) in order to make a perfume that either features the essence of hashish or smells somewhat like the stuff, but that strikes me as more a fantasy story that's good for generating hipster buzz -- and the hipsters are buzzing, make no mistake about that, so the story is doing its duty, overblown exaggeration or not.

I'm just thrilled that Black Afgano exists. It may be part and parcel of the new Look Eastward trend in which the entire fashion industry appears to be presently engaged, but as such, it offers a welcome exoticism (maybe even classicism) that softens Gualtieri's often sharply modern approach to perfumery. If Nasomatto's Narcotic Venus was too much a Foghorn Leghorn of a tuberose for the delicate souls among us to bear, then Black Afgano makes up for the ruckus by whispering through the air on a curling plume of grey smoke.

So to sum up: burnt-sugar incense + tobacco smoke; dramatic bottle; compliments from strangers; first Nasomatto I've loved.

I didn't purchase a single fragrance when I was in NYC over the last weekend, even though I was surrounded by bottles, brands and fragrance hounds on a bender in the basement of Bergdorf Goodman. If they'd only carried Nasomatto Black Afgano, the situation would have turned out differently.

***Note: okay, I have to make a slight correction to the above statement. I didn't purchase a single fragrance for *myself* when I was in NYC over the last weekend. I did, however, pick up a bottle of Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane for Louise, and a bottle of JAR Jarling for Julie. Both are dearly loved and appreciated in their respective homes.

1.) So, I think that, Uh, the Fashion Industry Wants Us All to Shop?:

September 10th just happens to be the grand opening of the Neiman Marcus in Bellevue, Washington, so I think I just might be shopping, after all (with Louise and Julie, of course).

Not everyone is impressed, however, with the fashion industry's plea for peace, love and cash -- Fashion's Night Out Is Anna Wintour's Charitable Ponzi Scheme: "Anna Wintour's Make-People-Like-Me-Before-My-Contract-Is-Up Tour 2009 needed a charitable arm. She came up with Fashion's Night Out, a plan to save the industry, the economy, and her job all at once . . . The plan seems to be to spend a lot of money getting people in the stores to spend a lot of money. The one thing we haven't heard anything about is discounts. Just because Catherine Malandrino is converting her Meatpacking showplace into a French cafe for the evening doesn't mean that suddenly more people will be able to afford one of her cocktail dresses."

*ahem*

But if you happen to be in New York on September 10th (or just jolly well live there already), it sounds like Bergdorf Goodman is going to be the place to be, "with windows by Zac Posen, a celebrity designer cook-off judged by Padma Lakshmi, the Olsen twin's bartending, and Andre Leon Talley hosting some sort of game show."

2.) Avery Gilbert (a new breed of "smell scientist" and author of Royal Society Prize nominated What the Nose Knows) has a great article in Beauty Fashion magazine about the role of new media (blogs) in the future of fragrance marketing and advertising: Who Speaks for Perfume? (link goes to article download)

"The new voices of fragrance -- the clamoring multitude of the internet -- are a motley crew. Some speak insightfully and persuasively, others are self-absorbed and proudly subjective. Some take a longer, even historical view; others focus on the here and now. All are concerned with the practical issues of wearability, quality and value. All dare to criticize . . . They will be to perfume what movie reviewers are to Hollywood."

The article is only about a page long, and I encourage you to download it at the link and read the whole thing. Mr. Gilbert describes, accurately and concisely, the reasons behind the rise of new fragrance related media, and the transition the industry is presently experiencing as a result. I hope the industry is listening.

Below is a video clip of an interview with Avery Gilbert on CBS' Early Show. It's short and exceptionally informative. That seems to be how Gilbert operates -- get the information out there, unembellished with folderol and easy to grasp:

3.) Saks Fifth Avenue Reports Widening Losses:
"Luxury retailer Saks Inc. ... reported a net loss for the second quarter that widened from last year, hurt by a 15% decline in sales in addition to lower margins amid increased markdowns . . . Luxury brands were expected to be less vulnerable to the economic downturn, but have seen sales slump alongside a broad slide in consumer spending as even shoppers with money scale back on spending amid job losses and lower home values."

So much for the "recession proof" brands and stores.

I recall when the economy first started hitting the skids how stores like Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf and Saks were all touted for their ability to stay the course and prosper as lower priced chains withered, but it's turning out to be just the opposite. Luxury brands understated their reliance on the "aspirational" consumer -- i.e. the consumer who spent more than he/she could really afford in order to obtain and wear the symbols of prosperity -- and as the recession has dragged on, their bottom lines are pretty much bottoming out as a result.

But hey, Discount Rules while Luxury flounders: "But what is compelling is that Saks saving grace may end up being its discount outlets. An AP story said that the less-expensive Off 5th stores are doing better than Saks' full-price stores . . . Nordstrom ... has announced that is expanding its discount chain, Nordstrom Rack. The question I have is with the boom of outlet stores and the success of discount stores like Marshalls and TJ Maxx, who will be left to buy the items at their original prices?"

A good question. Once consumers can no longer purchase a Chloe bag at half price, will they still be interested in Chloe bags? Or will they turn to mid-price brands (Kooba, Botkier, Tory Burch, Kate Spade) as the supply of discounted luxury dries up? We may even see the likes of Marc by Marc Jacobs and Michael by Michael Kors survive while the parent brands go belly up.

Speaking of lower priced brands, some of them are already showing signs of benefiting from the trade-down as consumers opt for well-known but less expensive names and retail chains: Profit up 11 percent for Guess in second quarter -- "Guess Inc. said Wednesday its fiscal 2010 second-quarter profit rose 11 percent as revenue climbed, especially in Europe, expenses fell and the clothing supplier posted strong product margins."

And this: Chico's 2Q profit more than doubles on sales -- "Women's specialty retailer Chico's FAS Inc. said Tuesday that its profit more than doubled in the second quarter, helped by stronger sales and a leaner inventory . . . Same-store sales edged up 1.3 percent during the quarter, with Chico's/Soma same-store sales gaining about 0.4 percent and White House Black Market same-store sales rising 3.7 percent."

And this: Hard up fashionistas head to Marshalls -- "Saks blamed its poor results on hard-up fashionistas who now prowl the racks at Marshalls instead, looking to pay $50 instead of the $300 they used to shell out to Saks for designer jeans." Ouch!

And also this: J.Crew Profit Tops Analysts' Estimates on New Stores -- "J.Crew Group ... reported second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts' estimates after the company added stores and controlled costs . . . The company opened 21 stores in the first two quarters and closed 2, and had 319 locations as of Aug. 1. Sales at established locations fell 5 percent. Profit margins on merchandise were the same as a year earlier, a better outcome than the company had planned, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mickey Drexler said on a conference call with analysts."

So higher end is down (Gucci, LVMH, Saks, Neiman Marcus) while the likes of Guess, Chico's and J.Crew are reporting increasing sales and revenue. The bellwhethers are ringing.

Another major bellwhether: Thanks to the recession, drugstore cosmetics lines gain respect -- "With traditional drugstore brands incorporating high-end innovations in low-cost product lines, the drugstore is becoming the H&M of the cosmetics world for everyday makeup . . . The drugstore cosmetics market has been strong, despite declining sales in the beauty industry as a whole. Total makeup sales dipped 2 percent nationwide in 2008 compared with 2007 ... but the same study found that, while department-store sales of cosmetics dropped 4 percent, food, drug and mass-merchandiser outlets (excluding Wal-Mart) saw a 1 percent increase."

Drugstores are turning to what they call "Masstige" items (mass-market versions of Prestige products) to bring customers to the counter. They're adding mineral-based powders, vibrating-wand mascaras, foundations that adapt to the wearer's skin color -- innovations that were once the sole property of higher-end lines such as YSL, Chanel and Lancome -- and they're offering them at lower prices.

With less brand loyalty today than in the past, a lower price for the same type of product with a similar (though not exactly the same) quality is definitely appealing when a consumer is looking to cut back on overall spending.

4.) The Gap Wants You To Love Their Non-Premium Jeans:
"In the search for the perfect pair of jeans, shoppers have long bowed to the terms of premium-denim labels, which promise superior fit but demand supersize prices . . . Now Gap, Loft and other mall-based retailers are selling jeans that they say fit just as well for under $60 . . . The design team at Gap, a 40-year-old brand founded on denim, spent the past 18 months overhauling its lineup, according to Patrick Robinson, executive vice president of design for Gap adult and Gap body. It was all about "fit," Mr. Robinson said. 'Fit, fit, fit, fit, fit.'"

Below is a photo illustration the article used to show how the lower-end brands are attempting to catch up to the premium denim brands in regards to fit. The difference is still noticeable, but it's not as wide a chasm as the fits used to be.

Gap on the L., Citizens for Humanity on the R. - CforH still wins, but Gap has improved

The article mentions that the biggest change for Gap in particular is that the different styles of jeans (Curvy, Real Straight, etc.) aren't meant to fit everyone, so the one-size fits all approach is (thankfully) tossed out the window in exchange for more targeted fits. This makes sense -- as consumers trade down from higher-priced options, they're still going to want something that gives them an approximation of the premium fit they've grown accustomed to. It's easier to justify the trade-down when the less expensive brand doesn't come across like a saggy bag of middle-aged spread in the dressing room.*

*Note: I'm certain some of you have no idea what "saggy bag of middle-aged spread" means, and I want to go on record as saying that I hate you for that . . .

5.) Cambodian Garment Exports Fall as Recession Drags On:
"Figures released Tuesday by the Kingdom's import-export inspection body showed July exports plummeted an annualised 26.4 percent, a larger decrease than in June, suggesting the worst of the economic crisis is not yet over for Cambodia . . . Though Cambodia's export figures continue to decline, a number of other export-dependent economies in the region have seen recent improvements, including China, Singapore and Taiwan. Hong Kong, however, saw its exports worsen in July, down 19.9 percent year on year compared to with 5.4 percent in June, government figures said Tuesday."

Camodia reported an already drastic 17% drop in garment exports in June, and the July 26% drop just compounds the problem for the workers of Cambodia, as the garment industry alone is responsible for about 90% of Cambodia's total exports. In other words, without Western consumers spending and purchasing, Cambodia's economy is headed for a free-fall, with nothing in place to substitute for all the lost jobs that will inevitably result from the decreasing exports.

An interesting point that was noted in the article: "Business Development Manager Kaing Monika warned that although some markets, including Asia and Europe, had picked up in recent months, the United States - Cambodia's biggest export market by trade value - was showing relatively few signs of recovery."

6.) Stella McCartney Gets to Go Nude After All:
"Nude Brands Ltd., a cosmetics company founded by the wife of U2's Bono, Ali Hewson, lost a London court bid to block fashion designer Stella McCartney from introducing a new perfume (STELLANUDE) . . . Hewson's Nude Brands has a European Union trademark on "nude" in capital letters and asked the London court for an order delaying sales of the perfume pending a full trial on trademark issues . . . While Nude Brands might "ultimately prevail at trial," the "massive disruption" that would be done to L'Oreal's business if the order was wrongly granted would outweigh the damage to Nude Brands by refusing to grant it, Justice Christopher Floyd said today."

Another article mentions that the British High Court refused requests for a "fast trial", and it's unclear as to whether Nude Brands will take the case all the way to and through trial now that the Stella McCartney company has been granted permission to continue with its launch.

It's likely that Nude Brands was betting an injunction denying McCartney permission to launch STELLANUDE so closely to release date would force the company to settle with Nude Brands in an effort to avoid massive monetary loss. Now that the injunction has been denied, Nude Brands has very little leverage, and lawyers for McCartney Ltd. get ample time to prepare a defense.

The court ruling did, however, state that the judge found "the term 'Stellanude' was similar enough to the term 'nude' to justify scrutiny under trade mark law," which means that he would allow the case to go to trial should both parties pursue the matter.

A video clip below of Stella McCartney's Fall 2009 runway collection:

7.) Remember what I said last time about luxury design houses turning their focus to the Middle East? Well, that might not turn out to be such a hot strategy, after all -- Prices a downer in Dubai:

"In a report on Dubai, Colliers International said second-quarter residential prices fell 9 per cent, a marked slowing on the 40 per cent fall in the first quarter. Prices are thus down 50 per cent on their peak in the third quarter of last year . . . The market's collapse followed a construction boom that created thousands of homes just as demand began to evaporate amid the global recession."

It appears that Dubai, where many Western brands go to seek out the Middle Eastern consumer, is suffering from its own real estate bubble collapse, and this could spread throughout the region's economy in much the same way the effects of the real estate crash rippled throughout the U.S., resulting in reduced spending, falling profits and increased unemployment. All of these factors, plus the reduced demand for oil due to global economic slowdown, is like a perfect storm rushing right toward all those luxury boutique shopkeepers in Dubai.

A video clip below of a new report examining the collapse of the Dubai real estate market:

"You can't put a percentage figure on the market drop -- in fact, there isn't a market at all!"

I think Dubai might just need its own Fashion's Night Out . . . although that Gucci seatbelt idea could help: "A total of 72.4 percent of people who took part in an online poll criticised the idea of distributing Gucci seatbelts to young UAE motorists in a bid to get them to buckle up. The poll by Arabian Business found the vast majority of people thought the idea was ridiculous and would not work."

I can hear it now -- "Put on your seatbelt, dear. I don't care if it saves your life or not, it's Gucci!"

The perfumer who's created world class works for the likes of Comme des Garcons, Karl Lagerfeld, Cartier, Givenchy, Burberry and more has launched his own eponymous line, putting his own name on the label and his own reputation directly on the line.

It's a brave move for a man who's accustomed to ceding praise and reward to the more famous names and faces that front the ad campaigns and sit behind the CEO desks at various luxury design houses.

There are actually very few perfumers who have either the desire, nerve or financial resources to leap off the little fluffy cloud of anonymity to play all the different roles involved in producing a line of fragrances for the commercial market. Yes, the Frederic Malle brand features the names of the actual perfumers on the label, but the top billing goes to Mr. Frederic Malle himself, and he's the one responsible for the look of the packaging, the names of the scents, the interviews with newspapers and magazines, the advertising, fundraising, schmoozing, glad-handing, etc.

People like Frederic Malle, Tom Ford, Olivier Durbano, Serge Lutens -- they handle the business and PR matters while the actual perfumer gets to turn in his handiwork and walk away, free from the financing & marketing end of the equation. It's not just anyone who can wear all those hats (plus the Creator of the Juice hat, too) without completely toppling over into bankruptcy, madness or both.

So yes, I should probably admit that I approached the new Mark Buxton fragrance series with a wee bit of respect and admiration already built in.

And maybe putting his own name on the label, making himself the man fully and solely accountable for the rise or fall of the Mark Buxton label, forced him to be more conscious of market forces and consumer trends this time around, because Black Angel (as well as Nameless and Hot Leather, two more fragrances that I tested from his series) is an unmistakably commercial piece of work, and by "commercial" I mean "easily accessible".

There's no attempt to dazzle with subterfuge, confound the expectations or row the fragrance boat against the mighty current of consumer tastes. It's almost as if Buxton tossed out his "Dancing on the High Wire for Dummies" manual and said, "F*** it. I want to create fragrances that a lot of people will like, buy and be more than delighted to wear on a daily basis, period." And amen to that.

Because if there's one thing I genuinely love about Black Angel is how easy it is to approach, to wear, to get to know. I don't have to think about whether it's appropriate for where I'm going or who I might be meeting, whether it's too big or too bold, too racy or too feminine, too high, too strange, too rich, sweet, flowery, bright, whatever. What it is, instead, is just right -- like some bottle of potion that Goldilocks found sitting on Baby Bear's dresser.

Mr. Buxton's website, however, isn't so just right -- there's some bizarre color coded fragrance chart (Personality through the prism of color!") coupled with PR copy so bland it'll take your breath away. For example, this is the text that accompanies Black Angel (which is inexplicably filed under the color blue -- go figure): "This colour is for peace and tranquility lovers, for broadbrow people valuing honesty, tightly attached to other people and aspiring to feel the part of the community. They feel confident in any situation. They are frank interlocutors and thick-and-thin friends."

I guess it's supposed to be like a Myers Briggs for fragrance consumers, but the fizz falls a little flat. I'll give him points for at least trying to do something different, however, as it's difficult to create a fragrance website that doesn't simply make the consumer's eyes glaze over, and like it or not, the color-prism-personality idea gets site visitors to at least do a little exploring, no matter the amount of curses muttered under their collective breaths once they've had enough of the drivel.

Buxton subtitles the Black Angel fragrance An Englishman in New York, and lists the scent notes as: citrus, bergamot, mandarin, orange, rosemary, ginger, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, jasmine, lily of the valley, orris, styrax, guaiac and patchouli.

The body of the piece is subtle yet spicy deep, with a smoky, polished wood undertone. There's a bit of a ringing camphorous bite at the opening (likely from the orris), though nothing like what you'd get out of a Comme des Garcons or a Serge Lutens. This is Buxton at his most approachable, and I've never thought that kind of high-pitched orris note smelled so calm, collected and casual before.

The development of Black Angel isn't full of tricks and cartwheels, either. Despite the citrus fruit listed as top notes, it doesn't come across as fruity when you spray it on. The same with the floral notes. Black Angel is, instead, a piece of whole cloth woven from separate threads, the way a forest is composed of all those individual trees. You see the cloth and not the threads, you smell the forest and not the trees.

This forest just happens to smell like an exceptionally smooth patchouli swathed in sweet smoke and sprinkled with nutmeg dust.

Longevity is excellent, with it still going strong at 6+ hours -- and last night, when I thought it had all but disappeared from my skin after more than ten hours, I hopped onto the cardio machine in the gym and fifteen minutes in, with my body temperature rising, a fantastic incense scent started to waft from off my body. It reminded me of the beautiful incense accord that radiates from the heart of both Andy Tauer's Une Rose Chypree and the Chanel Les Exclusifs Sycomore.

So there's definitely a swirling,smoky soul to Buxton's Black Angel.

The packaging is clever, though not breathtaking or lust inducing. Tearing the name of the perfumer off the box to reveal the bottle is unexpected, and the enclosed, embossed information card is signed personally by Mark Buxton, which is a nice touch. The bottle itself is a thick, hefty glass with what appears to be a lightweight powder coated cap. It fits very nicely in my hand and is easy for me to hold and spray, though someone with much smaller hands than mine might find its wider spread a bit awkward.

I do have to say that the packaging trends masculine in style. It can easily be considered unisex, but its shape, weight and color scheme sits comfortably among the clutter on my bathroom counter -- unlike, say, a bottle of Marc Jacobs Lola.

Over all, the packaging gives off the impression of a brand that wants to be seen as just slightly left-of-center creative rather than plush luxury or whacked-out modern. It's not at all cutting edge or hyper trendy, and I'm fine with that. After the disappointment of watching the Six Scents series fall rather short of realizing its NYC Fashion Week Cooler Than Thou potential, it's a relief to encounter a brand that doesn't try too hard to be something it's not.

And oh, yeah -- it's great to see a genuinely talented perfumer step out from the shadows of anonymous toil for corporate giants and tackle the fragrance market on his own terms, and under his own name. I'd like to see more perfumers do the same.

***You can see my previous review for Black Angel here: Mark Buxton Black Angel -- and yes, that's the Neil Gaiman Absolute Sandman volume as the backdrop for the Black Angel photos. It seemed appropriate.

UPDATE (08/26/09):

I just noticed (over 24 hours later) that a chunk of the review was hidden due to an html coding error on my part. I apologize for what must have been a very confusing description of the packaging -- the bottle is most certainly not "a thick, hefty glass with what appears to be a lightweight Lola". . . ay yi yi.

There are days when I need a better editor.

I got back to Seattle yesterday after a non-stop pavement pounding weekend in New York where I met up with a gaggle of fragrance hounds from the Perfume of Life forum (wait, do hounds gaggle?), plus a meeting with Della Chuang, a New York graphic designer and the author of KyotEau: Bottled Memories.

I took my friend Julie with me, and we booked two rooms at the Mandarin Oriental in uptown New York -- it's located in the huge Time Warner building that hunkers down on Columbus Circle, right across from Central Park. When we arrived, they upgraded us to rooms right next to each other and with views of the park (when I'd booked online, they were showing only city view rooms).

This is what I woke up to each morning (you'll have to pardon the quality of the photos -- I had to take them with my iPhone as I realized upon my arrival in New York, and much to my great horror, that I'd left my Canon G10 sitting forlornly on the kitchen table back home):

View from the 40th floor

I was surprised that we were able to be upgraded and moved around so easily on a weekend, but #1) it was August in New York, and it's not necessarily the time when people flock to the city, and #2) hotels are presently running at much lower occupancy rates than they have in years, if ever. Restaurants, too.

For example, we went to Del Posto for dinner on Friday evening -- a huge, swanky, glitzy, overblown paen to the heady days of high-finance and multi-million dollar Wall Street bonus checks. Del Posto opened in 2006 and was immediately a hot-ticket (and hotly reviled by the food snobs) item with its deep, straight from Italy wine list (wine book is more like it), but as we sat at the bar waiting for our table (we'd arrived about a half hour early due to there being about 50% less traffic on the streets than I'd anticipated), the bartender mentioned that it was not a busy night, especially for a Friday, and when we looked around, we realized that he was oh so right.

The tables were mostly filled, yes, but there was no standing-room only crowd, no waiting in line, no spillover into the bar area -- couple that with how fast and easy it was for us to get from the Upper West side to the Meat Packing district when a trip like that is usually bumper to bumper, stop and go on a Friday night, and I was getting a sense that the big city is a lot quieter than it ever used to be.

But the atmosphere of the place was still engaging, with live piano music tinkling in the background and very personable, attentive service from the staff, but another change that struck me as different from the last times I've visited New York was the way the restaurant diners were dressed.

Julie and I were in our best New York black duds, and I swear we were about the best dressed people there, which has never been the case for me before (at least not in New York) -- I saw lots of casual button down shirts with slacks, but no jackets for the men (there was barely a suit in sight, save for the waitstaff, who were all dressed about ten times better than the majority of the diners), while the women were in much more casual dresses, or skirts and blouses, than ordinarily you'd see at a swank of a restaurant like this.

The style actually reminded me of a much more casual West Coast attitude toward dress codes, which is pretty much, "If you can pay the bill, you can have a table." Not what New York has been known for in the past, which makes me think that some of the trendier big-ticket restaurants are just happy to be filling tables at all, snooty attitudes be damned.

But beyond the food, quite a bit of the trip was spent touring Bergdorf Goodman, since I was meeting up on both Friday and Saturday with beauty/fragrance bloggers and forum members. Below is a photo of Julie and yours truly from the Saturday morning meet-up brunch at Sullivan Diner, where sixteen fragrance fanatics sat at a table groaning under the weight of goodie bags filled with perfume samples.

She said, "Sniff for the camera" -- so we did!

I'd never been to Bergdorf before, even though I've visited NYC numerous times (and even lived there for a year in 2002/2003), so it was a pleasure to take in the sights at the department store that pretty much epitomizes the high-end department store experience in the United States.

Being more than perfume friendly types, we of course stopped into the JAR boutique, of which there are only two in the world -- one in Paris, and the other right there in the basement of Bergdorf. We were given the full-on JAR experience, which includes a lengthy explanation of the history of the development of the fragrances, as well as anecdotes about jeweler and perfumer Joel Arthur Rosenthal.

Since I didn't have my good camera, I can't offer photos of the boutique, which is a shame since there's a really nice bolt of lightning mural that stretches from one end of the ceiling to the other, inspired by their signature perfume, Bolt of Lightning.

But the sales assistant (Robert) was personable and welcoming while also being very good at what he does -- out of the four of us who were sitting at his table, two of us walked away with bottles of JAR fragrance, which isn't a bad success rate as far as salesmanship goes.

***Note: there would have been three sales out of the four of us if the new, as yet unreleased JAR fragrance that Robert let me smell from a tester had been bottled and available for consumers. It was deeply sweet and complex, with a quality like warm honey poured over old saddle leather.

He also let each of the three women try on some pairs of Rosenthal's earrings that he had on hand, which were light as air, hand-made geranium leaves and rose petals fashioned out of aluminum, some of them painted or oxidized, others covered in gold.

Julie in JAR earrings

Some earrings look good on a person. These looked stunning -- the ways in which they curved and twisted made them appear as if they were floating at the ear rather than hanging as a piece of jewelry.

Again, kicking myself that I didn't have the G10 with me.

But JAR is rather up-into-the-stratosphere stuff, and a pair of painted, aluminum earrings runs $2400.00 (his more elaborate and jeweled works can run into the millions), so we took a pass on the jewelry experience of JAR.

Robert did mention that there's talk of a Joel Arthur Rosenthal retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2012, and for that I would travel specifically to NYC to visit. The man's work is extraordinarily beautiful, and is never available in any sizable collection for viewing by the likes of the unwashed masses (such as myself).

The days flew past, a blur of perfume, fashion and design chatter, and we had our meeting with Della Chuang on Saturday evening at Bar Masa, located also in the Time Warner building, and right next to its much more formal sister restaurant, Masa, described as Manhattan's "most expensive temple to the gods of sushi" by New York Magazine.

At Masa, reservations are taken only on the first week of the month, and only for the month that follows. Needless to say, it's formal and exclusive and I hadn't called far enough in advance. Bar Masa, on the other hand, is easy going and no-reservations required, so we breezed right in, got a table and settled down for an evening of good sake, excellent sushi and fascinating conversation.

Ms. Chuang had brought along a prototype of her packaging concept for her KyotEau fragrance, and I was stunned at how simple and yet deeply elegant the whole presentation turned out to be. The packaging was reminiscent of the quality of the Lalique Encre Noire EDP packaging, but even more sophisticated and creative.

Unfortunately, Della doesn't have the deep financial pockets of a name like Lalique, so it will be a challenge to bring this vision of hers into reality, though there's certainly a market for it, as tooling around the interior of Bergdorf's proved -- if it's gorgeous, exquisitely crafted and exotic, then the Ladies Who Lunch don't care what price it is.

Della's packaging concept for KyotEau is all three (gorgeous, exquisitely crafted and exotic), with its hand-smoothed, coral red, carved wood box and kohl-black glass bottle with heavy stained wood cap, and could easily retail for several thousand dollars without the high-end consumer batting an eye -- although there aren't any diamonds involved, and now that I think about it, the Ladies Who Lunch really love their diamonds . . .

So, I first read about this dress on Marin's blog, where she often features personal tidbits and unusual items to go along with her running commentary on the state of the knitting union.

Marin is a veritable font of verbiage across a cornucopia of subjects. I believe that's the polite way of saying that someone suffers from an acute case of ADD, right?

Anyway, the dress is called the Colour-In Dress, and it was designed by independent fashion designer Berber Soepboer and graphic designer Michiel Schuurman as a showpiece for a functional design exhibition called "Repeat Please".

From Berber Soepboer's website: "The Colour-In Dress' is a simple dress with a black and white print, which is especially designed to fill with coloured textile markers. Because the print is so flexible you can make many different designs by colouring it. Everybody can interpret the print the way they like it best."

Here's a picture below from the website:

I found the concept so intriguing that I emailed Soepboer back at the beginning of April and asked if the dresses were in production. The first response was: "I'm sorry but untill now it hasn't been possible for me to start a production. I hope I can realize it in the future." Three weeks later, I received a decidedly more optimistic email: "After many requests, The 'Colour-In' Dress will be available . . . Get a Colour-In Dress and create your own unique design!!!!!!"

I love it when a good idea catches fire.

So yesterday, I received a package in the mail from the Netherlands. It was the dress.

The geometric pattern is even trippier in person than it is in photos, and it absolutely begs for a stalwart, creative soul to take a deep breath and pounce. I hardly know where to begin.

But first, Louise has to try it on. I want to make sure it fits her before I sit down and spend five thousand man hours bleeding, sweating and crying over the thing . . . and I'm only half-joking.

How much color should I use? How little? Which ones?!!

As Marin noted (when I Twittered her excitedly over the arrival of the dress): "That's very brave of you!" Because, you know, what happens should I screw up and color outside the lines? Wailing and gnashing of teeth, that's what.

The dress comes with two packs of boldly colored textile markers, which is the fun part.

But the dress itself? The print is amazing, and is worth examining for that alone, yet the construction of the piece, as with any limited run, low-budget work, has its pros and its cons. The material is sturdy and it's put together nicely, but it could certainly use a lining. Once I finish the piece, I'll have to have one put in. And while the general stitching throughout the piece is done well enough for confident public wearing, the hem is stitched with a rather minimalist ethos (I think the designer was afraid of a straight hem stitch breaking the lines of the dress and making it more difficult to color the pattern in) -- though, again, once the lining is put in, that can be corrected.

I like the snap fastenings up the asymmetric front (they lay very flat and don't disrupt the design), but I'm thinking that what's really needed are buttons, or some good hook and eye closures. As it stands, all it would take is one good yank from one of Louise's young children and she might find herself spilling out into public view.

That simply would not do.

But for a totally DIY project, it's definitely a winner, not to mention that it will be a serious conversation piece should I ever get it finished and she wears it out to her first party.

I'm shooting for a Christmas completion date, but I haven't yet decided if that's Christmas 2009, or Christmas 2010.

You can read more about the designer at the website: Berber Soepboer

UPDATE (08/30/09):

Louise tried on the dress this past week, and the project is now a no-go at this point. Though I was assured by the designer that the size small would easily accommodate a U.S. size 4, the dress actually fits like an extra-small (U.S. size 0 to 2). Louise is pretty much a standard U.S. 4 right down the line -- if you grab something off the rack marked 4 (or small), it will fit like it was made for her, but we couldn't even get the snaps anywhere near to closed on the torso of the color-in dress.

I emailed the designer a few days ago to see if maybe any of her other customers experienced the same problem and whether there might be a larger size for exchange, but I've yet to hear anything back.

And just when I was getting myself all psyched-up for the challenge . . .

UPDATE (09/06/09):

I received an email from the Soepboer and Schuurman design team that created the Color-In Dress -- they assured me that I would be able to exchange the dress for the next larger size with no problem, and also offered some tips to allay my anxiety on how to best color in the dress. An excerpt from the email addressing the coloring process is posted below:

"Berber and I coloured one of (the) dresses ourselves and did it sloppy on purpose,
and still the dress (came) out fine. The best way is to just start somewhere
and work from that area for about half an hour or so .... then just wear the
dress and colour it a little more a next time. Although it's fun to come up
with a mathematical pattern to colour the dress, the effect will be better if
combined with random colouring. At one point we didn't look at the colours
anymore and the dress still came out nice. One little warning though -- it took
two persons about 8 (!) hours to colour the dress, so please colour it in steps or
it'll drive you crazy. As a last tip.... you should make sure you keep a lot of
white details in the dress (as) this will make it sparkle more!"

So, Point #1) I can exchange the dress for a larger size -- hooray! Point #2) The design team took it upon themselves to email me personally, address my concerns and make certain that my purchasing experience with them is a positive one. Anyone who orders an item from an independent designer, especially an independent designer from another country, can appreciate how important that second point is in helping the transaction proceed smoothly and beneficially for all parties involved.

I'll update again when the exchange occurs and the project gets underway.

I was introduced to the Della Chaung KyotEau project through Michelle Kydd of Glass Petal Smoke. Actually, I was first introduced (via Twitter) to Della Chuang (Ms. Chuang was in Helsinki at the time, and I love Twitter and Facebook for the ability to instantly connect to people around the world) and her project immediately careened onto my radar.

Della is a professional graphic designer and has worked as an art designer at Ralph Lauren Fragrances (where she had a hand in the packaging/bottle design for Polo Blue and Pure Turquoise), as well as for Tom Ford Beauty in New York (White Patchouli).

In February of 2006, Ms. Chuang quite her job with Ralph Lauren and embarked on a journey of self-discovery through art, photography, writing and design. She set out to create her own piece of fully realized fragrance design, from the scent itself to the bottle and packaging in which it would be contained. The finished fragrance (KyotEau) is the result of an intensely personal collaboration with perfumer Christopher Laudamiel, and her book, "KyotEau: Bottled Memories", is like a stream-of-consciousness journal that reveals -- layer by careful, artful layer -- the inspiration behind the creative process.

"It was not easy to find a talented and open-minded perfumer who would be able to relate to the sensations of Kyoto," she writes in the preface to her book. "I was hoping for a true collaboration, someone with whom I could discuss my draft articles and my photographs and throw around ideas. I was extremely lucky to come across the exuberant French perfumer Christopher Laudamiel. We clicked after his strong resonance with 'If' -- a poem I wrote to capture my sensory adventures in Kyoto."

The KyotEau fragrance has not yet been released on the market as it's very much a personal project, and while Ms. Chuang has completed the full bottle and packaging design, with a sample of the finished fragrance included in a hollowed-out paper slab at the back of the book, getting a one-off project like this produced, bottled and onto store shelves is a lesson in humility, if not the staggering economics behind the marketing and success of any perfume.

KyotEau, as a fragrance, is a quiet, meditative work that comes across like the love-child of Christopher Laudamiel and Mark Buxton -- a curl of incense dancing on a knife's blade. You can literally see the influences behind the scent's creation as you page through the book: rows of glowing paper lanterns; a conversation on the steps of a temple, voices as hushed as the surrounding trees; thick strokes of blank ink calligraphy spreading across parchment; a burst of red maple leaves in afternoon sunlight.

KyotEau smells of cypress trees, stained hardwood floors, lacquered boxes, horsehair brushes dipped in ink and slowly ascending streams of temple smoke shot through with a delicate sweetness. It's everything I wished Comme des Garcons' Hinoki would have been, and showcases perfumer Laudamiel's wistful, tender side. If Skarb (the fragrance Laudamiel designed for Humiecki & Graef) was intended as an olfactory representation of "how men cry", then KyotEau is olfactory shorthand for how a young, talented graphic designer from New York sounds the depths of her own cultural history to find her future.

In another part of "KyotEau: Bottled Memories", Della Chuang writes: "Many in the fragrance and beauty industry have observed that this industry is spending huge amounts of money on elaborate and seductive perfume ads, while their creative department is asked to churn out truly hideous packaging and point-of-purchase materials untouched by good design or by good taste."

In her own effort to produce something both deeply personal and satisfyingly creative for the contemporary fragrance market, Ms. Chuang has embraced the Japanese ideal of simplicity, with its lack of pretension and overt ornamentation, in order to allow the beauty of the scent itself to shine. But KyotEau is "simple" in the way that the human heart is simple -- i.e. deceptively. Yes, we all want fulfillment, but there are a thousand and one roads to get there. Chuang took the one less traveled (and it makes all the difference).

You can read more about Della Chuang -- and her thoughts on design, art and commerce -- at her blog, Nomadic Design.

***Note: "KyotEau: Bottled Memories" is not yet available for consumer purchase (I was given an advance copy by Ms. Chuang), but Della tells me that Lucky Scent will be offering the book for sale on their website within the next few weeks. She's still in negotiations over how to bring the actual fragrance to the market in bottled form.

UPDATE:

I was just told that Della's book is now available online directly from Lucky Scent: KyotEau: Bottled Memories

1.) Global Fashion Powerhouse Escada Throws in the Designer Towel:
"Escada AG, the German luxury clothing maker whose dresses are worn by Demi Moore and socialite Paris Hilton, filed for bankruptcy protection after failing to win bondholders' backing for its refinancing . . . More than 2,200 workers are affected by the collapse of what was once the world's largest maker of women's fashion. Founded in 1976 by a Munich couple, Escada makes dresses that can cost more than 10,000 euros ($14,000). The company also produces accessories including snakeskin handbags, eyewear and fragrances. It makes most of its revenue outside Germany, and is popular with affluent female consumers in the U.S. and Russia."

Escada just hosted a huge Pink Party in July during Berlin's Fashion Week to celebrate its thirty three years of history in the fashion and design business, but it's now apparent that it was more a wake than a party. Video clip below (in German) of the festivities:

It's like watching people dance aboard the Titanic.

Escada had acquired the St. John and Badgley Mischka lines, branched out into children's clothing and accessories, as well as offering its own line of beauty products and fragrances. One analyst believes that Escada lost its original vision and tried to expand in too many directions, while also hurting itself by dragging its feet on establishing an online presence: "On the PR side, I view Escada as distorting its original story and message by hiring designers like Todd Oldham, as well as leaving its production roots in Germany to relocate to France . . . If your retail is tanking, you can do celebrity endorsement deals, fashion shows and advertisements till you're blue in the face, but if people can't go online and buy your clothing, no matter how "couture" you claim to be, then what business do you have for this decade?"

According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is still saying that they're going to try to restructure and turn everything around. Video clip below of a behind the scenes look at Escada's Fall/Winter 2009/2010 advertising campaign:

But it isn't just Escada (and LeCroix). There's a succession of grim news on the retail and economic fronts, and while I don't want to be a complete and utter Debbie Downer about it, I think you should brace yourselves:

A.) Strip Mall Vacancy Rate Hits 10%, Highest Since 1992: "'Right now it looks like all signs are pointing to rents and vacancies, big components of income, getting shot down,' [Victor Calanog, director of research for Reis] Inc said. 'Until we see stabilization and recovery take root in both consumer spending and business spending and hiring, we do not foresee a recovery in the retail sector until late 2012 at the earliest.'"

B.) Foreclosures rise 7 percent in July from June: "The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes rose 7 percent from June to July, as the escalating foreclosure crisis continued to outpace government efforts to limit the damage . . . Foreclosure filings were up 32 percent from the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday ... Banks repossessed more than 87,000 homes in July, up from about 79,000 homes a month earlier."

The continuing downward spiral in the real estate market (both private and commercial) can't help but eat away at the retail scene as it reflects a wider distress in the system -- lack of available credit, rising unemployment, a drop in consumer confidence. Any retailer who's looking at these numbers and not connecting the dots to Escada filing for bankruptcy is whistling past his/her own grave.

C.) First-Quarter Clothing Exports to Russia Decline: "German clothing exports to Russia fell 6 percent in the first quarter ... Italian exports to Russia dropped 20 percent while those from France plunged 23 percent . . . A third of Russia's 42,000 clothing retailers will close by the end of this year ... Casualties of Russia's economic decline have included outlets of Diesel and Stella McCartney. Gross domestic product in Russia shrank 9.8 percent in the first quarter, the worst contraction in 15 years."

And it was only last year that major fashion houses were designing entire collections with the Russians in mind, with previously frowned on furs making a comeback on the runways as a direct response to the cold Russian climate. Remember Gucci's Fall 2008 collection, with its mix of Eastern European (aka Russian) peasant flourishes and gilded Czarist appeal?

D.) Bleak sales are another reality check for economy: "A bleak report on retail sales Thursday reinforced a nagging worry of economists: Shoppers won't spend enough to help a recovery take hold . . . Even Wal-Mart, which had managed to post robust sales during the recession, reported an unexpected drop in quarterly earnings. The company faulted lower prices for groceries and other products. But it warned that the economy is also still forcing customers to scale back their purchases."

Plus more: 3 big retail chains' earnings reflect a hard slog: "Discount giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said its second-quarter profit beat expectations but also reported that sales fell; trendy clothing company American Apparel Inc. said earnings plummeted 34% compared with a year earlier; and upscale department-store chain Nordstrom Inc. reported that its profit declined 27% but raised its full-year forecast."

And more: Retail stocks drop as J.C. Penney's forecast comes up shy: "Retail stocks headed lower Friday after J.C. Penney Co.'s profit forecast fell short of Wall Street expectations." Urban Outfitters isn't doing too well, either, reporting a 14% drop in profit and sales declines across all its subsidiaries.

E.) High-End Kids Clothes Languish: "Pricier brands have been hit hardest, as parents trade down to cheaper threads and buy only for "special occasions," says Jamie Ross, a creative director at retail research firm Doneger Group . . . Designers embraced kids' lines, in part, after exhausting traditional expansions into footwear and perfumes, says Florence Rolando of Kidding Consulting . . . U.S. childrenswear sales grew about 20%, adjusted for inflation, between 2002 and 2006, according to research group Mintel International, hitting a high of $49 billion in 2006. But sales have slowed in the downturn, ticking down to an estimated $45 billion last year."

Okay, that's enough of THAT. Even I'm getting depressed just typing all this stuff in. How about we change the subject to something peppy, like lawsuits? Yeah!

2.) Stella McCartney Gets Sued Over Nude:
"Fashion designer Stella McCartney is being sued by a cosmetics company linked to the wife of U2 frontman Bono . . . Stella is due to release her new fragrance Stella Nude imminently - but Nude Skincare, run by eco-entrepreneur Bryan Meehan and Bono's wife Ali Hewson ... are believed to be unhappy about her decision to use "nude" in the title of her fragrance. The case is due to be heard at London's High Court in the autumn."

The last fragrance released by Stella McCartney was Stella Sheer (awarded 0 stars by NYTimes fragrance critic Chandler Burr), so a Stella Nude as a follow-up sounds like a great idea on its surface, but there are always those pesky trademark issues.

The Nude Skincare brand doesn't offer any fragrances at present, and maybe this is why the Stella brand chose to go ahead with the name, believing that they weren't stepping on anyone's toes -- and I have to say, there's a serious doubt in my mind that any consumer would reasonably confuse Stella Nude for anything offered by Nude Skincare, but I think the real problem is that the Nude Skincare brand is afraid that if they were to let the Stella brand go ahead with using Nude as its title, then they would forfeit any and all future ability to prevent other companies from jumping on the Nude bandwagon when the concept of "Nude" is the very core of Nude Skincare.

I wouldn't be placing any bets on the McCartney brand walking out of this victorious.

And as long as we're on the subject of fragrances, I ran across a PR release about the upcoming Issey Miyake fragrance release, A Scent. The bottle is amazing, like a slice of thick glass, and I can't wait to get my hands on it just for its brilliant design (the scent itself holds no interest for me).

Arik Levy is the bottle designer, known for his striking design work with interior furnishings: "Such is the powerful, avant-garde concept explored by bottle designer Arik Levy, whose unassuming design 'does not hide behind plays of color or texture and instead deploys its infinite naked beauty'. Levy's innovative design suggests that the bottles are sliced, depending on the desired size, from a single, continuous block of light-filled glass - a remarkable piece of glasswork that tests the boundaries of transparency."

Video clip below with designer Arik Levy:

Marie-Helene Wagner has several 'A Scent' related video clips posted at her site, one of which features Mr. Levy talking about his design for the Issey Miyake bottle: Video Interviews with Perfumer Daphne Bugey & Designer Arik Levy

3.) Nordstrom Adapts to Trends by Jumping on the Twilight Wagon:
"Based on the best-selling book series "Twilight," which is set in the Olympic Peninsula town of Forks, Nordstrom Inc. said it will begin selling apparel and jewelry inspired by the Stephenie Meyers novels . . . 'The line allows customers to show their love for the film by creating a whole look with pieces from the collection or combining with other merchandise to create a unique look of their own,' said Loretta Soffe, Nordstrom executive vice president and general merchandise manager for women's apparel, in a statement."

Now, I know that a clothing line based on the Twilight books is enough to make certain heads spin, but you have to hand it to Nordstrom for jumping on a demographic and milking it for precious cash, especially considering their overall sales for the 2nd Quarter of 2009 were over 6% lower than last year. The first Twilight movie was a commercial success and sequels are already in the works, so Nordstrom is likely to see this as a bankable move that can pretty much fuel itself for the next few years.

After a disappointing quarter where earnings plunged 90 percent, Macy's is also jumping on its own demographic -- women who need size 11 shoes: "Macy's Chicago-area stores are stocking greater quantities of women's shoes in size 11 due to huge demand . . . 'We're are showing (size 11) shoes on the sales floor and making it easier for sales associates to help customers (with them),' Chief Financial Officer Karen Hoguet said. 'In some cases, we're seeing double-digit pairs of shoes bought when women can find their size.'"

4.) Miuccia Prada Admits the Recession Has Influenced Her Designs:
"'Sometimes you do too much fashion and forget the basics,' she says. 'When you say 'commercial,' it shouldn't be an insult, like something is not beautiful,' she continues. 'It has to be best in the sense that [it's] really what people want to wear to look beautiful and elegant [in]. I wouldn't have been thinking of all this stuff if there was not a crisis. The crisis obliges [us] to really focus also on what really makes sense.'"

This mirrors a point I was making when I commented on a review for the new series of Mark Buxton fragrances. The reviewer panned the Buxton fragrances as disappointingly commercial, comparing them unfavorably to Christopher Laudamiel's wild, edgy, decidedly non-commercial creations for Humiecki & Graef, but then fessed up to never wanting to own any of the Humiecki & Graef scents despite being wowed by them.

Designers are finding themselves in the position of having to evaluate their past tendencies to indulge in critic-friendly experimental excess in the light of presently plummeting sales figures and shrinking access to both credit and cash (Prada reported a 22% drop in earnings for 2008). Miuccia Prada's comments appear to show a recognition that eliciting a gasp of wonder from fashion critics is great for the ego, but doesn't pay the bills. Yes, critics matter ("I don't believe that anyone is not bothered by critics. I think that everybody cares," she says ... "(but) There is a difference between caring and really being changed by it, okay?"), but the ability to create beautiful yet also wearable items is another challenge altogether. The consumer audience is less eager than the critics to be thrilled by wild experimentalism.

Miuccia Prada's Spring/Summer 2010 menswear collection below -- gone are the whacked-out days of sticking her male models in tutus and claiming it's revenge for the uncomfortable clothes that men expect women to wear. Now she has to actually, you know, sell stuff:

Though I'd still have to have surgery on my thighs to fit into those trousers.

5.) Target and Amazon Part Retail Ways:
"Amazon.com, arguably one of the most successful e-commerce infrastructures for retail sales, will no longer manage Target's website technology. Since their partnership started in 2001, Target has used Amazon's order fulfillment technology with much success, but Target now may be strong enough to manage its own multi-channel network . . . Target looks to end the partnership in hopes that their sole management will lead strategic management and customization of their site."

Target has until just before the 2011 holiday season to get its own web infrastructure up and running, and I'm sure they're looking forward to the freedom of running their own show. For its part, Amazon will undoubtedly miss whatever fees and charges they've been pulling in from Target, though Amazon did recently snag Zappos, which shows that they're actively looking for replacement revenue generators.

Though I had noticed that Zappos was getting low on the inventory lately. Maybe they needed Amazon more than Amazon needed them . . . ?

BOADICEA THE VICTORIOUS COMPLEX: No wonder there's a growing contingent of concerned citizens attempting to outlaw any and all fragrances in public spaces. If someone had the temerity to inflict this mess on my airspace, I'd hit them over the head with my sister's handbag. I might just consider just hitting them over the head with my sister, but she's more awkward to lift and wield.

Not that I'm dissing all the people who love and wear Complex. I'm not. I'm dissing Complex itself. There's a huge difference. Love the sinner, hate the sin, repent and ye shall be saved -- that kind of thing.

Alleged scent notes for Boadicea the Victorious Complex are: violet, labdanum, leather, musk, civet, basil and sage -- all of which my nose interprets as kerosene, broken down lawn mower, rusted oil can, trash bag full of moldering recyclables and singed electrical wiring. And lest you think I'm not giving Complex a chance, I put this stuff on three hours ago. It's as bad (or worse!) now than when it started out, which is saying something, since my nose threw up a little when I first put it on.

I didn't even know that noses were capable of throwing up. Now, thanks to Boadicea the Victorious, I'm a more self-aware human being. That's something, at least.

MARK BUXTON BLACK ANGEL: As much as I disliked Boawhatever's Complex, I liked Mark Buxton's Black Angel. Which is kind of funny, because just about any other perfume blog you'll read descended into grumpy snit-fits when the Mark Buxton line was first released late last year. For example:

Perfume Posse: "Despite the list of notes, they don't feel entire to me, although skimpy isn't quite right either. They feel like sketches . . . With most of these, I ended up feeling like I'd opened up some giant box of ideas and found a very small bar of soap inside. Nice soap, but soap nonetheless."

My favorite part of the above review? "I'm not opposed to ridiculous fragrance agendas like Humiecki & Graef - and wow, did Christophe Laudamiel hit the ball out of the park on those. I don't want to own any of them, but there's no denying their interest as fragrances." In other words -- "We're so disappointed with you, Mark Buxton. Why won't you wow us with daring scents we have zero interest in purchasing?!"

*snort*

So let me set the record straight: Mark Buxton's Black Angel is a solid, well-crafted effort that may not hack your delicate psyche into brilliant little bits and serve them skewered on the tips of titanium toothpicks to your novelty-famished party guests, but what it does do is provide the less jaded among us with an opportunity to experience the incense maestro at his warm, casual, comfortable best (Buxton is often recognized for his work with creative yet accessible smoky fragrances -- Comme des Garcons Ouarzazate; Comme des Garcons 2; Elternhaus Moslbuddjewchristhindao; Jil Sander Scent 79 Man and Le Labo Vetiver 46 are just a few).

Scent notes for Black Angel are: citrus, bergamot, mandarin, orange, rosemary, ginger, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, jasmine, lily of the valley, orris, styrax, guaiac and patchouli. Sounds nice, doesn't it? It is. The opening citrus is subtle and controlled, wrapped snugly in a deft layer of spices (I'm a sucker for his use of nutmeg); the orris and jasmine do a point-counterpoint throughout the background (high and bright vs. throaty and soothing) while the styrax, guaiac and patchouli trinity bringing up the drydown is about as ridiculously wearable a woodsy smokescreen as you've ever encountered.

And never mind the 80's goth Sisters of Mercy moniker -- this is the kind of Black Angel you'd invite home to meet the parents. Your shaved, spiked and inked art-school friends might grouse, but they still have Laudamiel. Besides, your mother will be thrilled, and there's usually sugary goodies involved when the maternal unit is thrilled.

Speaking of sugary goodies . . .

PARFUMERIE GENERALE MUSC MAORI: It's chocolate. And musk. Which means it's darkly vanilla-cocoa sweet with a dash of salty skin and a whiff of hardwood floor, kind of like a Willy-Wonka mash-up with the kitchen erotica scene from 9 1/2 Weeks.

Listed scent notes: white musk, cocoa bean, vanilla, amber, tonka, cumaru wood and coffee tree blossom. Like Buxton's Black Angel, Musc Maori is uncomplicated and easy to wear. It's sweet and gourmand where Black Angel is all smoke and woods, but Musc Maori is just as comfortable and casual in its own white-clean-musk & scent-edible way.

As far as chocolate scents go, I'm a bigger fan of Il Profumo's dusty, nutmeg infused Chocolat Amere, but Musc Maori is a fine bottle of chocolate for lighter, warm weather wear (for those who need "lighter" in warm weather -- I'm still wearing Chocolat Amere in the middle of August).

***Note: before anyone gets his/her panties in a wad over the assumption that I was slamming Perfume Posse in my Buxton Black Angel review -- please, get real. I love Perfume Posse, read it almost daily, and consider it one of the best sources for fragrance information on the net. We're all adults in the room, and the writers at Perfume Posse have been lovingly quoted on this blog more times than I can count.

I went to Barney's with the intent to purchase a bottle of Dans tes Bras -- really, I did! I realized the other week that I had a Frederic Malle shaped hole in my life (not to mention my perfume cupboard), so when I went back over the Malles that I'd previously given a whirl, Dans tes Bras stood out as being the one most likely to succeed at satisfying the bone-crushing Malle vacuum at the center of my soul.

I grabbed my keys, trekked down Pine Street to Barney's, walked through the door, immediately veered off course for a nicely discounted Lanvin tote for my sister, made a second detour for a navy shirt dress for Julie (What? We're heading to New York in two weeks -- she needs a navy shirt dress!), got distracted by the Cle de Peau Beaute counter (more Julie!), and then breathlessly, raggedly, crawled the rest of the distance to the Frederic Malle display, weighed down with shopping bags, none of which were for me.

I hate that.

I sprayed a dose of Dans tes Bras on a paper card (half the spray winding up on my hand -- I hate that, too), and ten minutes later marched happily out of the store with my very own bottle of Bois D'Orage.

Wait, wha? Huh?

I can just hear you all wailing at your computer screens: "But you distinctly said you were there to purchase a bottle of Dans tes Bras!" Well, thank you for listening so carefully, but stop interrupting me or we'll never get through this blog post. Now, where was I? Oh, right -- Bois D'Orage (or, as it's known in the rest of the world: French Lover).

The story goes that Mr. Malle got a little nervous about springing a fragrance on the U.S. market with the name French Lover, so opted for the safer Bois D'Orage moniker, instead. It was both a good and a bad decision: good in that it resolved any concerns about potential negative associations with the French (Freedom Fries, anyone?), but bad in that it completely anonymized the fragrance itself, making it so easy to overlook that it didn't even register in my brain when I took my first pass over the Frederic Malle display -- just another "bois" something or other (there are so many).

But the sales assistant caught me sniffing at my Dans tes Bras test strip with an unsatisfied frown on my face. "What's that you're smelling? Dans tes Bras? Here, try this!" and she sprayed some of the "bois" something or other on a test card and handed it to me. I inhaled. I exhaled. I closed my eyes and inhaled again. "What's this called?" I asked, in my best Trying Not To Sound Like A Giddy Little Girl voice.

"Bois D'Orage," she said, and smiled. "It's called French Lover in Europe. It's nice, isn't it?"

Understatement was obviously her forte.

There's something almost bizarrely comic in that moment when a new scent collides with your lack of expectations and you both crash headlong into love. My eyes narrowed because I could feel my pupils widening and I just wasn't about to give in so easily. This French Lover was going to have to earn it.

"Hmmm," I murmured. "Do you have anything else that's like this? Anything else that's . . . " -- I was about to say, "Anything else that's suave, earthy and handsome" but then I would have given the ending of the game away when I was still more than determined to play.

I set the Dans tes Bras smell strip off to the side. I could always go back to it . . . should hell freeze over.

"There's Musc Ravageur," she suggested, doubtfully. I remembered my Twitter exchange just that morning with The Non-Blonde when we came to the conclusion that what she loved about Musc Ravageur is precisely what I didn't: too much like an old style Guerlain, with a drydown that's a smothering cloud of pillowy vanilla.

I shuddered.

She managed to spray several more of the Malles on paper strips, but nothing doing. My heart obviously belonged to Frenchy, and fight it though I may, Bois D'Orage was whispering a whole host of Gallic nothings into my ear -- the ear that was, of course, directly connected to my wallet at the time.

Hmph. Just like a Frenchman.

It's difficult to describe Bois D'Orage, and I wonder if this is why the name French Lover was originally chosen -- because, really, how does one describe a lover? In this case, how does one describe an entire cultural system of love?

Easy -- choose the descriptive "French" and the notion of old-world Parisian romance is instantly evoked, where all the lank-haired, sharp-jawed men need a shave, all the women are permanently stylish and perpetually windblown, cigarette smoke hangs in the air, décolletage hangs in full view, and there are empty wine bottles littering every available surface.

In other words, intimately casual -- and that sums up Bois D'Orage neatly. Well, if a rumpled suit and an overturned glass of Beaujolais can be considered "neat".

Listed scent notes for Bois D'Orage (French Lover) are: angelica, pimento, galbanum, iris, bay rum, clove, cardamom, juniper, cedar, oakmoss, frankincense, patchouli and vetiver. The scent itself could be described as fairly linear -- it is what it is, without much in the way of twists, turns or surprises. What starts as somewhat spicy, dusky and galbanum green finishes with a wooded, mossy flourish with just a dash of smoke and sweetness.

It's also incredibly easy to wear. I was having a conversation with my friend Julie last Friday, after dinner and drinks, about when wearing a perfume is too much and/or not enough, and I told her I was wearing a full ten sprays of Bois D'Orage. "Really?" she said. I walked up to her and asked, "Does it smell like I'm wearing too much?" She sniffed the air around me and shook her head, somewhat surprised. "No, not at all, it's just nice, like nicely scented skin -- but you had to come close for me to tell. And we've been hanging out with each other all evening!"

I've been wearing Bois D'Orage with abandon over the course of the last two weeks, and have never felt like it was too heavy or too much, whether in open air or a crowded space. The BF complained only once, but that was when he walked into the bathroom just as I was setting the bottle back down on the counter, with a haze of Bois D'Orage still hanging in the air. So yes, it's going to seem like it's strong when you first put it on, but ten to fifteen minutes later and you're ready to walk out the door and warmly French embrace the day.

I somehow managed to walk out of Barney's with a bottle of Iris Poudre for Louise in my bag, as well. It's so not my style, but it oozes class and cool, feminine sophistication, so I knew it was perfect for her. She sniffed at the nozzle of the bottle after she opened the box and exclaimed excitedly, "Oh! It's beautiful! How did you know I would like it?!"

Well, silly, because it smells just like something Chanel would have (should have?) made, that's why. And yes, she is that predictable -- wave anything remotely Chanel in her general vicinity and you've got your own set of Pavlovian test results, guaranteed.

There are worse fates.

***Note: Bois D'Orage / French Lover was created by perfumer Pierre Bourdon, and was originally intended as an intense version of Frederic Malle's Angéliques Sous La Pluie. From Perfume Smellin' Things: "Apparently, Malle's 'original idea was to create a fuller-bodied version of the scent Angéliques sous la Pluie. But the creator and the perfumer soon went beyond that concept to come up with a sophisticated men's scent, 'super-sensual, but not trashy'" . . . I'd say that "super-sensual but not trashy" is a great way to describe Bois D'Orage.

1.) Those High-End Labels Apparently Need Those Low-End Dollars:
"It's hard to translate high fashion into mass retail; sometimes it works (Karl Lagerfeld for H&M), and sometimes it doesn't (Matthew Williamson for H&M). But this will be the ONLY opportunity for us regular folk to own Rodarte anything . . . Rodarte for Target ... hits shelves and online December 20th."

Rodarte is a relatively new cutting edge, super luxe New York brand run by Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, specializing in nearly couture like detailing that elevates their work above your average luxury Ready To Wear collection -- while also, mind you, elevating the prices for their pieces into the stratosphere. The Mulleavy sisters have been awarded the 2008 CFDA Swarovski Emerging Womenswear Designer award and the 2008 Swiss Textiles Award. A look at their Fall 2009 collection below:

Unfortunately, the Mulleavy sisters have bills to pay, rent checks to cut and sustenance that must be fetched from the local vegan co-op, and while critical acclaim and compliments from the likes of Elijah Baggins-Wood are all well and good, it's a licensing deal/collaboration with very down-market, non-couture, no-detailing, cheap foreign labor Target that might keep them alive to see another season and maybe produce another collection.

But my question is: If it doesn't involve couture-like detailing, intricate hand stitching and exceptionally fine materials, is it still Rodarte? Because all those qualities are what Rodarte *is* -- and what Target isn't.

But it's not just Rodarte that's selling its name for cash: Coming soon -- Jimmy Choo For H&M! Plus there was the aforementioned Karl Lagerfeld and Matthew Williamson collaborations with H&M. Other luxury designer brands that have stooped to collect paychecks from the fast fashion industry (which they might otherwise dismiss and/or sue for copyright infringement): Alexander McQueen, Zac Posen, Jovovich Hawk, Anya Hindmarch, Thakoon, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Chai, Roberto Cavalli, Rogan, Erin Fetherston, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Viktor & Rolf . . . the list is dizzying, and I'm sure I'm even missing a few.

I suppose there's a certain "They're going to copy our stuff anyway, so we may as well profit from it" logic to these collaborations, but there's also a danger in associating your very high-end, high-quality reputation with low quality material, cheap-labor goods that fall apart in six months. The problem isn't that the designers are working with Target and H&M -- the problem is that Target and H&M have a vested interest in promoting their own names and their own bottom lines, so it doesn't make a darn bit of difference to them if their Vietnamese factories churn out what amounts to assembly line goods under a famous name.

The collections are for one season, the hype sells them out and then they move on. What do they care if they leave a designer's reputation for gorgeous fabrics and quality craftsmanship in tatters? With the dismal sales numbers the way they presently are for the luxury industry, the designers themselves are often backed into a corner: license your name to Target/H&M and live to see another collection, or stick to your principles and watch your label die a quiet, dignified death due to lack of finances.

Of course, that doesn't explain Karl Lagerfeld -- but maybe his association with Chanel has made him so bulletproof that it doesn't matter?:

2.) Adidas Reports a Staggering 93% Drop in 2nd Quarter Profit:
"German sportswear and equipment maker Adidas ... reported a 93% drop in second-quarter net profit as sales fell, it was hit by the weakened Russian rouble and it upped spending on promotions ahead of the 2010 soccer world cup . . . The Herzogenaurach, Germany-based company, one of the world's biggest sportwear makers, has been hit hard by the recession, as well as rising input costs and lower revenue from Russia because the rouble has fallen in value against the euro. Adidas says Russia is one of its most important markets in Europe."

When the likes of LVMH report a 23% drop in profit, that still means they're making money, just not as much as they used to -- but a 93% drop in profit for Adidas? That's uncomfortably close to negative territory. But drops in profit are an unfortunately common occurrence this business cycle. For example:

The House of Christian Dior (presently designed by theatrical frontman John Galliano) reported a decrease in profits for the first half of 2009: "The Paris-based company said net profits dropped 27% ... in the six months ended June 30 ... on sales down 0.2% to 8.13 billion euros, or $10.8 billion (U.S.)."

Okay, first, can I just say how kind of shocked I am that Dior, all on its own, managed to rake in over $10 billion in sales in just six months . . . during a period of economic contraction! How many shoes and bags and bottles of perfume is that, do you think?

But second, that's a fairly steep profit drop for a rather slight sales drop. I'm thinking a good number of products were pushed out the door at steep discounts. The Dior people sniff that profit numbers are higher in their own boutiques than in retail settings they don't directly control, but I would counter that the great majority of Dior merchandise is sold outside the purview of any and all Dior boutiques, so that's not a particularly relevant bit of information.

Below is a video clip of Dior's Fall/Winter 2009/2010 collection that will be hitting the stores any day now (if it's not there already):

I wonder if the profit margins will still be falling.

And speaking of falling profits (still, and seemingly always): Puma's 2nd quarter profits fell 16% on sales that were actually 4% higher than last year; trendy clog maker Crocs reported a 2nd quarter loss, and said that "while Internet sales climbed 25% (and) Asia sales rose 31% ... Americas and Europe sales slipped 19% and 42%, respectively"; Bennetton profits plunge 60% (allegedly due to restructuring); Gap posted an 8% decline in same store sales for the month of July, Banana Republic posted a 7% decline and Old Navy reported an 8% drop, as well; Polo Ralph Lauren 1st quarter profits take a 19% tumble while projecting that the rest of 2009 will see continued losses; and Kenneth Cole reported a 15.5% decline in net revenue.

And Coach, considered the largest U.S. producer in the luxury handbags market, "said fourth-quarter profit fell 32 percent as revenue faltered in the recession . . . Half of Coach's handbags now are priced less than $300, including items in its new Poppy collection, compared with 30 percent previously, Chief Executive Officer Lew Frankfort said on a conference call."

The new Coach Poppy line is decent for its price point. Very Coach in style, which tends toward conservative, but they're jazzing things up with some bolder colors, a peppy logo pattern and more overt hardware. I wonder who their target market is? Oh, wait, let's find out:

Any questions?

But hey, True Religion seems to be doing okay: "The Vernon, Calif.-based company said late Wednesday its second-quarter profit rose 18 percent, better than analysts expected, as the company expanded distribution and sales rose 12 percent to $72.1 million."

Oh, only $72 million? *yawn* That seems like mere pocket change next to Dior's $10 billion in sales, doesn't it?

3.) J.C. Penney Moves into Manhattan, Stares Down Macy's:
"J.C. Penney Co. unveiled its first Manhattan store on Friday, marking a milestone in chief executive Myron E. Ullman III's five-year attempt to turn his company into a stylish alternative to the giant down the road, Macy's Inc . . . Their struggle is playing out across the country as a long-term reshaping of the retail industry, combined with an unrelenting recession, blurs the lines between retailers that never used to compete. Specialty shops like Gap Inc., discount chains such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and traditional department stores are now all descending from different parts of the industry to lure the same shoppers."

JC Penny, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Target, Wal-Mart (with maybe a soupçon of TopShop and H&M) -- they're all hunkering down and positioning themselves to pitch to the same consumer market: the consumer that wants to save money while still having access to a variety of products, some of them trendy and fashion forward. It can't be long before one of them goes down.

For his part, Macy's chief executive, Terry Lundgren, says he's not worried: "Macy's flagship store is an icon of New York life, occupying an entire city block, with more than a million square feet of selling space. Penney's is a tenth of that size, and located inside a mall." Oh, ouch!

And have you ever heard of a JC Penny Thanksgiving Parade? No, I didn't think so.

4.) Move Over Russia & Asia, it's Time for the Middle East to Shine:
"Middle Eastern-inspired fashion is currently en vogue around the world from the streets to the catwalks . . . While adaptability is the draw for fashion consumers all over the world, the region's strong purchasing power is attractive to many western fashion businesses even in a downturn . . . It's also one of the few places that's seeing a number of store openings rather than closings, a prevalent occurrence everywhere else. The region is integral to the survival of the couture business and is probably a commercial reason why Givenchy chose to do such elaborate pieces in its recent show."

Only a few years ago, it was Japan and China that drove stylistic choices on the catwalk. Designers briefly flirted with Russian motifs when oil prices rocketed and Russians began pouring into boutiques like hungry, wealthy wolves, but after oil bottomed out and the Asian markets cooled, the design houses floundered for a direction -- and what better direction than the Middle East, with its still wealthy clientele and its history of highly embellished clothing and jewelry? Not to mention all those layers!

Designers love layers. They can get you to purchase five light pieces instead of just one heavy item. Score!

Video clip below of Givenchy's Fall/Winter 2009/2010 haute couture collection, created with the wealth of the Middle East in mind. Note the elaborate jewelry, the head scarves, the long flowing layers and the geometrical embellishments:

5.) The Fragrance Industry Takes It On the Chin:
"German fragrance and food-flavours maker Symrise said second-quarter net income dropped 44 percent on high feedstock costs and as demand for high-margin fragrances for luxury cosmetics and perfumes declined."

Swiss based Givaudan also reported a weaker than expected profit, with its fragrance division taking the largest loss: "Givaudan's fragrance division posted a 6.6% decline in sales in the first half due to inventory destocking, but with a slight recovery in the second quarter, the company said." IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) reported that "its second-quarter profit fell 28 percent as weak consumer spending hurt retail sales of perfumes."

But Kylie Minogue will save them all! Kylie Minogue to Launch Inverse for Men Fragrance: "This is Minogue's sixth fragrance in three years. Her first, Darling, was released in September 2006 and, according to industry sources, the Minogue fragrance franchise generates sales of more than $100 million at retail globally . . . While executives declined to discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated Inverse could do about $10 million at retail."

Here these global conglomerates have been wasting time with master perfumers and top notch chemists when all it really takes is Kylie!

6.) Gucci Sues Credit Card Processors for Encouraging Fraud:
In a novel, and what seems exceptionally desperate, twist, Gucci has slapped a lawsuit on several credit card processing companies in their increasing attempt to battle product counterfeiting: "Gucci America said in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that by processing transactions on counterfeits, the companies 'not only supply the necessary marketplace for such transactions, they are full partners in those counterfeiting activities.'"

At first glance, I'd say bulls*** on this lawsuit, since how is a credit card processing company supposed to know whether the product being purchased is genuine or a fake, but this particular lawsuit stems from an earlier lawsuit in which Gucci successfully sued the Laurette Co, which owns the website TheBagAddiction.com.

Now Gucci is going after the credit card processing companies who worked with the Laurette Group and profited off the sale of the fake goods. If Gucci can dig up evidence that shows the companies were aware that the goods being sold were fakes, Gucci might have another victory on their hands. It's a long shot, and highly unlikely, but it's an interesting development in the fight against counterfeiters.

As long as we're on the topic of lawsuits and counterfeiters, Chanel is in a growly mood and isn't letting up one iota regarding producers and sellers of fake Chanel branded goods and Chanel "inspired" goods : Chanel sues Vegas company over alleged counterfeit products -- "Chanel filed suit in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on Wednesday against Marc Giovanni, Top Modea Purses Inc. and Web sites Chanel says are associated with Giovanni and Top Modea: boutiquelebon.com and boutique-marcella.com . . . Chanel says the defendants are infringing on its trademarks by advertising and selling counterfeit products including handbags and wallets bearing copies of the Chanel trademarks. The products are likely of inferior quality in comparison to Chanel products, the lawsuit says."

And poor Ebay is getting smacked again, this time by the Steve Madden company: "Footwear and accessories maker Steven Madden sued online marketplace giant eBay ... over purportedly fake watches being sold on its web site . . . According to the complaint, Steven Madden representatives allegedly sent cease and desist letters to eBay, requesting they remove the unlicensed watches from their website. 'Instead, eBay, for its own convenience and profit, has failed to take any steps to police the eBay auction site to the detriment of Madden,' the complaint says."

With one lawsuit after another, it's a wonder eBay makes any money at all.

Oh, and one last word about Gucci: "In an order Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the sale in the U.S. of coffee, bedding, housewares, cosmetics, hosiery, handbags, wine and gelato under the names of Jennifer Gucci - the widow of former Gucci chief designer Paolo Gucci - and her daughter, Gemma, who works at investment bank Jefferies Group Inc. They may be able to license their names to other products in the future but must include disclaimers that unambiguously state that they're not affiliated with Gucci products, the judge ruled."

So much for the power of a famous name. Who wants something from a Gucci if it's not affiliated with Gucci? No one, that's who; hence the lawsuit. The Gucci Group isn't amused by non-affiliated, non-board member Gucci family members attempting to coast through life on the back of its marketing muscle (while arguably working to dilute the Gucci brand name).

7.) Wave of Store Closures Expected to Blight the Retail Scene:
"As of April, retailers were on track to close 4,600 doors this year, according to a report from the International Council of Shopping Centers. That's on top of 6,913 closures last year . . . Among the recent cuts laid out: Jones Apparel Group Inc. said it would shut 225 units, AnnTaylor Stores Corp. plans 163 closures, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. axed its 29-door Ruehl concept and Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. shuttered its D.e.m.o. and smaller One Thousand Steps divisions. This comes on top of the liquidations of Mervyns, Gottschalks, Steve & Barry's, S&K Famous Brands and others."

Analysts are suggesting that companies looking to prop up their profit margins should carefully evaluate their need for retail space. A modestly performing store can be shuttered, and the savings from no more rent payments, insurance payments, employee salaries and inventory could be a welcome boost to a struggling company's bottom line.

Or does it just make my bargain loving brain look bigger?

Seriously, there's something wrong with the world when a bag this great can be found sitting forlornly on a sale bin at Barney's, marked 70% off.

I made a beeline for the thing almost immediately after walking through the front doors -- I mean, how could I ignore it? It was literally jumping up and down on the table screaming, "I'm the perfect Christmas present for your sister! Grab me now, you ninny, before it's too late!!!"

Well, who am I to refuse such urgent psychic messages beamed directly into my brain from a black leather tote with silver studs (and two black tassels, no less)?

The leather is achingly soft with a subtle, textured matte finish, there's a chunky resin closure that gives off a mid-century modern vibe, and the silver studs marching up the sides provide just enough contemporary flair without sending it over the edge into total L.A. rock-n-roll territory . . . it is still a Lanvin, after all, and a proper Lanvin has too much dignity to actually roll.

Lanvin reported a 27% increase in sales for 2008, but 2009 has been harsh for everyone on the retail front (Barney's has had a particularly rough go of it) and I saw a good number of Lanvin bags online and in stores at sale prices of 60% off and more. This doesn't bode well for Lanvin's hopes of being a designer label to rival Chanel (head Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz was even briefly rumored to be Lagerfeld's replacement at Chanel . . . a rumor that Chanel, Lagerfeld and Elbaz quickly smacked down).

But the fortunes of Lanvin aside, I have a hunch that the sis will adore me for about five pure, white hot minutes on Christmas morning.

Then her teenaged kids will probably start squabbling and yank her out of the moment, but there it is.

If you ask a random sampling of people what the term "comfort scent" means to them, you'll receive a variety of answers along the range of cozy, warm, sweet, casual, familiar, soft, sour milk on a faded cotton baby blanket -- okay, maybe not that one, but the others suit the needs of this blog post perfectly.

Now, it's obvious that no one single scent note can suit everyone's idea of cozy and comfortable, but take just the most cursory of cruises through the fragrance blogs and you'll notice that the scent that most often fits the Laid-Back, Easy to Love agenda is (*drum roll, please*) vanilla.

Vanitas, Profumum Roma's take on the vanilla comfort-scent genre, is a sleek, sly work of sweetness with a few skeletons in its closet:

The term "vanitas" refers to a style of painting that juxtaposes elements of life and death (e.g. flowers and skulls), and Profumum cleverly riffs on this concept by curling the edges of a sunny, candied vanilla with a blight of cool, shadowy myrrh.

This is what I wrote about Profumum Vanitas back in April: "The idea of death entwining ambition is expressed utilizing vanilla and orange blossom (stand-ins for life and purity) over a layer of myrrh (the precious oily resin in which dead kings were embalmed). Other reviewers have stated that all they get out of Vanitas is candy and flowers, and while the lush sweetness is indeed prominent, the earthy, chilly undertones of myrrh are ever-present, like a whiff of Grim Reaper as you take your first bite of birthday cake."

A wise fragrance colleague and good friend once mentioned that her idea of "wearing" a perfume involves 1.) extended periods of time, such as daily wear over weeks (if not months) at a time, and 2.) super soaking. She said that it's near impossible to get a full grasp of the potential depths in a fragrance's formula when hopping like some full-on ADD junkie from tiny sample vial to tiny sample vial, or pumping out just one or two scant sprays from a bottle.

It would be like trying to gauge the technical mastery comprising the 7 foot X 10 foot pointillist masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by squinting at it through a pinhole.

This was my experience with Vanitas. I gleaned just enough information from the sample to understand that it was worth exploring further ("part sweet vanilla, part sour myrrh, and with a sprinkling of mellow orange blossoms across the surface" -- what? me? say no?), but it wasn't until I planted myself directly in the horn-honking, tire-screeching path of its outsized presence (6-8 full sprays daily, head to toe, over the course of two weeks) that I got a real sense of the emotional artistry and intellectual obsession involved in its creation.

A few dabs from a sample vial might make you shrug and say "cotton-candy", but go the baptism route and you'll be hallucinating a gaggle of sallow goth punks lurking behind the flouncy silk curtains in no time.

Consider inviting them to stay for tea and cookies. Goth Punks might come across a little dreary at first, but nothing cheers up an undead wannabe like a plate of fresh madeleines washed down with a piping cuppa Earl Gray.

Scent notes for Profumum Roma Vanitas are: vanilla, myrrh, orange flower and sandalwood. Yesterday, as I walked past the concierge desk (wait -- doesn't everyone have a concierge desk? I mean, we have one in the lobby of our building, but it could just as easily be parked right outside your front door, you know), the young woman rose up from her seat, waved a hand in front of her nose and said, "Someone smells delicious!"

Uhm, that would be ME!

And let me tell you, that is the *first* time I've ever been told that I smell delicious. Well, I mean, in public, and by an unaffiliated strang . . . oh, never mind.

The Non-Blonde has made numerous references on her blog to her passion for vanilla fragrances, and I'm thinking that Vanitas should be next on her list to try. In fact, I insist. I'm officially nominating it this very instant for her consideration.

***Note: longevity is excellent at 8-10 hours, and while Vanitas starts out of the gate with a burnt sugar huzzah, the resinous myrrh sidles in over the course of the next hour or two until the composition is a rather striking Pushmi-Pullyu of a scent (light to dark, life to death, vanilla to myrrh, etc. to etc.). The final drydown phase is a soft, warm sandalwood suffused with a smoky, sweet-incense vibe. And please don't email me and complain that all you get is cotton candy if you didn't bother to properly super-soak. Repeat after me: spray, spray, spray, spray, spray and spray . . . and spray, spray again if you're feeling extra delicious.