Just in time for the summer , Italian fashion house Gucci recently released their third official fragrance under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele, with a gender neutral scent titled Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur. The perfume’s aroma is mainly defined by a note of Roman chamomile, with hints of Indian coral jasmine, sandalwood and cedar wood to create a feeling that takes one back in time.
“Everything comes from my obsession with scents: my memory is primarily olfactive so, for me, my sense of smell is my memory. I thought that, deep down, perfume is that thing that even with your eyes closed, brings you to a precise moment in space and time. When we began to work on Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur, I tried to imagine the recollection of a scent that couldn’t easily be identified; a hybrid scent that resembles memory as much as possible,” explained Alessandro Michele.
For the fragrance’s campaign, the maison opted for some of its favourite faces including singer songwriter Harry Styles, young British designer Harris Reed , American designer and musician Zumi Rosow among a few other familiar faces as they’re shot by Glen Luchford frolicking and bonding in the woods. Gucci Mémoire d’une Odeur is now in stores and available online.
Described as an ‘olfactory storyteller’, Timothy Han is flipping the fragrance landscape on its head with his innovative approach to scent through his brand TH/E Parfum. By taking inspiration from a multitude of sources, such as literature, he is adept at never limiting himself to widely perceived ‘norms’ of practice. Most recently, Han has been combining fragrance with music and VR, to create an entirely new sensory experience. This week, he will appear in residency at Somerset House, as part of their Perfume Lab series. We caught up with the man himself to discover the process behind the genius…
You create perfumes that have a life of their own – what was your journey into this world? My journey into the world of fragrance was rather accidental. I wouldn’t say there was any specific moment that led to where I am today – rather a haphazard series of events that led from one thing to another. It was everything from my time working with a fledgling John Galliano and his love of scented candles to launching my own candle brand; a chance and somewhat amusing encounter with Francis Kurkdijan who planted the idea in my head and a drink with my friend Paul Tvaroh who started making drinkable perfumes many, many years ago. I was also very lucky to have the support of Caroline Burstein who was the creative director of Browns at the time, and she promised that if I made perfume that Browns would help launch the brand. Who could say no to that?
Why was creating scent built through journey important to you? One of the things I learned at Galliano was the importance of storytelling. At a time when most designers were just sending models down catwalks he was creating theatre. The models were acting out characters from a story he imagined. They entered by driving vintage cars, John’s interpretation of the catwalk was filled with props like writing desks, wardrobes and beds…he even had ancillary actors on the stage who were dressed in costume and helped to round out the story that he was trying to tell. It was his attention to and ability to create a journey for both the audience and the models which I could see created a much richer and engaging experience than what anybody else was doing that inspired me.
How do you see the relationship between literature and perfume, and who inspires the scents? I never liked it when a perfumer created a perfume based on something so personal to themselves that the person wearing the perfume had no connection to. I like the idea that with literary inspirations you may have read the book and you certainly can read the book on which the perfume is based so that immediately you have a basis for connection. That way you can agree or disagree with my interpretation and we can at least begin to build a dialogue.
What’s your favourite creation so far? That’s like asking a parent which their favourite child is…but if I had to answer I would say my first fragrance ‘She Came to Stay’ for no other reason than that is what set me on this wonderful ride.
And were there particular creations that surprised you? Certainly…but I haven’t released them. And for those who do get to experience them it will only be fleeting, during secret underground performances (at least until our album is released next year) of our collective Miro Shot that fuses music, fragrance and virtual reality to create a new kind of immersive reality concert experience.
What are your earliest memories of scent? At the risk of sounding corny…walking through a pine forest in winter.
How do you think people’s relationship with scent changes as they mature? I’m not sure that that is so easy to answer – as I think it comes down to the person. While generally speaking (and baring any disabilities) we all have have a sense of smell like we all have eyes to see. But how many people look up in this world or are even remotely aware of half of what their eyes take in at any one time. It’s the same with our sense of smell – for our relationship with smell to change we need to focus on it and be aware of all that it is taking in.
How has the landscape changed? What is it that makes a scent ‘modern’? People are definitely becoming more aware of fragrance and in particular niche brands. More people are seeking out unique fragrances which reflect their personality and allow them to stand apart from all the masses wearing big brand perfumes. As for what makes a scent modern – it’s the way in which the fragrances are combined and the use of ingredients. For example: you are seeing a lot more fragrances which evoke tar and charcoal now than previously.
What are you looking forward to with your residency at Somerset House? I’m looking forward to two things. Firstly the lab we are using is being kindly provided by Givaudan and they have a number of proprietary fragrance notes which they will be providing us and which I have never had a chance to smell before. Secondly I will be working alongside my friend Roman Rappak where we will be tying fragrance notes to musical notes. Up until now we have only done this in the privacy of our own workspace so it will be fun to hear people’s feedback as we present variations of different musical notes against a specific fragrance note.
‘Perfume Lab Residencies: Timothy Han’ takes place on Sunday 23 July, 2017. See https://www.somersethouse.org.uk for booking information.
Becky Smith is the Creative Director for Timothy Han; photography throughout by George Harvey; produced by Twin Studio.
Fornasetti has done it again. A mainstay in combining home décor with surrealism and the absurd, the brand has a reputation for delighting and enticing with its witty designs. From drunken monkeys causing chaos at a dinner party, to the face of house muse Lina Cavalieri cross-eyed, staring at a bee on her nose, Fornasetti’s objets d’art and furniture are some of the most prolific of the 20th century.
Fornasetti Profumi ‘L’Eclaireuse’ scented candle
And it’s a very exciting time for Fornasetti lovers, as this September signals the arrival of a new candle fragrance: ‘Mistero’. With dominant notes of pink pepper and cypress, and an undertone of incense, sandalwood and musk, it is pensive and deeply penetrating. If you could smell the colour grey, this would be it.
And the jar design that accompanies this new, mysterious scent? ‘L’Eclaireuse,’ which bares the signature Fornasetti face of Lina Cavalieri. On one side, we see her resplendent as a gypsy princess, complete with intricate facial piercings. But spin the jar around and we have the same face, this time with a golden eye patch, like a pirate. This is just another example of Fornasetti’s charming subtlety, which consistently alludes to a story hiding within each piece.
Fornasetti Profumi ‘Armatura’ scented candle
Thankfully Fornasetti was a creator of more than 11,000 artworks, another of which appears in an additional new design for the house: ‘Armatura’. Once again, it features his muse – Lina Cavalieri – but this time instead of peering out through a crown of flowers or a toying playfully with a cigarette dangling from her mouth, she has a sword right through her head.
Encased within this new design is wax laden with the fragrance ‘Otto’ – the signature scent of the Fornasetti Profumi collection. Packed with Mediterranean herbs like lavender and thyme, it also features addition of dreamy, ethereal infusions of labdanum and incense.
The brainchild of Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni is that quirky Italian label which always manages to put a new spin on its eclectic aesthetic. It’s only natural that the house’s first ever fragrance carry on that tradition.
The subtly masculine scent steers far away from stereotypical smells of femininity such as florals and saccharine sweetness. Instead, the crisp yet spicy top notes of bergamot, ginger and pink peppercorn make way for a rose, cardamom and cinnamon bark concoction, grounded by a woody accord of patchouli, incense, vetiver and cedarwood. So while there is a ‘feminine’ heart of rose notes, it is enveloped in multiple layers of spices and woody notes, making for an elusive, multi-faceted and original scent.
As a house renowned for its use of prints, the polka dot-covered and clean-lined bottle makes the fragrance come full circle to a pure olfactory reincarnation of the Marni brand.
MARNI launches exclusively at Harrods and Harrods.com in February.
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