![047V I R G I N A U S T R A L I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5
BEAUTY
Forget bestselling fragrances: the new grail of the perfume
industry is the artisanal scent, made to order.
Haute Parfum
H
ecan identifymore
than 800scents
blindfoldedandis
regardedasoneof
the noses ofthecentury. British
masterperfumerRoja Dove is
also aleaderin the vanguard
of thebespokefragrance
movement;theDavid,inhisown
words,whotook on theGoliath
of themass branded scent
industryandfoundawholenew
market sectorin theprocess.
Dove trained with French
perfume house Guerlain and
worked there for 20 years
before launching his bespoke
service in 2001, soon after he
created a fragrance for a charity
auction at Christie’s. “I put an
empty bottle up for auction and
guests bid for the opportunity
to have their own fragrance
made by me,” he explains.
“When it reached the highest
price [£10,000] I realised there
was a market for bespoke.”
Dove has since created
perfumes for a who’s who of
private clients, and also for
events such as the Chelsea
Flower Show, British couturier
Nicholas Oakwell’s runway
show, and an exhibition at
the Museum of London — for
a jewelled flask from a hoard of
17th century treasures found in
1912 in London’s Cheapside.
His favourite project has
been a scent for the Victoria
and Albert Museum exhibition
Diaghilev and the Golden Age
of the Ballets Russes. Inspired
by ballet legend Diaghilev’s
habit of spraying the theatre
curtains with Mitsouko
fragrance, Dove’s opulent
creation is also chypre based.
“Itwasanhonour,”hesays.
“DiaghilevandtheBallets
Russeswerethedrivingforce
ofmodernismandArtDeco,
andthereisahugesynergy
betweenhowthesemovements
manifestedthemselvesin
perfumery.Theideathatscent
canreconnectmomentsintime
withonedropandonebreath
utterlycaptivatesme.”
It’s this quality that
makes bespoke scent as an
olfactory portrait so beguiling.
Historically, perfumes were
always made to order, but it’s
only recently that artisanal
brands have been increasing
in popularity. “The perfume
industry is leaning ever more
towards a demand for scents
of individuality, quality and
creativity,” Dove notes. “Small,
luxury and niche perfume
houses are beginning to
dominate the industry.”
SCENT AS INFLUENCE
InAustralia,fragrancespecialist
SamanthaTaylorreturnedin
2008fromworkinginLondon
forbespokecreatorsMiller
Harris,FlorisandPenhaligon’s
tosetupThePowderRoom
inMelbourne.Theboutique
consultancyspecialisesin
perfumeeducation,artisan
brandsandbespokecreations.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/4bb3f67b-83cf-4fea-b12f-cbc55ce9ff10-160201023136/85/Voyeur-December_Perfume-1-320.jpg)
![048 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 V I R G I N A U S T R A L I A
WORDSGILLIANSAMUELPHOTOGRAPHYDOMINICLONERAGAN,ROBERTWELDON,VILLA515
BEAUTY
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.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
WHERETOFIND
BESPOKESCENTS
London
Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie
bespoke from $50,000;
www.rojadove.com. Miller
Harris www.millerharris.com.
Paris
Stéphanie de Bruijn —
Parfum sur Mesure
bespoke from $1580;
52 rue de l’Université,
www.parfumsurmesure.com.
Le Studio des Parfums
bespoke from $150; 23 rue du
Bourg Tibourg, Marais,
+33-140299084,
studiodesparfums-paris.fr/en/.
NewYork
MCMC Fragrances Brooklyn;
mcmcfragrances.com. By Kilian
bespoke from $40,000,
www.bykilian.com/en/stores/
store-new-york.php.
Singapore
Je t’aime Goodman Arts Centre,
Block B, 03‒17, www.jetaime-
singapore.com.
Dubai
Villa 515 Jumeirah Rd; +9714 39
54 054; www.villa515.com.
Melbourne
The Powder Room bespoke
from $3000; +61 422 351 611;
www.thepowder-room.com.
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOPLEFTSamantha
Taylor;Alessandro
Gualtieri;Villa515in
Dubai;fragrancesat
ThePowderRoom.
PREVIOUSPAGERoja
Dove;flaskfromthe
Museum ofLondon.
“Your sense of smell is
literally a hot-wire to your
brain,” she says. “Scent has
the ability to elicit a response
that is immediate. We can’t
censor it. The olfactory bulb
links to the limbic system, the
most ancient part of the brain
and the area involved with
memory and emotions.”
Natural and synthetic
materials, alcohol and
stabiliser — these all interact
with an individual’s body
chemistry to create a reaction.
Taylor says she learnt the
buildingblocksof hercraftfrom
LynHarris,founderof Miller
HarrisinLondon. “Theway
perfumesitsonaskindepends
onthecomplexionandwhether
it’s dryoroily,”Taylorsays.
“Ultimatelyit’sthechemistry
of therawmaterialsandtheir
differentmolecularweights
thattranslateasthetopnotes,
middleanddry-down.”
Taylor aims to expand her
range and has been researching
micro-niche perfumes in the
US, where, she says, creative
people who often have no
formal training are producing
beautiful limited-edition
fragrances. “I love working
with undiscovered gems,”
she says. “Artisan perfumers
don’t create fragrances based
on what’s going to sell. It’s
more likely to be some raw
material they have fallen in
love with and want to build
a fragrance around — or to
capture a moment in time.”
CULTURE OF
FRAGRANCE
Nowhereintheworld,according
tomaverickItalianperfumer
AlessandroGualtieri,does
thecultureoffragrancefind
moreexpressionthaninthe
MiddleEast.Gualtieriis
thebespokenoseforselect
clientsatVilla515inDubaiand
composeroftheNasomatto
andOrtoParisiranges.
“The total sense of perfume
is extremely intense [in the
Middle East], far more intense
than in any part of the world,”
he says. “Maybe as so much
is hidden from the eye, one
expresses oneself and one’s
personality through other
means, like fragrance.”
The way
people apply
perfumes is
also different in
this part of the world.
“People wear many fragrances
at the same time — they just
layer, mixing oils and fragrances
on an alcohol base. There’s also
bukhoor, when fragrance is
transmitted by burning chips of
wood soaked in fragrant oils and
the smoke impregnates your
clothes, and the room.”
Bukhoor is available at Villa
515, alongside traditional oils in
updated blends and artisanal
fragrances by global brands.
Gualtieri aims to bring
new harmonies to blends of
traditionalrawmaterials,ina
process of gradual exploration.
Says Dove: “A perfumer
is a poet or a storyteller who
creates the tangible from the
intangible — abstract images
that strike at our core.
“One must take into
account that there are some
3000 different odours available
in perfumery. A good perfumer
will attempt to conjure up a
fragrance that has never before
been smelt… to transform
imagination into reality.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/4bb3f67b-83cf-4fea-b12f-cbc55ce9ff10-160201023136/85/Voyeur-December_Perfume-2-320.jpg)
Voyeur-December_Perfume
- 1. 047V I R G I N A U S T R A L I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 BEAUTY Forget bestselling fragrances: the new grail of the perfume industry is the artisanal scent, made to order. Haute Parfum H ecan identifymore than 800scents blindfoldedandis regardedasoneof the noses ofthecentury. British masterperfumerRoja Dove is also aleaderin the vanguard of thebespokefragrance movement;theDavid,inhisown words,whotook on theGoliath of themass branded scent industryandfoundawholenew market sectorin theprocess. Dove trained with French perfume house Guerlain and worked there for 20 years before launching his bespoke service in 2001, soon after he created a fragrance for a charity auction at Christie’s. “I put an empty bottle up for auction and guests bid for the opportunity to have their own fragrance made by me,” he explains. “When it reached the highest price [£10,000] I realised there was a market for bespoke.” Dove has since created perfumes for a who’s who of private clients, and also for events such as the Chelsea Flower Show, British couturier Nicholas Oakwell’s runway show, and an exhibition at the Museum of London — for a jewelled flask from a hoard of 17th century treasures found in 1912 in London’s Cheapside. His favourite project has been a scent for the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes. Inspired by ballet legend Diaghilev’s habit of spraying the theatre curtains with Mitsouko fragrance, Dove’s opulent creation is also chypre based. “Itwasanhonour,”hesays. “DiaghilevandtheBallets Russeswerethedrivingforce ofmodernismandArtDeco, andthereisahugesynergy betweenhowthesemovements manifestedthemselvesin perfumery.Theideathatscent canreconnectmomentsintime withonedropandonebreath utterlycaptivatesme.” It’s this quality that makes bespoke scent as an olfactory portrait so beguiling. Historically, perfumes were always made to order, but it’s only recently that artisanal brands have been increasing in popularity. “The perfume industry is leaning ever more towards a demand for scents of individuality, quality and creativity,” Dove notes. “Small, luxury and niche perfume houses are beginning to dominate the industry.” SCENT AS INFLUENCE InAustralia,fragrancespecialist SamanthaTaylorreturnedin 2008fromworkinginLondon forbespokecreatorsMiller Harris,FlorisandPenhaligon’s tosetupThePowderRoom inMelbourne.Theboutique consultancyspecialisesin perfumeeducation,artisan brandsandbespokecreations.
- 2. 048 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 V I R G I N A U S T R A L I A WORDSGILLIANSAMUELPHOTOGRAPHYDOMINICLONERAGAN,ROBERTWELDON,VILLA515 BEAUTY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................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WHERETOFIND BESPOKESCENTS London Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie bespoke from $50,000; www.rojadove.com. Miller Harris www.millerharris.com. Paris Stéphanie de Bruijn — Parfum sur Mesure bespoke from $1580; 52 rue de l’Université, www.parfumsurmesure.com. Le Studio des Parfums bespoke from $150; 23 rue du Bourg Tibourg, Marais, +33-140299084, studiodesparfums-paris.fr/en/. NewYork MCMC Fragrances Brooklyn; mcmcfragrances.com. By Kilian bespoke from $40,000, www.bykilian.com/en/stores/ store-new-york.php. Singapore Je t’aime Goodman Arts Centre, Block B, 03‒17, www.jetaime- singapore.com. Dubai Villa 515 Jumeirah Rd; +9714 39 54 054; www.villa515.com. Melbourne The Powder Room bespoke from $3000; +61 422 351 611; www.thepowder-room.com. CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFTSamantha Taylor;Alessandro Gualtieri;Villa515in Dubai;fragrancesat ThePowderRoom. PREVIOUSPAGERoja Dove;flaskfromthe Museum ofLondon. “Your sense of smell is literally a hot-wire to your brain,” she says. “Scent has the ability to elicit a response that is immediate. We can’t censor it. The olfactory bulb links to the limbic system, the most ancient part of the brain and the area involved with memory and emotions.” Natural and synthetic materials, alcohol and stabiliser — these all interact with an individual’s body chemistry to create a reaction. Taylor says she learnt the buildingblocksof hercraftfrom LynHarris,founderof Miller HarrisinLondon. “Theway perfumesitsonaskindepends onthecomplexionandwhether it’s dryoroily,”Taylorsays. “Ultimatelyit’sthechemistry of therawmaterialsandtheir differentmolecularweights thattranslateasthetopnotes, middleanddry-down.” Taylor aims to expand her range and has been researching micro-niche perfumes in the US, where, she says, creative people who often have no formal training are producing beautiful limited-edition fragrances. “I love working with undiscovered gems,” she says. “Artisan perfumers don’t create fragrances based on what’s going to sell. It’s more likely to be some raw material they have fallen in love with and want to build a fragrance around — or to capture a moment in time.” CULTURE OF FRAGRANCE Nowhereintheworld,according tomaverickItalianperfumer AlessandroGualtieri,does thecultureoffragrancefind moreexpressionthaninthe MiddleEast.Gualtieriis thebespokenoseforselect clientsatVilla515inDubaiand composeroftheNasomatto andOrtoParisiranges. “The total sense of perfume is extremely intense [in the Middle East], far more intense than in any part of the world,” he says. “Maybe as so much is hidden from the eye, one expresses oneself and one’s personality through other means, like fragrance.” The way people apply perfumes is also different in this part of the world. “People wear many fragrances at the same time — they just layer, mixing oils and fragrances on an alcohol base. There’s also bukhoor, when fragrance is transmitted by burning chips of wood soaked in fragrant oils and the smoke impregnates your clothes, and the room.” Bukhoor is available at Villa 515, alongside traditional oils in updated blends and artisanal fragrances by global brands. Gualtieri aims to bring new harmonies to blends of traditionalrawmaterials,ina process of gradual exploration. Says Dove: “A perfumer is a poet or a storyteller who creates the tangible from the intangible — abstract images that strike at our core. “One must take into account that there are some 3000 different odours available in perfumery. A good perfumer will attempt to conjure up a fragrance that has never before been smelt… to transform imagination into reality.”