tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post3186266498548477008..comments2024-03-21T00:17:37.281-07:00Comments on sherapop's salon de parfum: FRAGRANCE IS FUNCTIONAL: How I learned to stop worrying about art and enjoy my perfume for what it isUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-42802270902381508432013-06-29T10:05:07.057-07:002013-06-29T10:05:07.057-07:00As all things "beautiful" and thought pr...As all things "beautiful" and thought provoking, perfume can be part of an artistic process. Not all perfume is and clearly funtionalistic perfume (a perfume created to please) is by definition not art. However a perfume that comes alive through an artistic process can be art. It can also be beautiful or not. Wearable or not. I have argued with Mad Perfumista that truly artistic perfumes can only come in limited quantities, either because the creative process limits their quantities (O'Driu) or because the limited amount of raw material does (Slumberhouse). MP does not think that this kind of approach can be profitable for perfumers. But this is more of a functionalistic argument.<br /><br />What I mean is that the same way not all paintings are art (some are beautiful craft) not all perfume is art. And although there is nothing wrong with a perfume that just smells good, my personal inclinations are looking for those perfumes that are created by a need to say something, to experiment. Corticchiato is a perfumer that manages to play both fields and he has my respect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-42214308809220203632013-06-29T07:00:04.723-07:002013-06-29T07:00:04.723-07:00Dearest Christos,
I admire your sunny optimism (p...Dearest Christos,<br /><br />I admire your sunny optimism (perhaps it derives in part from living in the Mediterranean? ;-)), but I'm pretty sure that when it comes time to put juice to skin, I'll choose the "beautiful yawn" over the garage-produced "unique" oeuvre de jeunesse every time.<br /><br />To be perfectly frank (quoi d'autre?), I feel that these people are for the most part shooting in the dark. Occasionally they'll have a hit, but mostly we're just serving as their guinea pigs when we test their perfumes. <br /><br />I know that you believe in some of these people, and I certainly wish them the best, but as creative as some of them may be, novelty and innovation alone do not translate into great perfume in my book. If it is true, as I attempted to argue above, that fragrance is functional, then an "interesting" sample is not going to do much but translate into a new memory since I'll never acquire a full bottle of something solely based on novelty. It must also be wearable and indeed a pleasure to wear. <br /><br />Moreover, practically speaking, the long-term viability of the "garagistes" (to use the term from the wine industry for analogous producers in that sphere), depends on their ability not to sell samples and sample sets but full bottles. They will not do a lot of that without producing some "beautiful yawns", it seems to me. If no one can actually empty a bottle (or even decant!) of one of their creations, then it will never need to be replaced!<br /><br />I'm intrigued by your straddling simultaneously of two seemingly irreconcilable theses: first, that perfume is not art; and, second, that our best hopes lie in the novice innovators. Or can these two positions be reconciled? Pray tell!sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-462534791627752762013-06-29T06:41:40.199-07:002013-06-29T06:41:40.199-07:00Hello, pitbullfriend and thanks for these comments...Hello, pitbullfriend and thanks for these comments. <br /><br />Yes, I believe that the corporate take-overs are a key factor in the end of the golden age. It is simply not true that Fendi is still Fendi, Kenzo is still Kenzo, Marc Jacobs is Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein is Calvin Klein, Jean Patou is Jean Patou, Rochas is Rochas, and, yes, I dare say: Guerlain is Guerlain and Dior is Dior. They have become new houses, in my view. <br /><br />It used to be that truly great, exquisite, wonderful, profound perfume was to be had from the mainstream houses. I no longer find this to be the case. At all.<br /><br />Oh well, time to move on! sherapophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116821928196122529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-6289257194481371842013-06-28T13:23:05.460-07:002013-06-28T13:23:05.460-07:00Oh Shera I agree with you the era of "Le Gran...Oh Shera I agree with you the era of "Le Grand Parfum" is behind us. But a new era is opening. Basically we can divide the market in three segments, the inoffensive (mainstream or niche), the traditionalist and the novices. Sadly I see more interesting things coming from the novices. I hope that they will evolve and not become realtors. Much like in every other aspect of the market (and art) the underground seems to be becoming the place where the big things will be coming from. It may be just wishful thinking but I much rather smell Slumberhouse or O' Driu than another over-hyped, over-priced, over-packaged "beautifully blended" olfactive yawn. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106815346229702986.post-17837316280472986742013-06-28T11:55:30.857-07:002013-06-28T11:55:30.857-07:00Sometimes you hit the sweet spot. I bought my hous...Sometimes you hit the sweet spot. I bought my house some years ago when the neighborhood was considered "troubled." Now, its inner-city location has made it very desirable. <br /><br />I developed an interest in perfume back when eBay allowed inexpensive sales of decants and samples and P&G, Coty, LVMH, and others hadn't bought up anywhere near as much of the market as they have now. That probably was the Golden Age.<br /><br />If I were getting started on either one, I could neither afford my house nor my perfume collection. Perhaps what this means is that each generation finds its own joys, and few can repeat what the generation before had. As Carly Simon said, "These are the good old days." pitbull friendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18426744107243600553noreply@blogger.com