Olfiction founders Pia Long and Nick Gilbert at their stand in the Pop-Up Perfumery – the third temporary showcase that the pair have masterminded (PHOTO: @documentedbyhenrit
Fragrance seems to be morphing into the entertainment business this week, with ‘vertical micro dramas’ being your new buzzword – although there’s plenty of old school literary interest too. (And you can’t beat a good read.) Our newshound Amanda Carr – writer, trend-spotter and Barnes Fragrance Fair founder – delivers just that, in her fortnightly column
Real-life fragrance and fun with the Pop-Up Perfumery
Wales Perfumery’s Louise Smith, who is showcasing her Monmouth-based brand’s layering collection at the pop-up
The Pop–Up Perfumery - organised by Olfiction’s Nick Gilbert and Pia Long, was back for its third outing this week, in Bloomsbury’s Store Street. A champion of interesting independent and artisan brands, the Pop–Up Perfumery is a chance to mingle with brand founders and spend some quality time really immersing yourself in the selection of scent from some terrifically interesting new brands.
As well as Olfiction’s own range – we’re fans of the spectacular Lab Series – Mabelle O’Rama, Diffractive Studio, Dor Olfactory and multi-brand retailer Sainte Cellier all returned, alongside Thursday Fragrance, Wales Perfumery, Tribute Perfume and Auvéli. Day visits from Olfactive O, Kushbu Perfumery and Soul Notes kept each day interesting and events such as Alice du Parcq’s book signing and scent talk have kept the fun going into the early evening.
The joy of these short-stay stores is the atmosphere and enthusiasm brand founders create for the consumer. Each time we go we find something new to get excited over (hello, Tribute Perfumes), catch the last few days if you are in London – the store closes on Saturday 14th at 7pm.
Check website for opening times and events here
It’s all about ‘micro-dramas’ in the perfume world, now
In an industry first, Sol de Janeiro has teamed up with Channel 4 to create a fragrance focused, five part micro-drama aimed primarily at social channels. Called ‘The Guest List’, the five super–short stories present a personality – each subtly linked to one of its new Intense Perfume Mists – in a relatable lifestyle drama with a tiny crisis in each.
Creative agencies Curly Media and Zenith UK were partners and kept the execution standards high, with real actors used over influencers for a more relatable experience for watchers. The episodic, storytelling nature will – according to the brand – make people stop scrolling and watch. Sol de Janeiro really knows what its Gen Z consumer wants. The brand’s General Manager for the UK and Ireland Celine Basanisi Gilg, told us that the micro-dramas create ‘real worlds, where a more sophisticated but very relatable form of storytelling can be reflected back at the consumer.’
We were at the launch and can confirm it was both fun and engaging, it also felt like the future of fragrance advertising. We’re all in the entertainment business now, it seems…
President of Niche and Wellness Brands at PUIG, Thomas James, who will be one of the judges of the first-ever fragrance reality TV show
Le Nez: fragrance gets its own reality show
In what we all hope here at On The Scent will become a global rollout, French TV company TFL+ is launching a reality series this December called ‘Le Nez’, loosely based on the Professional Masterchef format, to bring attention to both new young perfumers as well as the internal workings of life in the perfume business.
The team behind this excellent idea includes both Puig and Givaudan fragrance houses, L’Artisan Perfumer and the ISIPCA school of perfumery. Each week, young perfumers will compete to create a new fragrance, made from materials supplied by Givaudan, which will be judged by industry insiders – perfumer Jean Claude Ellena is to be a ‘celebrity ‘ guest – with the final winner getting their fragrance made up and sold by L’Artisan Perfumeur.
Fragrance is so rich in ‘content’ (we’re in the entertainment business, remember?), it’s a wonder this hasn’t been done before. Most consumers have a limited idea of how fragrance is made or how perfumers work, and that’s before we get to all wonderful ingredients being used. Surely we must get a UK/ USA version soon? We have everything crossed…
Best way to track news of the show, so far as we can tell, is to follow @lartisanparfumeur on Instagram (as yet there’s no standalone Insta account)
Driven to crime? How the scent of old books can be dangerously strong
A fascinating article, ‘The Olfactory History of Book Collecting’ (link here) has just been published by OTS’s colleague Will Tullett, on the excellent Literary Hub.
It looks at the role of scent in the life of a book – in particular old books, and in all cultures. Will, who is a senior lecturer in early modern history at the University of York, is the author of Sniff – A History Of Smells (Yale University Press), and this article is a taster of his breadth of knowledge on the subject. We’ve heard Will speak a number of times and he’s always fascinating, particularly if you have even a whiff of interest in history and smell.
We were intrigued by the paragraph from the article on a young bookbinder Peter Lawson, from Stepney, who pleased guilty to stealing three old books from a London shop because he simply couldn’t control his reactions once he’d inhaled the aroma of those old, ink-filled pages. He was given a suspended sentence as long as he stayed away from libraries and old book shops.
A good read for the weekend – and again, find it here
Finally, did you know…
… that camels and humans have something quite unusual in common? According to Saskia Wilson–Brown’s fantastic new book The Cultures Of Perfume: Scents That Shaped History, it’s our shared, extremely efficient detection of geosmin – the smell of earth.
Apparently, human’s and camels are both very, very good at picking up and enjoying the distinct aroma. We notice it in beetroot, mushrooms and wet soil, but camels can pick it up from over 50 miles away to help them locate water.
More fascinating facts can be found in the book, which is available now in all good bookshops.
