Season 8 • Episode 1: Bespoke Floris, Chanel’s Symbolism & What We’re Wearing
From a once-in-a-lifetime bespoke fragrance made for Nicola and her husband’s wedding anniversary at Floris London, to the secret symbolism infusing Chanel’s creations, right through to a mushroom scent Suzy’s obsessed by (yes, really!) and a round-up of other olfactive launches; it’s bumper first episode for the eighth season of this multi award-winning show!
While Suzy and Nicola had a season-break on the main pod, they have still been recording the Patreon exclusive episodes every week, which you can catch up with on patreon.com. [Pssst: Soon you’ll be able to subscribe to Bonus Episodes directly on your Apple podcast app too, if preferred.]
Meanwhile, our fragrant duo have both been busy attending some incredible new launches, many of which you’ll hear about in this episode, and Nicola and her husband, Chris, got to have bespoke fragrances made for them by Nicola Pozzani, the Global Fragrance Ambassador and Bespoke Perfumer for Floris London! She’s talking us through the entire process here, and you’ll hear some recordings she made in the historic Jermyn Street perfumer’s office on the day.
Suzy experienced something rather wonderful, visiting the newly appointed Chanel salon in Harrods Salons de Parfums for a ‘Grand Parfumeur’ session revealing the fascinating symbolism present in Chanel’s life, aesthetics, and the new Extrait perfumes. She also attended the jaw-dropping launch of BDK’s three new fragrances, each inspired by spectacular fabrics.
After talking about the celeb-filled celebrations of The Fragrance Foundation Awards, with more being more, there’s much talk of what’s on the current ‘can’t stop wearing list’ (which includes a latex and lipstick scent Nicola adores, a mushroom fragrance Suzy’s obsessed by, and a reconnection with a past perfume love).
On this week’s episode…
Floris London Bespoke Experience
‘A unique opportunity to create your own signature fragrance, a Floris bespoke perfume is both a gift and an experience to be treasured.
We offer three different types of bespoke gift experiences to help you mark a milestone occasion or simply to create your own scent, all of which take place in the secluded privacy of our perfumery at 89 Jermyn Street, the heart and home of Floris since 1730.
A luxury perfume experience in London at the very heart of where fragrance was born in the city nearly three centuries ago.’
‘Stellar Silk unfolds around the milky, textured richness of a creamy, precious sandalwood. At the top, a spicy spark of ginger and cinnamon bark is delicately dusted with saffron. Then, the floral heart of iris unfolds, echoing the intimate caress of fabric against the skin, enveloped in vanilla, tonka bean, and the profound warmth of benzoin tears. In the base, sandalwood and musks carry and extend the trail with gentle intensity. Like a precious thread of silk, Stellar Silk lays a veil of sensuality across the skin. A fragrance of passion, it radiates as a luminous halo, balancing depth and lightness to create an enduring, timeless elegance.
Around the silk, a universe of luxury emerges, defined by a noble material exploring with subtlety the porous boundaries between masculine and feminine wardrobes. The softness and delicacy of the fabric flirt with the sensuality of evening gowns, evoking Haute Couture silhouettes where creative freedom blurs boundaries, reminiscent of designs by Yves Saint Laurent or Valentino Garavani. In the airy, whispering rustle of muslin, an ode rises to the preciousness of a millennia-old material, noble and treasured.’
‘Silver Ceremony is conceived in resonance with the precious radiance of sequins. At the top, bergamot, green mandarin, and lemon illuminate the fragrance as light strikes metal, sparkling with a crystalline, vibrant, almost icy freshness, heightened by the spicy brilliance of ginger and pink pepper. In the base, woody notes unfold, dominated by cedar, set with patchouli and oud, and faceted with the amber nuances of labdanum. A textured creation, rich in energy and vibration, where freshness accentuates depth and warmth anchors luminosity. Constructed like an architectural masterpiece in which movement and stillness coexist, it is at once solid and fluid.
Like a luminous, shimmering, ethereal garment, Silver Ceremony reveals itself as a fragrance with an electric, magnetic, incisive, and radiant signature. In the 1960s, when Paco Rabanne was celebrated as a metallurgist, he boldly wove metal into his creations, sculpting dresses with the precision of an architect. Thierry Mugler conjured robotized silhouettes, evoking a visionary, almost cosmic futurism. As for sequins, with their meticulous artisanal craftsmanship, they endure as a luminous and precious signature of Haute Couture, illuminating the most sophisticated ensembles with a radiant brilliance.’
‘Oud Paradisio unveils itself: a fragrance at once powerful, captivating, opulent, and audacious. Dominating with majesty is a dark, enveloping oud wood. At the top, the fresh, citrusy brightness of bergamot is enlivened by the juicy, succulent sweetness of frosted pineapple, while a subtle veil of incense and saffron whispers through the composition. The exquisite floral heart unfolds as a precious trio of roses, two essences and an absolute, imbuing the composition with elegance and depth. The warm base marries shadowy oud with cocoa, creating an arrangement rich in intensity and sumptuous voluptuousness. Sensuality blossoms among a woody warmth, nuanced with subtle restraint. Its assertive character is sculpted by the animalic accents revealed through the potent olfactory presence of oud essence.
Complex and surprising, Oud Paradisio is a nocturnal perfume steeped in mystery. In fashion, leather claims its nobility without forsaking its innate animality, which imparts strength and commanding presence. Designers have challenged leather, shaping it into a second skin, Claude Montana in the 1980s with exaggerated shoulders crafted for fearless, audacious personalities. More recently, Rick Owens has celebrated this material with brilliance, transgressing its codes with boldness, even a hint of provocation. Animalistic by nature, leather embodies strength, power, and confidence.’
Nicola cannot stop wearing this one, loving its spicy but never overwhelming sultriness (that’s still perfect to wear in the warmest of weather's). They say: ‘Discover the hidden scents of Istanbul with this eau de parfum. The glittering notes of bergamot is blended with spicy notes of cinnamon, saffron and clove, as well as floral and woody notes. The fragrance of our Istanbul collection is truly striking and unique.’
‘Naughty notes of lipstick and latex entwine with powdery rose, energising sichuan pepper and courage-enhancing orris to cast Ludatrix’s enticing and empowered spell. Tantalising ambrette for igniting arousal is layered with voluptuous cedarwood, sandalwood and olibanum for positivity and protection, while a potent blend of ambrox and musk sparks sensuality. Bold and boundless desire, bottled.’
All we’re told is ‘The fragrance is the result of a natural vital delirium, evoking a flourishing ecosystem of organic disobedience.’ Suzy is utterly obsessed by this and senses ultra-realistic petrichor (rain soaked earth), creamy mushrooms, leaf-mulchy forest floor, vetiver, perhaps some beetroot/rosy fruitiness (?) and bags of patchouli earthiness. HUGEly geosmin-filled, and lasts literal days on skin!
‘A fragrance of the sensation of tasting ginger for the first time and feel it warming your body. Ginger is combined with flowers – mimosa, geranium, rose, ylang ylang and jasmine. A touch of juniper berry makes the composition vivid and fruity.’
Goldfield & Banks Ingenious Ginger
‘Ingenious Ginger is a floral amber perfume inspired by the lush Atherton Tablelands. red back ginger blends with bergamot, mandarin, magnolia, vanilla, amber and australian sandalwood.
A world-first exploration of Australian Red Back Ginger, this best-selling Eau De Parfum offers an instant sense of nature in a blissful and sultry destination.’
Buy issue 1 of On The Scent magazine and feast your eyes on the fabulous fragrant features, news and reviews in print! Get your copy here…
