Smell it and see, the new fragrance brand to love
You’re going to like this. Olfactive Studio is a new fragrance brand that has taken five contemporary photographs and interpreted them into perfume. The concept is down to Celine Verleure, a 46-year-old marketing and e-tail expert with a passion for fragrance and the name behind hits such as Kenzo Jungle, L’Eau par Kenzo as well as the Osmoz perfume portal.
Her own photography collection gave her the idea for the brand and she picked five photographs that strongly evoke a mood or an idea. ‘The photographs are always pre-existing works that I find in exhibitions, museums, online photographers’ sites,’ she explains. Each photograph was the start of a creative journey for the perfumer, who used it as a visual brief.
The conflation of smell and image allows us to experience a kind of synesthesia. Verleure reveals that the sixth fragrance and photograph will be unveiled in April. This innovative project should run and run.
For stockist details please contact 01273 408832. Olfactive Studio fragrances are priced at £75 for 50ml and £110 for 100ml. For more information please visit www.olfactivestudio.com
Lumiere Blanche (above)
Fine art photographer Massimo Vitali’s picture captures blinding sunshine hitting a white rock on the coast of Sicily. The corresponding fragrance by Sidonie Lancesseur of Robertet melds creamy notes of almond milk and cashmere wood with spices like cardamom and cinnamon.
Still Life
Artist/photographer Frederic Lebain’s image is of scrolling paper sculptures. The eponymous fragrance by Dora Arnaud of Firmenich is equally weightless and zesty with notes of Japanese yuzu, three kinds of pepper and star anise.
Autoportrait
Former session hairstylist turned art photographer Luc Lapotre took this striking silhouetted portrait with furrowed grey storm clouds. The accompanying perfume by Nathalie Lorson of Firmenich is accordingly moody dark and masculine with notes of bergamot, elemi, benzoin incense and musk.
Flash back
French artist and photographer Laurent Segretier is based in Hong Kong and his photograph appears to be of a beautiful Asian girl sleeping. The perfume double, created by super-nose Olivier Cresp (he created Theirry Mugler’s Angel) is redolent of a fruit tart with rhubarb, grapefruit, orange and granny smith apple in the formula.
Chambre Noir
Clemence Rene Bazin shot this image of a cityscape with a softly lit room reflected in the window and the perfume of the same name, formulated by Dorothee Piot is a plush oriental with notes of schinus, musk, vanilla and leather.
