New at apothia: Apothia Pearl.
New at neimanmarcus: Pucci Vivara Variazioni collection.
New at nordstrom: Kenzo Les Eaux des Fleurs collection.
Francesco Vezzoli Greed
Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli (you can read more about his work here, here, and here) will launch a faux perfume called Greed on February 6 at the Gagosian Gallery in Rome:
Gagosian Gallery is pleased to present GREED, A New Fragrance by Francesco Vezzoli, the artist's latest work that replicates the strategy and aesthetics of a commercial perfume launch.
Just as Marcel Duchamp created Belle Haleine: Eau de Voilette in 1921 using a Rigaud perfume bottle with an altered label, Francesco Vezzoli has created a signature perfume for the contemporary moment…
Anxiety, irritation and distaste
At industry gatherings over the past year, I have been pulled aside countless times by perfumers and other fragrance industry colleagues and asked what I make of fragrance critics and bloggers. These colleagues tend to be filled with a mix of anxiety, irritation and distaste born of a sense of being either misunderstood or misrepresented in venues outside of the industry’s control. While I share many of these misgivings, one cannot paint with too wide a brush or ignore the fact that new media has changed the playing field for all of human communication and interaction—and it’s not changing back.
— Jeb Gleason-Allured, the editor of Perfumer & Flavorist magazine, from Everyone’s a Critic: Are Fragrance Bloggers and Critics Good for the Industry? at GCI. (found via 1000 Fragrances)
Kenzo Air ~ fragrance review
When I reviewed Mark Buxton's Wood & Absinth last week, several people mentioned another vetiver + anise fragrance, Kenzo Air (or Kenzoair, as I believe the brand prefers). How I made it all this time without smelling Kenzo Air is a bit of a mystery to me, but I suppose the name “Air” was not all that appealing? Obviously I needed to smell it, and since it didn't seem to be available locally (and it's too cold to go outside anyway), I ordered some right away. I'd like to point out that I made it a full 13 days into 2009 before breaking rule no. 1 (or no. 2? I can't remember) and buying something unsniffed, but this was cheap enough that it wouldn't have killed me if I'd hated it. And lo and behold, everyone who commented was right: it's wonderful.
Kenzo launched Air in 2003; it was intended as…
… a breath of fresh air… it lets a man discover his inner child. The fragrance denotes an elegant, masculine presence, awakening childhood sensations and familiar impressions, shaking things up and reinventing them…
Hermes Kelly Caleche Eau de Parfum ~ new fragrance
Hermès will launch Kelly Calèche in a new Eau de Parfum concentration next month. Kelly Calèche Eau de Toilette was introduced in 2007, and was followed by Kelly Calèche Extrait de Parfum last year.
The new Eau de Parfum was developed by Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, and features “enriched floral nuances”. The notes include barenia leather, lambskin, rose, violet and vanilla…