Posted by Robin on 8 Comments
In the past, changes were driven by Mother Nature—or accountants. One caused variations in the quality and availability of natural ingredients, the other substituted less costly ones... In recent years, there’s been a third force: industry efforts to cut back on allergy-causing ingredients, to avoid labelling requirements or outright ingredient bans.
— Kim Pittaway, writing in This ain’t my mama’s L’Air Du Temps at Maclean's.
Posted by Robin on 23 Comments
The muffled world of perfume does not hide its concern and anger over European legislation continues to restrict the use of natural and synthetic materials for designers. "We're very worried, says, exasperated, Patrick Saint-Yves, president of the French Society of Perfumers (FPS). If you were running an association of painters and suddenly you are prohibited to use the blue?
— The Chrome browser's (middling, but what can you do?) translation from the original French in Parfums: chefs-d’œuvre en péril at Le Temps. The (long and detailed) article is about IFRA restrictions on modern perfumery. Found via the Tauer Perfumes Advent calendar; don't forget it's day 2!
Posted by Robin on 55 Comments
The forbidden ingredients this time round are so extensive that I am asking myself, to give you an analogy, how could a baker make bread without flour? Substituting some materials with others is an option but it is possible that some fragrances will never see the light of day. This has already happened to me three times.
— Serge Lutens, talking about IFRA regulations, in There’s a bad whiff about this fuss over fragrance at the London Evening Standard. Thanks to Anya for the link!
Posted by Robin on 21 Comments
We’ve got to combat what is going on out there. There are people coming after the industry. [...] We need to evolve, because the rest of the environment is evolving. I don’t want us [the industry] to be a dinosaur. We don’t want to become extinct.
— IFRA president Demi Thoman, quoted in Fragrance Industry Organizations Realign for a Stronger Global Voice at Perfumer & Flavorist. Many thanks to Alyssa for the link!
Posted by Robin on 79 Comments
Nous vendons des parfums dont le plus vieux a plus de 150 ans. Si un jour, Bruxelles ne veut plus d’essence de rose, comment pourrais-je faire ? Il y a de la rose dans presque tous nos parfums… C’est un patrimoine à défendre.
— Perfumer Thierry Wasser of Guerlain, wondering what will happen to the iconic Guerlain fragrances if and when IFRA outlaws rose. Quoted in Les créateurs de parfums ont la Commission européenne dans le nez in Le Monde. The article also quotes perfumer François Demachy, and representatives from Jean Paul Gaultier and Paco Rabanne, among others…