Art lovers who wander into Dillon Gallery in Chelsea this week will have virtually nothing to look at, but plenty to smell—from a freshly grated lemon peel, to a musty cave, to a ripe banana layered with the feral odor of a ... monkey.
— From What's That Smell? A Fragrant Downtown Exhibit Makes the Case for Scent Art at the Wall Street Journal. The exhibit features "scent sculptures" by perfumer Christophe Laudamiel; you can find more details at the Dillon Gallery website.
You might not normally think of going to a neighborhood hair salon to shop for fragrance, but Williamsburg, Brooklyn is not a typical neighborhood, and Woodley & Bunny is not a typical haircut joint. This trend-focused “Salon & Apothecary,” which opened in 2005, specializes not only in edgy hairstyles but also in cult-favorite beauty products of all kinds, including a selection of non-mainstream fragrances.
Woodley & Bunny is located three blocks from the subway (the Bedford Avenue stop of the L train) and just a few steps down from street level. Its retail area is located immediately inside the entrance of the salon. This space seems to be undergoing perpetual renovations, but it’s still easily browsable. In its fragrance offerings, there’s an emphasis on independent perfumers, including several New York-based lines and hard-to-find imports. (Woodley & Bunny is the only New York venue that carries Tauer Parfums, for example.) The various perfume lines are displayed on tables and open shelving…
Sephora, the leading specialty beauty retailer, and Firmenich, global leaders in fragrance and flavors, have created The Sensorium™ – a ground-breaking multi-sensory, interactive fragrance exhibition. The first time open to the public, The Sensorium™ is a dynamic experience that explores the emotion and instinct of scent through interactive experiences, compelling film, story-telling and three-dimensional art.
[...] The Sensorium™ will be open for a limited engagement at 414 West 14th Street in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District from October 7, 2011 through November 27, 2011.
— Read more at Sephora and Firmenich Partner to Create The Sensorium™, An Immersive Journey through the World of Fragrance, in New York City at PRNewsWire, or check out The Perfume Project in the New York Times. Sweeping hat tip to everyone who sent this in!
Christopher Brosius, the “CB” behind CB I Hate Perfume, calls his perfumery’s headquarters and storefront a “gallery.” Located a few blocks away from the busy main shopping strips of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, the store does feel as much like a gallery, a studio, or a workshop as a retail venue. It’s a former industrial space that now looks half-loft, half-garage, decorated in a minimal, monochromatic scheme with little visual detail to distract you from experiencing CB I Hate Perfume’s fragrances.
And there are many, many fragrances indeed, with testers arranged by category in white box-like shelving units. In the “Perfume” category, you’ll find six series of fragrances with abstract designations such as “Archetype” and “Metamorphosis.” Some of them are inspired by Brosius’s childhood memories and his favorite works of literature and film, and others are his reworkings of classic concepts in perfumery (musk, rose, etc.). The Perfumes are available as perfume absolutes and cologne-like “water perfumes.” The next category includes fourteen series of Accords, from “fruit” and “flower” to “smoke” and “skin.” These oils, individually bottled and packaged at the time of purchase, are meant to be enjoyed singly or layered in your own combinations…
Krigler’s history spans five generations and reaches from St. Petersburg to Berlin and Paris, from the French Riviera to New York. The company’s only current United States location is an intimate glass box nestled into a corner of the landmark Plaza Hotel; and, in a bit of local déjà-vu, this shop marks Krigler’s second residency at the Plaza. The Krigler family first operated a small retail venue within the Plaza from 1931 through the 1970s, catering to the hotel’s glamorous guests and other members of Fifth Avenue’s elite. After a period of dormancy, the company reopened in 2000 and returned to the Plaza in 2008, when the hotel had just completed its own extensive renovations.
The new-millennium image for Krigler seems to have been composed in the Penhaligon’s/Creed mold: there’s much emphasis on legacy, archival fragrance recipes and famous clientele. Krigler’s packaging has an old-world European flair, and the well-stocked shelves of the Plaza boutique are decorated with framed black-and-white photos of classic Hollywood stars who wore its fragrances. Krigler’s present-day shoppers include curious midtown browsers and hotel guests, visitors who remember Krigler affectionately from its earlier years at the Plaza, and world travelers familiar with the company from its boutique in Monte Carlo’s Fairmont Hotel…