The worst problem affecting the perfume industry, Turin says, is “a complete lack of art direction. Nobody realises that every great perfume was art-directed by somebody who had a clear vision of what he wanted, above and beyond the perfumer. There is fantastic cohesion between the smell, the bottle, the colour, the packaging — the whole thing is amazing, miraculous, not random. That doesn’t happen very often: now you’ve got some guy in marketing and a tie-in with some model. Art direction is why Serge Lutens [the famous creator of Shiseido Nombre Noire (sic)] is such a genius; he is obsessed to the point of disease”.

— Columnist India Knight talks to Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, authors of Perfumes: The Guide, in Chemical Romance at the UK Times Online. Thanks to Bela for the link!

Fashion writer Colin McDowell will be talking to Luca Turin at a "Style Lecture" on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 6 pm in London. The event is open to the public (tickets are £20); see the details here.