But the industry is changing. There are more female noses now, even though you still have a macho attitude sometimes. I’ve been fortunate, though. I’ve wanted to do this since I was ten years old, when I used to collect miniatures and chase after women on the street to ask them what fragrance they were wearing. When I discovered the job of perfumer, it was magical.
— Perfumer Daphné Bugey, in an interview about the creation of the new a scent by issey miyake. Read the rest in Issey Miyake Is Back With A (New) Scent at Style.com’s Beauty Counter blog.
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More female perfumers, more artisan and independent perfumers, too. A new dawn for the world of perfumery.
I like her if only for giving me the original Max Mara, I see a bright future for her.I hope that someone with this much talent will be able to do work independent of the current industry constraints and not be stuck doing celebrity scents.
She’s done lots of things I love…Kenzo Amour, Le Labo Bergamot & Le Labo Rose (the latter especially).
That is a nice list. Although I’ve only tried the new miyake one time, I think that it is something that I could easily add to that list and possibly buy next summer.
I thought her comment that a lot perfumers are typically the sons of perfumers, but that that is changing, interesting. Sounds as if the structure of the profession is altering, and opening up to fresher influences. Not that there is anything wrong with being born to a profession, but if the profession is dominated by those people, it must be in danger of being too self-referencing, and aloof.
How many trees get chopped down to produce galbanum? Is it grown commercially in plantations?
Galbanum is a plant gum, you don’t have to chop down any trees to produce it. If it is harvested correctly, the plants will continue to produce. However, I have no idea if it is grown commercially or only harvested in the wild.
Thanks Robin. I guess I’m not the only one to feel uneasy about ethics and sustainability. Would I give a beloved perfume if I thought its production harmed the environment, or if I thought it was being produced in an exploitative way? Perfume companies obviously prefer it that we don’t ask these questions.
I tried a scent by issey miyake today and was underwhelmed, so at least in relation to this fragrance I don’t have to worry!
I liked the new Issey, but not sure if I liked it enough to buy it either. I should have mentioned that I think there are also synthetic galbanum chemicals…so who knows what they’ve used in the IM!