About the author: Nina is our guest shopper for London, and she not only kindly wrote up the Perfume Diaries exhibit for those of us who can’t make it to London, she also took all of the images with the exception of the one just above, which is courtesy of Harrods.
Throughout September, Harrods is hosting a presentation of perfume through the ages. The Perfume Diaries is ‘an exhibition celebrating the past, present and future of the perfume industry.’
It’s on the fourth floor, in a long white space which has been put together with care and considerable style by Emma Jane Hockley (Harrods’ buyer for perfume and cosmetics — what a job!), and Harrods’ own Professeur de Parfums, Roja Dove. With this kind of clout, they’ve been able to pull in an amazing range of objects from all over the world.
Harrods generously invited perfume and beauty bloggers to a private viewing, and Robin equally generously allowed me to go instead of her. (And if you saw the quality of the patisserie offerings, you’d know how big a sacrifice this was.)
Racing in from a magazine interview, Roja Dove guided us round the exhibits…
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Posted by Robin
on
5 September 2010
Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian will introduce his perfume line, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, at the Space NK store at 8 Broadwick Street in Soho on Wednesday, 8 September from 4 to 6 pm. The event is free, but you must book a space by calling 020 7734 3734.
Amouage perfumes have been available in London for several years, via small counters in Harrods and Selfridges. Fab as these stores are, they’re crowded and busy — not the best environment to take in the finer points of what are pretty darn expensive perfumes.
It’s therefore not surprising that Amouage has opened its own standalone boutique, and equally unshocking that the new shop is in the swanky shopping area that Annick Goutal chose for its London flagship.
(There’s a hint of lèse-majesté in the fact that the block housing Amouage is currently shrouded in scaffolding, so that the new shop peeps out between padded poles. It doesn’t make for the best photo-opportunity.)
The shop’s interior, consisting of two spacious rooms, offers a bright and serene environment for appreciating the scents…
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Posted by Robin
on
24 August 2010
The Perfume Diaries exhibit next month at Harrods in London will include a number of special events, all free to the public and available on a drop-in basis (except as noted). Events will be held on the 4th floor.
Wednesday 8th September 2010, 12.30pm – 2pm
Jade Jagger for Guerlain – Personal Appearance and Fragrance Signing…
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Avery opened in June 2010. It’s a shop dedicated to niche scents, and as there aren’t many such shops in London (apart from the big department stores), it’s a very welcome addition to the capital’s perfume community.
The name is taken from Avery Row, where the shop is situated, which is a short pedestrianised passage south of Brook Street. The similarity of ‘Avery’ to ‘aviary’ provides the shop’s whimsical presentation. The window displays are caged enclosures with perfume bottles on perches; there are artificial birds ‘flying’ in the interior, and birdsong trills in the background. Perfumes can be sprayed on black feathers (a surprisingly effective way to get an impression of a scent), although traditional cardboard strips are available for those allergic to feathers…
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