THE SMELL OF SUCCESS
Master perfumer goes for balance
When a brand releases a new scent, whether for men, women or a unisex scent, there’s undoubtedly a hope that it will make a big splash.
But what makes a fragrance popular with consumers? And what makes one flop?
We chatted with master perfumer Honorine Blanc, the nose behind many notable scents including Valentino Donna
Born in Roma, to learn about the challenges faced by modern perfumers, which notes play best and what inspired the pink elixir that is the Italian fashion house’s fresh scent release.
Q What are some of the challenges to creating a fragrance today?
A Finding the perfect balance between universal pleasure and creativity; combining creativity, uniqueness and personality; creating imperfect and addictive fragrances made of tensions and emotions, which will nevertheless resonate in the consumer’s mind; and finding the perfect harmony in a fragrance, which will take us away with the simplicity and clarity of its structure.
Q Are there notes that play better with consumers?
A Multi-faceted and addictive florals and Orientals. Globally, multi-faceted fragrances create a strong desirability. Consumers are attracted to addictive scents, with lots of luminosity. They want fragrances that last and offer a recognizable trail. Among women the olfactive territories florals and Orientals are globally the most appreciated. The trend toward gourmand fragrances was initiated more than 20 years ago. I think the long lastingness of this trend is explained by the sweetest childhood memories they recall to everyone and the addiction the gourmand notes provoke.
Q How did this fragrance come about?
A From the Grande Belleza Valentino Couture universe.
The Valentino couture universe is the very essence of Born in Roma. Rome is the home city of Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino’s artistic director. For him, Rome is the “Grande Belleza,” with its unique, glorious and simple beauty. Valentino is the ultimate cool fashion. Pierpaolo always tries to find the balance between tradition and innovation, to mix both couture and street. This is what Born in Roma Donna’s manifesto is all about.
Q What unique role does fragrance play for Valentino?
A Perfume is the best reflection of the duality that makes Valentino’s signature. A fragrance is a luxurious and elegant couture creation, which is nevertheless part of our daily lives. It is the ultimate element, which makes it possible to keep a connection with people so as not to create distance, a key value for Pierpaolo Piccioli. Valentino Haute Couture is about individuality — and what’s better than a Valentino fragrance to express its own personality?
Q What was the inspiration for the scent?
A Valentino’s Cool Couture
DNA The Roma franchise is based on strong pillars reflecting Valentino, its Italian DNA and its sophisticated and modern couture spirit. The “cool couture” is at the heart of Born in Roma Donna, the idea of combining Valentino’s elegance, its haute couture quality, with the cool attitude of nowadays youth, as a celebration of freedom and individuality. Donna bridges the gap between Valentino’s classic heritage and the fresh wind of a young, free and assertive generation.
Q What makes its notes so unique?
A The contemporary elegance and coolness of its three strong accords. Donna Born in Roma is the cool couture, elegance, modernity, aristo punk of contemporary haute couture perfumery. Its unique signature comes from the coolness of the modern woods combined with the couture aspect of a complementary jasmine trio and vanilla. The fragrance captures this cool-couture concept, carrying an intense sense of addiction with a heightened luminosity.
Olfactively, the uniqueness of the fragrance is built around three main accords, which create a modern readability throughout the perfume: Three qualities of jasmine — jasmine grandiflorum, sambac India and tea natureprint — are brought together. Jasmine is considered to be one of the most luxurious ingredients in perfumery, and an icon of femininity for centuries; vanilla bourbon CO2 — this quality of vanilla is one of the most expensive in the world and brings a leathery, smoky aspect to our traditional view of vanilla because of the addition of modern woods. The woods provide deep energy, which is crucial to the intensity of the signature. The vanilla reflects the haute couture quality of Valentino through its depth, richness and sensuality; and modern woods embody the edge to the fragrance structure, through cool vibrancy and edgy youthfulness.
Q At a time when so many shoppers seem to crave personalized items — whether a bespoke suit, a monogrammed bag — what makes broadly available fragrances still so covetable?
A It is not just about broad availability, but much more about emotions and savoir faire. I prefer to think in terms of emotions and evocations as perfumery is an emotional world. I think consumers are seeking for signature and perfumes which make them feel well, and evoke something to them, no matter how broad a fragrance is available. In my opinion, this is the definition of new luxury.
Creating a fragrance of this level of standard is a long process; we worked for years on this new perfume. Fragrance creation is an art and I believe that consumers recognize and trust our savoir faire.