Homely Pleasures

Dior perfumer-creator François Demachy welcomes Terence Lim into the world of Maison Christian Dior, which recently opened its doors in Singapore

- Terence Lim

THINK BERRIES, CANDIED APPLE, burnt sugar and caramel, and these sweet essences will most likely conjure up images of happy childhoods and merrymaking. Is it then any surprise that top-selling perfumes today are imbued with hints of these sweet notes in their compositions? But if François Demachy, Dior’s perfumer-creator, had his way, he would stop this trend.

“Today’s youths have lost the culture of scent,” the Frenchman lamented when he was in Singapore in March for the official opening of Maison Christian Dior, the brand’s dedicated perfume boutique in Ion Orchard. “They are attracted to simple scents like food aromas.” He expressed slight disappointment that in their quest for instant gratification, consumers have forgone the process of feeling and understanding scents. Instead, they yearn for—and buy—familiar scents, especially those that evoke good thoughts and fond memories.