In the business of fashion, haute couture is about clothes—extravagant and beautifully made. But it can also be said about bespoke fragrance, the Holy Grail in the world of custom made products. The perfume you dab on your pulse points is more than just a part of the grooming routine: It is an expression of style and personality. As with clothes, discerning customers are looking beyond mass-produced fragrances and turning to carefully blended scents. “Brought up on a diet of olfactory banality, the public is repudiating this commercialisation,” says Roja Dove, master perfumer from the UK. “For those who can afford a bespoke service, it is the ultimate in discovering a scent of true individuality.”
Historically, bespoke perfumes have their roots in Europe; they were blended for royalty and wealthy patrons. Floris of London, which was established in 1730, is the oldest retailer of fragrance in England and is the ‘appointed perfumer’ to the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. Celebrated French contemporary perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s client list, too, includes heads of state.
The process of creating a distinct fragrance can take anywhere from three months to almost a year depending on how fast a master perfumer—or ‘nose’ as they are affectionately called in the business— can understand a customer’s needs and demands. The challenge lies in translating a client’s ephemeral olfactory memories to blends of flowers, spices and oils.
Mandy Aftel, of Aftelier Perfumes in the US, remembers a client who wanted to gift her parents a pair of perfume bottles for their 50th wedding anniversary. “She picked out essences that reminded her of her parents. The resulting portraits allowed her to smell what they meant to her.” That is the mark of bespoke perfume.
This story is from the November 13, 2015 edition of Forbes India.
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This story is from the November 13, 2015 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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