Is It Time to Rename the Oriental Fragrance Family"
My original article on this topic was published in FT’s magazine, March 2016 issue, but the topic is as relevant as ever so I decided to continue the discussion here. The world of perfume press releases is one in which Edward Said never wrote ?Orientalism?. Â Odalisques lounge in the incense-scented harems of marketers? imaginations. The […]
The post Is It Time to Rename the Oriental Fragrance Family" appeared first on Bois de Jasmin.
My original article on this topic was published in FT’s magazine, March 2016 issue, but the topic is as relevant as ever so I decided to continue the discussion here.
The world of perfume press releases is one in which Edward Said never wrote ?Orientalism?. Â Odalisques lounge in the incense-scented harems of marketers? imaginations. The Mughals are still ruling India, and the Arabian Desert is a vast expanse of golden sands populated with handsome explorers?not an oil well in sight. There is even a fragrance family called ?oriental.?
The term is misleading and vague. The Middle East and North Africa have old and sophisticated fragrance traditions, but the average oriental one might come across at Harrods has little to do with their classical forms. This family of French perfumery grew in tandem with other 19th-century developments in society, economy and art. As Ingres painted his erotic ideals in a harem setting, perfumers used heavy, rich notes like balsams, vanilla and musk to fashion their fantasies of the east. The...
The post Is It Time to Rename the Oriental Fragrance Family" appeared first on Bois de Jasmin.
My original article on this topic was published in FT’s magazine, March 2016 issue, but the topic is as relevant as ever so I decided to continue the discussion here.
The world of perfume press releases is one in which Edward Said never wrote ?Orientalism?. Â Odalisques lounge in the incense-scented harems of marketers? imaginations. The Mughals are still ruling India, and the Arabian Desert is a vast expanse of golden sands populated with handsome explorers?not an oil well in sight. There is even a fragrance family called ?oriental.?
The term is misleading and vague. The Middle East and North Africa have old and sophisticated fragrance traditions, but the average oriental one might come across at Harrods has little to do with their classical forms. This family of French perfumery grew in tandem with other 19th-century developments in society, economy and art. As Ingres painted his erotic ideals in a harem setting, perfumers used heavy, rich notes like balsams, vanilla and musk to fashion their fantasies of the east. The...
| -------------------------------- |
|
|
