Frederic Malle talks about his niche perfume line, Editions de Parfums. From dabbler.ca via YouTube.
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Great clip! I'm wondering where he did the interview from? Since it was dabbler.ca, was that a Holt Renfrew store?
Having read “The Perfect Scent” (I'm starting to sound like a broken record with this), I completely agree with Malle's disdain for all the mass-market celebrity scents that are meant to be a one-size-fits-all proposition, rather than something unique and creative. I've always admired how much exposure he gives the perfumers since they are artists and deserving of the accolades for their unique creations.
Mainstream culture is nothing more than a marketing juggernaut, and I really admire Malle for fostering beauty and creativity in an extremely generic environment.
Interesting interview, thanks for posting it!
Every time I see or hear something about the Malle's being kept in refrigerators it makes me somehow nervous and I catch myself thinking about purchasing a tiny extra fridge for my fragrances…
Guessing it must be HR, but I don't know.
Agree with all you said, and I simply adore the FM line. But — my little morning rant for today — why “beauty and creativity” only for the ultra-rich? How many people can afford a bottle of Carnal Flower? What the world needs is a new niche line asking famous perfumers to make the best possible fragrance that can be sold for $50 or less. *end of rant*
I know, I know! And those hot lights at Sephora make me nervous…
I agree with your rant, and I think the problem here is more of a societal commentary than we realize. Think of all the fashion designers who have gone “downscale” recently: Isaac Mizrahi, Cythia Rowley, et al for Target. And the celebrities who've launched “affordable” clothing lines ie. Sarah Jessica Parker's. The problem here is that there really is no happy medium between upscale and downscale. It seems we're either shopping at Wal Mart or Neiman Marcus with little or no interest in the middle ground. Is this another example of the imminent extinction of the middle class? I'm referring to the US, of course.
Interesting point, Nava. The problem is mass distribution, on both ends of the scale. To have affordable and interesting together, I think, we must content ourselves with the local and idiosyncratic, but then it is so difficult for the local to compete with the mass market. A good thing to think about and dream on…
Fascinating!
I agree that he has (some of) the best perfumers in the world working with him, but when he says that, am I the only one who hears Ana Gasteyer as Celine Dion … “I am the best szzinger in de WORLD!”
LOL!
I actually did buy a small fridge for my Malles (along with my MPGs and AGs, which I hear are quite fragile and go off quickly). I put my favorite scented lotions in there too. Unfortunately I need a full-size one and don't have room!
LOVED the diagram, from fresh and transparent to dense and warm on the north-south axis, sweet to dry on the west-east axis, and all the fragrances in the FM line plotted within. It's just a marvelous way to “see” and categorize and appreciate fragrances in general. WOW!! Perhaps I'm the only one who hasn't seen such a chart and it is, in fact, a commonly-used reference, so excuse me if I sound uninformed. (I am!!)
I love Frederic Malle's concept and his perfumers' creations. The more experienced I get, the more I see how really brilliant they are.
I am pretty sure this interview was held at Barneys Newyork.
The place looks exactly the same as the BN here in Dallas with the red smelling booth and everything. Now I think about it, this could be the Dallas Barneys Newyork! Who knows…
I met Malle in person when he visited Dallas BN to talk about his line.He was very sweet and kind.
He even chose a fragrance for me and my friend after talking to us about 30 minutes.
What did he chose?
I could use a perfume fridge myself! No space, unfortunately.
FM is the only line I know of with a diagram like that, and it is probably more helpful than the standard “fragrance families”.
It could easily be Barneys in NY — it looks the same. I just don't know how much the other Barneys counters look just like that.
I just use the kitchen fridge. Unfortunately, that means I have no room for anything else except a bottle of hot sauce!!
I'm going to keep my own little mental chart in mind from now on whenever I sample a new fragrance. It's funny; now that I think about it and look at this one, I see my own favourites all over the place — some comfortably in the middle of the fresh/ transparent and dry quadrant (Prada Infusion d'Hiris, anyone?) and some way over to the sweet and warm/dense side of things (Organza Indecence, perhaps?). This will be a source of fascination and enlightenment for some time, I can just tell. Thanks, Robin, for finding this for us!
P.S. I am positive that Fred was doing his thing at the Vancouver Holt Renfrew store. The set-up is identical: too precisely-like to be anywhere else.
First he asked us what kind of perfumes we wear and adore…
and he picked the Lys Méditerranée for my friend K and
Musc Ravageur for me. =)
I heard they are only a few of those red booths in the US.
I am pretty sure that Robin is right about the location as I was there too the day that Frederic came to town. (I have the Dabbler business card from the videographers.) He is a knowledgeable man with great connections in the world of perfumerie. His concept is original and he can't understand why no one has thought of it before. The resulting perfumes are very very good, I just wish the bottles were more interesting. I suppose one could decant them into something more girly, and if they were in individually designed bottles, it would just drive up the price.
Ok, this is my dream to have one. In fact, when I have insomnia, instead of counting sheep, I count the 100 fragrances that would fill the small perfume cabinet, refridgerated (sp?), of course! This does not cure insomnia, warning! It makes one get up, turn on the computer and research NOSES on your blog, or makes me write on one of mine. I have since gone back to counting sheep.
Just as an aside, I have been talking to someone from Malle in Paris as I am out of Musc Ravageur and I am quite insane about this, and the nice woman invited me to say hello to Maurice Roucel when I am in New York. Now is this heaven or what?
Now I really have to go count boring sheep!
ROFL, he might be the King of the World, though. In some sick way, I don't mind his ego
I guess because I am a fragrance nutjob!