Coming next month from Giorgio Armani, the Onde trio for women: three fragrances inspired by the East, under the tag line "a trilogy of scents; an empire of the senses".
Onde Mystère (purple bottle, shown above at left) ~ evoking the Middle East and the beauties of the harems, with amber, benzoin, incense, Morrocan rose, spices, musk and vanilla.
Onde Vertige (pink bottle, above center) ~ inspired by the Kama Sutra and evoking the India of palaces and temples, featuring frangipani, jasmine, pittosporum and patchouli.
Onde Extase (green bottle, above at right) ~ inspired by the art of the geisha in Japan, with cedar, mimosa, jasmine, narcissus, bergamot and sesame absolute.
The Giorgio Armani Onde trio will be available in 50 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum. (via sfilate.it) Update: Mystère is a "musky oriental"; Vertige is a "floral oriental" and additional notes include black licorice; Extase is a "woody oriental" and additional notes include pink pepper. (via moodiereport) Another update: Onde Mystère was developed by perfumer Maurice Roucel; Onde Vertige by perfumers Jacques Cavallier and Azniv Buzantian; Onde Extase by Bruno Jovanovic. (via wwd)
Other recent releases from Giorgio Armani: Emporio Armani Diamonds For Men, Emporio Armani Diamonds Intense.
R, this looks like a nice release – I've already earmarked the purple and green as “must try.” I wonder what sesame absolute adds? Hmmm.
Any idea on venue/prices for these?
There are a surprising (to me, anyway) number of scents w/ sesame — try a search (google box at right).
They're listed at 80 euros for the 50 ml, but no idea what the US price will be, or where (if!) it will be sold here.
Wow those bottles are droolworthy.
The compositions sound intriguing, and the bottles are gorgeous. I just wish that we would stop seeing so many empire / geisha / harem themes. I like an element of fantasy with my perfumes, of course, but these are complicated historical / sexual issues.
Every moment in history has good elements even in bad times – if we wiped out taking the good/beautiful/hopeful parts then we wouldn't have any inspiration to draw upon, which would be the real shame. I like to think I'm learned and mature enough to understand the history behind the fantasy. Unfortunately the determination of some to PC and sanitize how we view and speak of the world will bring about more ruin than the natural progression of history, good and bad.
Absolutely. I want all three. They'd look best that way
These all look so interesting, even if the “orientalism trio” motif is a little played out, IMO. Some part of me wishes perfumers would stop trying to reinvent the “harem/Kama Sutra/geisha” thing, cause there really is a limit to how creative those themes can be. (Can we have one with a feminist flavor, denouncing the sexual exploitation implied in the perfumes' themes? What would THAT smell like?) I doubt these perfumes will be amazing or transcendent because… well, they've been done before.
Still looking forward to sniffing, though I don't expect anything new. And the bottles are lovely.
I can see both sides, but also agree w/ the comment below — this is just plain “played” out, and given the global nature of the world today, the whole idea of the “exoticism” of the East just doesn't fly so well as it used to.
But do agree with your point about PC/sanitization.
I don't expect anything to smell amazing or transcendent anymore — don't see how perfumers even have time to come up with such a thing at this pace. But those bottles!
J, It is amazing how many “harem” perfumes we've seen in the past couple years, especially.
How about lignin, ink (for a paycheck), grass, and sun-baked clay court (Billie Jean King) melded with a dry chypre like Sous le Vent (for Josephine Baker) done by perfumer Daphne Bugey.
I think the themes of orientalism are so insistent in perfumery because the Middle East (and to some extent India and China) is the real birthplace of perfume–translated, as it were, into French. Its a huge topic, but I gave it a brief go in an essay for Perfume Smellin' Things (“Oriental Dreams”). Be curious to see what you think.
Sorry–should have included Japan, too. Really, the whole silk/spice/incense trade route…
Lol am I the only one that hates the bottles?:)
It's so interesting to me how the themes of “orientalism” continue to resonate. Is it meaningful that we continue to invoke a mythic “east” that was the construct of Europeans? Or is a harmless fantasy? Are we perpetuating a toxic notion of women as bound in a form of sexual servitude (the harem and geisha)? Or is it a benign?
I'd love a link to that essay if you can find it. It's such an interesting topic that never fails to prick up my ears.
Nope. From the photo, they look like decorative salt and pepper shakers!
You know, to me it's mostly harmless because most people don't think of sexual servitude when they think of harems & geishas, even if in all truth, that's exactly what they represent. But it all depends on your outlook. I mean, it would be an interesting experiment to walk around and ask people what's the first thing that comes to mind when I say harem? And geisha? For me, if I answer quickly without thinking I'd probably say kohl, and pretty fabric, respectively, and let's face it, most people don't think much past that when they look at perfume advertising. As well they shouldn't — if you examine it in more depth, it's all horrendous. Even the men's.
LOL! You're both crazy
I am very much looking forward to trying these, although I'm betting the fragrances aren't as interesting as this conversation. If we start commenting on fragrances with offensive imagery, I don't know where we will stop! I'd give me a chance to type in some of that I'm-a-naughty-girl blather from Guerlain for the elixirs, though. Rowwwrrrr.
I think you're absolutely right, Robin, but I'd argue that part of what makes those kohl-rimmed eyes and pretty fabrics so memorable and compelling is the half-forgotten histories that charge them up with sexiness… I don't think its possible to have politically correct fantasies, so I don't get too exercised over the whole thing, but I do think its worth thinking about when its so very, very persistent… And of course the ongoing war(s) cast make thinking about these things more urgent for me, personally…
My pleasure: http://tiny.cc/LPT7s
That blather from Guerlain is still the best I've ever seen. Just awesome.
Oh of course you're right about “half-forgotten histories”.
Hi Robin. You all are speaking fluent perfumista. I'm not so fluent. I've been reading, blogging, and learning for over a year now. I can't find a signature. How do you choose who to pick for the Monday find this desperado a fragrance? I noticed there is no way to directly ask you(?) Sorry to post here.
joy,
Becca
You can find my email address on the “About” page from the top menu
Reposted for Vanessa:
On September 12, 2008 vanessa said:
Purple and green look good to me, on every level. Love the tassels!
On September 12, 2008 NowSmellThis said:
I like all 3 colors
The pink bottle also looks fab, and I agree that from a dressing table point of view it would make sense to have the full set(!), I just wondered if the pink scent might be a bit of an indole-fest. Like the direction they are going in though…especially if these are more affordable than the Prive line.
It looks like they'll be cheaper than the AP line — 80 euros would come out to something like $115? Of course, that's for 50 ml and IIRC, all the APs are in 100 ml — so these might not be cheaper per ml (not sure because I can't remember the current price of the APs), just that you don't have to cough up so much to get your hands on one.
$115 sounds about right – I am all for small unit sizes as I have said somewhere of the Chanel Exclusifs. With my 8 years' worth of stock I should always buy 50ml and under, if I have to at all!
LOL — and I should buy no more than 5 ml
I think it's sort of funny because my immediate responses would have mentioned the 'sexual servitude' aspect of harems and geishas (forgive me for stealing the phrase, I'm not caffeinated yet!) and reading the descriptions for the perfumes that mentioned harems and geishas actually turned me off on the product, instead of made me think “ooo exotic and pre-tty!”
Despite the whole thematic appeal of the trio, the fragrances themselves aren’t particularly novel or exciting, and the bottles actually look quite cheap and plasticky in real life.
I liked Mystere the best; Vertige smelt like orange water to me, and Extase grew unbearably heady on me.
I still haven’t tried them…if something is exclusive to Saks, it might as well not exist so far as I am concerned
Actually the Onde de Vertige is quite nice. The top note is a lovely floral and dry down is a little herby woody but not powdery. I found the other two to be a little off.
Thanks!