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Mnemosyne

Posted by Robin on 7 September 2009 19 Comments

A short film by Daphne Guinness and David Parker. Guinness, in collaboration with Comme des Garçons, has just launched her first fragrance, Daphne; the film "embodies her concept of scent" but is not meant to be a commercial (read more after the jump). Possibly NSFW.

Per Guinness:

In making this film I wanted to avoid any element of exclusivity. I believe that ideas are free. That in order to engage with an idea, you should share it. The prospect of strangers stumbling across my film online and perhaps passing it on, is gratifying. I'm not a commercial person.

It is the creative process that fascinates me.

This is not an advertisement for the perfume, it is a film inspired by the essence of scent."

(found via Vain Glorious | Daphne Guinness Smells the Tuberoses at New York Times)

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: comme des garcons, daphne guinness, video

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19 Comments

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  1. Daisy says:
    7 September 2009 at 11:46 am

    That was pretty darn cool. Quite dreamlike….I’d go and sample her fragrance simply because this is someone who deserves notice.

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    • Robin says:
      7 September 2009 at 1:24 pm

      Yes…I already wanted to smell it, but loved watching this.

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  2. Blimunda says:
    7 September 2009 at 12:37 pm

    I was literally just in the CdG store in London’s Dover St Market, and held the bottle to my nose for a sniff. Admittedly that is not a fail-safe way to judge any scent, but it wasn’t enough to make me feel like even spraying it on a tester strip, whereas most other CdG’s make me wanna do that! (Apart from the Champaca and Patchouli.)
    However, I did have a marvelous sniffing spree today, as many perfume shops were unexpectedly close ti each other. Old Bond St is a good area for testing! First, CdG, then Ormonde Woman in the neext street, then Chanel and Etro in the next street! (I sprayed myself all over in Messe de Minuit, and wish I had saved one wrist for Shaal Nur!! Nevermind…….next time! Coromondel was my fave from Chanel, with Bois des Isles a close 2nd!) THEN I was in Marylebone High St and stumbled upon Diptyque and L’Artisan stores!! Complete surprise. Walked out with Tam Dou sample, but alas L’Artisan were not as forthcoming. How FUN it all was!! Sorry, yes, I have completely strayed from the subject at hand! Daphne Guinness! I didn’t think it smelled too intriguing, but look forward to reading others’ opinions and seeing if I should try again…….

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    • Daisy says:
      7 September 2009 at 12:47 pm

      Wow! what an amazing day you had!!! Thank you for sharing that…and it reminded me how much I adore Messe de Minuit—must dig out my sample……. 🙂

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    • Robin says:
      7 September 2009 at 1:25 pm

      What a fun day, thanks for sharing! Did you buy anything?

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      • Blimunda says:
        7 September 2009 at 2:35 pm

        It was a fantastic day !! And YES! I bought the travel kit of Ta’if, and I am giving 20ml away as presents. Other than that, I reined myself in! I really am broke right now, as I recently quit my day job in order to focus on my art work. So I will be poor for a little while until things take off. I am limiting myself to trips such as the one i took today! Although, I did order Le Labo patchouli last week, as TPC was doing a special sale – it arrived today, and I sprayed it into the crook of my arm. It is wonderful, and I am so glad I lemming’d it. In fact, it is really complimenting the Messe de Minuit i doused myself in at Etro……..

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        • Robin says:
          7 September 2009 at 6:37 pm

          Lucky you on the Ta’if, and congrats for quitting your job: hope it all works out perfectly!

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  3. Flora says:
    7 September 2009 at 2:11 pm

    I love the film, and the list of notes is really interesting – but I can’t help wishing that there was was actual Daphne flower in the perfume. Oh, well, I can’t have everything!

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    • Robin says:
      7 September 2009 at 6:40 pm

      The notes do sound good, despite no daphne!

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  4. Tama says:
    7 September 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Fun and sensuous little film! I definitely want to try this – it sounds up my alley and this just kind of makes me want to try it more – like Daisy said.

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    • Robin says:
      7 September 2009 at 6:40 pm

      Yep 🙂

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  5. asuperlongusername says:
    7 September 2009 at 5:10 pm

    I really loved this film; the gauzy fabric twisting and floating away from her form was gorgeous. I must say, though, I busted out laughing when that tree branch just fell out (0:42). What a moment!

    I’m really curious to sniff this because it got a huge write-up in W a few issues back. Though they did the same with Vera Wang Look and we all know how that turned out. Actually, I looked forward to Look because Wang mentioned her mother wore several really wonderful vintage perfumes, including Joy. The power of a good writer indeed.

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    • Robin says:
      7 September 2009 at 6:41 pm

      Oh dear, if they loved Look, they aren’t a good guide, I shouldn’t think. I wonder how that one sold?

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      • asuperlongusername says:
        7 September 2009 at 9:17 pm

        It was more an article that Look was coming out and the inspirations behind it. Wang was like, “My mother had all of these wonderful fragrances and I used to steal them and play with them under the bed” or something. They didn’t even really talk about the smell, just a list of notes and Wang saying, “It smells clean.” The Look PR team probably paid a fortune for it, actually.

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        • Robin says:
          7 September 2009 at 10:45 pm

          Oh, well, then that’s better. Even if they did pay a fortune for it.

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  6. frangelicahsrh says:
    7 September 2009 at 10:49 pm

    Mnemosyne is one of the Muses in Greek mythology; her name meaning “Memory.” The video made perfect sense with the name of the video. It was like a dream, a memory and I really think it was very beautiful and enchanting. I hope I will say the same for the fragrance.

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    • Robin says:
      8 September 2009 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks!

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  7. annemarie says:
    8 September 2009 at 3:51 am

    Nice. Reminded me, tho’, of the T.S. Eliot line – ‘… for the roses / Had the look of flowers that are looked at’.

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    • Robin says:
      8 September 2009 at 12:14 pm

      I did not remember that line, thanks! For anyone else who wants to read the original:

      http://www.tristan.icom43.net/quartets/norton.html

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