You walk into a room, and you're like, “Something's different. I'm in a different dimension. It smells so good in here!” [And then you realize] “Oh, David Bowie's here.”
It smelled like if an ancient pine forest had a massive forest fire -- but like, a month ago. So you get the new growth of the grass and the moisture, but still there's an undercurrent of pain. But also of smoke, so kind of like marshmallows...? It's powerful.
— Will Butler of Arcade Fire, describing for the BBC what David Bowie, who died yesterday at the age of 69, smelled like. Quoted in Fumes in the News: What Does David Bowie Smell Like? at Katie Puckrik Smells. According to the UK's Mirror, his favorite scents were "Minotaure by Paloma Picasso and anything by Guerlain". When the Victoria and Albert Museum hosted the exhibit David Bowie Is in 2013, they reportedly piped Minotaure into the rooms. (You can find reviews of Minotaure at The Non-Blonde and Sorcery of Scent.)
Of course he would smell wonderful.
I was shocked when I read about his passing this morning. I had no idea he was battling cancer. Such a creative artist.
Thank you for posting this, Robin!
Tears welled up in my eyes as I learned the news this morning on my commute! Bowie has been an inspiration for the creative, the odd, and the outsiders for such a long time, and I’m sure I’m not the only weirdo out there who felt a kinship with this wonderful stranger!
Smokey pine forest sounds wonderful!
I too was shocked to hear of his passing this morning on the news.
What a blessing to him and his family, that he was able to spend the last few months in relative privacy….it seems no one knew he was as sick as he was.
What an incredible artist! Agree with others: It’s no surprise that he would smell divine….fragrance is art too, after all!
Thanks everyone for commenting…like many of you I had no idea he had cancer, so it really was a shock this morning.
Thank you so much for posting this Robin. I can’t get enough of Bowie today – I’m watching video after video of his brilliant music, and reading interviews and such. He was so unique and influential. Devastating news.
Such an Icon.I first learned of Bowie when I was a kid in the late 80’s;there was this movie Labyrinth he played in.I was fascinated by this odd character and subsequently found my older brother’s music collection containing much of his music!What a loss to music,and what a way to start 2016….Happy Week everyone!!xo
Oh, he was perfect as the goblin king in Labyrinth! Such heartbreaking news, and such a loss — I had no idea he was ill.
Ah, so sad today. He was such a unique artist.
Thank you for posting this! I sat down to look up this quote, and like magic, here it is. I remember reading it last year and thinking “whoa, that sounds perfectly Bowie.”
oh, he sure had good taste in perfume! may he rest in peace. it doesn’t happen often that I feel sad for an artist’s passing, but yesterday was such a day.