December 2024
Fragrance lately
A fragrant lookback on 2024
This year’s impressions:
Molecule 01 + Patchouli by Escentric Molecules - nose: Geza Schoen - light yet warm and earthy
La Fille de Berlin by Serge Lutens - nose: Christopher Sheldrake - a sanguine rose
Liquid Amber by Maya Njie - nose: Maya Njie - a velvety hay meadow
Xi’An by Ormonde Jayne - nose: Celine Ripert - a soft spice, airy, soapy and dry rhubarb
Bois D’Ascèse by Naomi Goodsir - nose: Julien Rasquinet - the warm yet cold, incens-y inside of a church on a snowy, lantern-lit evening
Figueres by FUMParFUM - nose: Aistis Mickevičius - green, freshly cut fennel, tomato, grapefruit
Ervas by ODUR - nose: Giovanni Sammarco - synthetic lemon, bergamot, vague foresty musk, harmonious soap, Savon de Marseille
Star Seren by Wales Perfumery - nose: Louise Smith - metallic forest, damp hay, barley, warm sand, and starry night
724 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian - nose: Francis Kurkdjian - lime zest opening, light green apple, bar soap, light talc powder, warm musk, heavy flour and rich oily texture
Montabaco Intensivo by Ormonde Jayne - nose: Geza Schoen - warm candle wax opening, pepper, soap, damp dried tobacco leaves, light yet sweet and deep, oily orange, soft leather, cold and wet yet comforting and homely tea leaves
Cashmere Noir by Angela Flanders - nose: Angela Flanders - light, iris powder veil, warming dark spice, peppercorn, light-coloured, watery rum, paper, deep vanilla
A few of December’s highlights in short form:
Carla Seipp on what it takes for a fragrance brand to become the next major acquisition target
Unilever invests €100m to establish a digital-first fragrance house, bringing perfume creation and design capabilities in-house to accelerate growth and increase productivity
Interparfums SA, the French subsidiary of New York-based Interparfums Inc, acquires all rights to Virgil Abloh’s Off-White brand
Coty to license, develop, produce and distribute fragrances for Swarovski
Scottish perfume brand Jorum Studio receives investment from premium goods group Chanrossa, owned by entrepreneur Bill Dobbie and family
Zara launches three hair fragrances developed in collaboration with hairstylist Guido Palau and perfumer Jérôme Epinette
Upcoming fragrance events:
Paris, 20-23rd March 2025: Nez’s second Paris Perfume Week (and last year’s highlights)
London, 8th May 2025: The Fragrance Foundation UK Awards 2025
My fragrance of the day: Iris Nazarena by Aedes de Venustas - nose: Ralf Schwieger - slightly sweet lipstick, pepper, rum, Savon de Marseille, light grey clay, ash, moist earth, dry wood
Volksbühne, Berlin, October 2024
- Flo - see you in 2025!