Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Hanami

Perfume In A Poem, March 2008: 15 perfumers were invited by Memory & Desire blog editor Heather Ettlinger to interpret one poem. Hanami is my contribution to the project. And although it refers to the Japanese tradition of flower viewing, it is really about the contrast of the botanical and the urbane; between real life and still-life.

Some of out most accurate feelings can be defined by tactile everyday details: Hot pavement in humid New York City; The liberating sense of anonymity in Montreal’s dusty Metro; The surprising blooming cherry boulevard above Burrard SkyTrain station, washed out by the Vancouver rain; Almond blossoms wasted in the dusty desert wind like wilted butterfly wings.

I wanted this perfume to be subtle and urban, floral but also dusty-dirty. The kind of dirt you wash from your hair after commuting back from work in the Metro, your clothes and skin contaminated with the lives of strangers and passers by. And for a moment you give away a part of yourself just so that you can return back home…

I want this perfume to randomly create an ever-changing, estranged impression on the beings that weave in and out of its presence… And the notes I chose to spell this emotional haiku are:

Top notes: Cabreuva, Frangipani, Mimosa, Rosewood

Heart notes: Pink Lotus, Magnolia, Tuberose, Violet Leaf, Oleander

Base notes: Haitian Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Cassie, Siamwood, Vanilla CO2, Copaiba Balsam, Bakul Attar

Hanami is now available online, just in time for the Hanami season which spans from end of March to beginning of April (varying with location and weather). Cherry blossom are hesitatingly opening up to the doubtful spring air in Vancouver, while in Japan they are at the peak.

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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

In A Station of the Metro


Sparrows' acts, originally uploaded by tearoom.

Visit Memory and Desire to read my olfactory interpretation of "In A Station of the Metro" - a poem by Ezra Pound.

Readers who comment on this blog entry or all other Memory and Desire posts related to the Perfume Inside a Poem project will enter to win an extravagant sample package of rare perfumes from all the 14 perfumers who participated in the project, including a few perfumes that were inspired by the poem.

If you comment on this post on Smellyblog, you will be entered to win 1 of 3 samples only available of my own olfactory interpretation of "In A Station of the Metro" - the first draft, that is... Simply add a comment below and as long as it's related to the poem or the project, you will be included in a draw which we will hold here as well on March 31st.

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Sunday, March 16, 2008

Perfume Inside a Poem on Memory and Desire

Heather Ettlinger of Memory and Desire has initiated a unique project titled Perfume Inside a Poem, reqcruiting 14 independent perfumers to the challenge of distilling a perfume out of a very short and very beautiful poem by Ezra Pound. Yours truly is one of the fortunate perfumers to be invited to this inspiring and exciting project.
Each perfumer's response will be published on Memory and Desire in alphabetical order:

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