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I am amazed by the growth of quality niche fragrances. The best niche perfumes come from inspiration and dedication to a vision that goes beyond the olfactive .

This week’s ‘New in Niche’ focuses on experience. First, experiences that are multi-sensory. Second, the experience of the perfumer- bringing to you both the first fragrance of a new brand and fragrances and brands that have many years of equity in the niche market.

As mentioned in the June 17th column, every fragrance featured here has been sniffed, spritzed, worn and tested on people’s skin, not just on white paper blotters. Why? Because that is when the magic happens… or when we discover what is simply mundane.

Féerie - Van Cleef & Arpels

The luxe French jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels debuted its classic fragrance, First, in 1976. The perfumer from Givaudan was a promising young man named Jean Claude Ellena. Fast forward thirty two years, (after quite a dryspell for a follow up to its runaway success) another young man Antoine Maisondieu, also from Givaudan creates a potential powerhouse for Van Cleef.

“F” may be the Company’s lucky letter. The new perfume is named Féerie and its pure enchantment. It’s a Floral/ Woody fragrant paradise; top notes of violet leaves are delicately blended with buds of blackcurrant, and sparkle with the addition of Italian mandarin. At the heart is opulent rose—Bulgarian rose and rose absolue, with a quiet touch of Egyptian jasmine. The drydown is the sophisticated accord of Iris Florentine butter and the primal unexpected woody accord of Haitian Vetiver.

As I look at my dressing table I see row after row of plain rectangular bottles, with unadorned labels. After all, it’s all about the juice. Yet, Féerie stands out, not because it happens to be a beautifully composed fragrance but because it’s also splendid eye candy. The bottle is a sphere of deep sapphire blue, richly faceted with a moon flower cabochon where a fairy is perched on a tall, slender branch of silver.

It’s been worth the wait. Well-done!

• Release Date: August 2008
• Price: $150 EDP/ 100ML
• Exclusively sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Van Cleef and Arpels Boutiques

Element of Attraction - Beth Terry Creative Universe

Something about summer creates within me an intense desire to wear any one of my four fragrances by Beth Terry, founder and perfumer for Creative Universe. One of the trail blazers for independently owned niche companies; she introduced Té, one of the the first fragrances to use green tea in 1995; today Té still has a huge following. She has no time table for releases or deadlines. She is inspired by materials and life events. Té was an ode to her Fashionista days, while Mare was created during a time in her personal life when she needed a respite. Her Seventh scent, Element of Attraction was inspired by a party she attended; the twinkling  of the garden lights, the sound of people laughing, and the smell of the evening’s air. This is Terry's first citrus rose scent---  and rose is the star--accompanied by accords of green mandarin and citrus. Bottom notes of vanilla, amber are very subtle. Its a quietly sexy fragrance and the olfactive equivalent of a beautifully cut summer sheath. While wearing EOA, I kept humming that song by Chris DeBurgh “Lady in Red.”

• Release Date: July 2008
• Price: $ 72 EDP/ 4.3 oz
• Available at www.luckyscent.com and Barney’s NY

Floral Solaire - Filles des Iles

Anne and Alexis Hardouin-Finez, (the couple who brought us the eccentric and memorable “Dinner by Bobo”) are the founders of Filles des Iles and recently introduced their fourth fragrance of St. Barth’s inspired tropical perfumes. Floral Solaire was created by parfumeur Céline Ellena. This year, she joins Anne Flipo (la nez behind the exquisite Iris Pallidia 2007 by L’Artisan Parfumeur) and Marian Fabre (who has a collaborated with the Interior Design firm Heeley). Ms. Ellena is the daughter of Jean Claude, and is currently the force behind The Different Company.

Floral Solaire is a tropical/ floral. Not my favorite category. I am not a fan of ‘fresh from the islands’ florals. The cedrat accord in this composition (where tiare and vanilla predominate) makes it more interesting. On my skin it’s not overly sweet, (a good thing) but the tiare really comes through, an accord which my friend D adores. D comments that Floral Solaire ” smells like a necklace of Polynesian flowers found on a beach at twilight “.

• Release Date: May 2008
• Price: $48/ 1.7 oz
• Available www.b-glowing.com and at Studio at Fred Segal

Persephone - Sali Oguri

From the bliss of a tropical isle to the descent into Hell, Persephone, Floral Oriental (Gourmand))
is based on the Greek myth of the daughter of Demeter and Zeus’s betrothal to her uncle Hades, the ruler of Hell. Persephone is created by Sali Oguri, (who released her first indie solo CD and cult ltd. edition perfume, Pink Manhattan: Sensorium of Song & Scent a few years ago) explores a darker, more emotional theme.

Oguri is a self taught perfumer and composes fragrances from notes of both naturals and synthetics, but Persephone is based mostly on pure natural Mysore sandalwood CO2, very rare oil (now regulated) of the finest quality. This batch of oil is simply legendary--honey like, balsamic, no hard edges, and just enough to create 32 bottles of fragrance. Top notes include hyacinth, lilac, pomegranate, and the heart is magnolia; all fruits and flowers of spring and summer, when according to the myth, the seasons when Persephone makes her annual return to be with her mother. But for six months, she must spend her life in the underworld with her ominous husband; reflected in the base notes ---this rare Mysore sandalwood CO2, amber, blackberry, dark chocolate.  Oguri shows once again, perfumers are born, not neccessarily 'bred'.


Although Sali is still working on her music for Unreleased Mix a.k.a. Persephone, she is making 32 bottles using the pure mysore sandalwood available for Basenotes readers only.

• Release Date: June 2008
• Price: $66/1/8 oz and $110/1/2 oz
• Available : www.salioguri.com
• (Email code BASENOTES with order through website)

Lakshmi - Ajne

Imagine what it would be like to be the muse of a talented perfumer --- Grace Kelly for Fleurissimo by Creed, Audrey Hepburn for L’interdit by Givenchy, Thérèse the wife of Edmond Roudnitska for Frederic Malle’s Le Parfum de Thérèse, and of course, Camille Goutal for Annick Goutal’s Petite Cherie.

Jane Hendler the perfumer and creator of Ajne, is an independent natural perfumer who lives in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Carmel, CA. She was inspired by a chance encounter with a fragrance editor at Bergdorf Goodman NY to create a rich oriental fragrance for someone she just met, Michelyn Camen. Yes, moi.

According to Jane, she created Lakshmi, (named after the Hindi goddess of prosperity and abundance) "you were my inspiration for Lakshmi, because you're a person passionate about perfume and not about price. As such, there was not a thought about the expense of the ingredients that went into its making. It was sheer delight for me as I pulled out all of my favorites with no regard to reaching a specific price point as I so often have to. The base accord is made of notes of Australian (sustainable) Sandalwood, African Cacao, East Indian Ambrette seed and Albanian Orris, the heart is of pure Bulgarian Rosa damascena with hints of Magnolia and Indian Lotus and the subtle top note accord is designed around blood orange”

“The oils of Lakshmi are reputed to elevate you to your highest self, open your heart, enhance creativity, invite a wellspring of prosperity and offer you a greater sense of grounding and security as you embrace life¹s journey,” she adds, “This is the fragrance I wear everyday, I love it!! “.

I was very active in collaborating with Jane on Lakshmi, but more in the manner a novice can play scales on the piano, but cannot compose a concerto. I could detect if a ‘note’ was off-key; another small sample was sent to me, until after six tweaks, we both agreed it was just right.

So this review doesn’t read totally like an endorsement, a well-known male owner of a perfume company told me it smelled like bikini wax (Hmmm, now how would he know?) and a well respected nose said there was too much cinnamon (no cinnamon was used), but I can only tell you that my friend M wore it and it smelled wonderful on her, mysterious and sexy with the ambrette seed accord shining. For me its all about the pure heirloom rose accord, which takes 60,000 petals to make one ounce of essential oil. Intuitively, I knew I found my scented self inside of a purple bottle adorned with gold filigree.

• Release Date: April 2008
• Price: $320- $500
• Available: www.ajne.com and at Bergdorf Goodman NY
  

Kiki - Vero Profumo

Vero Kern’s Kiki is one of the most striking and well crafted fragrances I have tested this year. The motivation behind Kiki was to create homage to Paris where this Zurich based perfumer learned how to make perfumes. She succeeded in creating a very naughty Lavender scent somehow reminiscent to the famous Lavender creations made by Guerlain like Jicky or Mouchoir de Monsieur. Kiki is styled and made in the tradition of the old classics (such as Guerlain, Caron, etc.) which means the compounds contain a high proportion of natural essences. The essential oils and absolutes dominate in relation to the synthetic essences. This brings a different radiation from most commercial fragrances. Kiki is a powdery musky lavender composition with fruity top notes of cassis and blackberry and base notes of caramel and a patchouli-opoponax accord.

Vero is an independent perfumer, trained by Monique Schlienger at Cinquième Sens in Paris (as was also Lyn Harris from Miller Harris). Monique Schlienger herself was trained by Jean Carles, considered by many to be one of the greatest perfumers of the last century (Shocking Schiaparelli, Tabu, Canoe...) and the nose and creator of three perfumes Onda, Kiki and Rubj. After five years of creation time, her three fragrances were launched this past year. I love how the offbeat metal label for the vero profumo flacon contrasts with the traditional shape of the flacons.

Kiki is a French Holly Go Lightly-- with great bones, a vintage bag and a penchant for the chicest places in town.

• Release Date: 2008
• Price: 7.5 ml /$145 UD or 105 EUR (Vero accepts Paypal!)
• Available: www.veroprofumo.com and will soon be released in limited distribution in the US.
  

L'Altra Follia di Aquarama - Riva

L'Altra Follia di Aquarama Eau de Parfum is a masculine-oriental created for Riva, a 150 year old Italian company known for the most luxurious yachts in the world.

"Riva is to boats what Aston Martin is to cars," says Robert Burke, a former fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman. "It has one of the richest and most exclusive histories of any name in Europe, but it's still a bit under the radar, especially in the United States." Not if you're an American movie star, however. George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon all palled around in Rivas while filming "Ocean's 12" on Lake Como in northern Italy; soon after, Clooney, who owns a villa there, placed an order for an updated version of the legendary Aquarama.

Innovative in their brand extensions, Riva teamed up with Veuve Cliquot to create the ultimate champagne accessory line designed for yachtsmen. And if you are land locked, you can check in to Riva Yacht Harbour Hotel located on the Dalmation coast of Croatia.

Now this luxury company introduces a line of fragrances. L'Altra Follia di Aquarama - Eau de Parfum was inspired by a Riva classic designed in the 60s, named the “Aquarama” and is a tribute to the motor yacht’s beauty and power (still regarded today as the most beautiful yacht that Riva ever built). Top notes are Tobacco leaves, basil leaves, and star anise. Heart notes of cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, rose pepper add some dash and base notes of Vetiver, cedar wood are aromatic.

• Release: June 2008
• Price: (100ml = 150,00€)
• Available: http://www.ausliebezumduft.de

Safi - Nyakio Kamoche Grieco

You may not have heard of her, but Nyakio Kamoche Grieco, who has a thriving bath and body brand created in 2002 (after deciding her to change her life‘s path in the aftermath of 9/11) based on the oils and ingredients of her African heritage, formulated her debut fragrance Safi with one of the most influential independent perfumers in niche, Sarah Horowitz-Thran, who created her first fragrance in the late 1980s. (Perfect Gardenia and Perfect Veil are still niche favorites) 

Safi is a fruity-floral perfume that manages to strike equipoise between the sweetness of the fruit accords and the lushness of white florals. The sparkle of the lychee and pineapple top notes open immediately and black currant emerges. Heart notes of the floral accords of stargazer and freesia bring balance to the composition, so neither the heart nor the top fight each other for attention. Base notes of muhuhu wood, bamboo, crisp papyrus, and vetiver are tributes to Nyakio's ancestry, and the  muhuhu wood is especially apparent in the drydown.

• Release Date: June 2008
• Price: $72/ 1.7 oz
• Available www.luckyscent.com

Find out what else is New in Niche in two weeks time when Michelyn returns with a new round-up. Contact us here, or contact Michelyn at the email below, if you would be interested in your product featuring in this column.

About the author

Michelyn Camen is a New York-based writer and is the former Editorial Director/Fragrance Editor for Beauty News NY and LA, as well as contributor to Access Magazine and a Senior contributor to Sniffapalooza magazine.

Camen is a multi award winning marketing executive and the Founder and President of BrandWidth Consulting Co., which specializes in brand development and positioning for niche and emerging brands. Email: fifthsensenyc@aol.com.

All articles by Michelyn Camen

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