Elements
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Examiner |
Elements Showcase highlights the state of perfume today
View the original article and images at Examiner.
Six Scents marketing director Rocky Li skillfully fashioned a panel of well-respected creatives and experts to speak on how interdisciplinary collaborations with independent perfumers has sparked growth, and drawn positive attention to the niche fragrance industry. Led by moderator Levi Pharaoh, the panel included notables such as Chandler Burr, the Curator of Olfactory at the Museum of Art and Design, and Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Senior Perfumer at Givaudan, as well as Intertrade CEO Celso Fadelli, Artist Rainer Judd, and Lookbooks Management’s Erica Taylor.
“We have been working with the founders of Elements since last year, so when they approached us [this time] and said, “What would you like to do this year?” [I came] up with the idea of doing this forum because it’s really great to hear about what people across different industries have to say about the state of perfume right now,” Li explained.
Panelists and audience members bounced questions and answers back and forth, covering topics that ranged from discussing examples of creative collaborations that they’d like to see come to life, to the development of venues solely for the purpose of experiencing scent. The forum served well to kick start Elements Showcase, setting the tone for the show, and facilitating the main thread of conversation through out the convention floor.
This time around, the showcase was full of familiar faces, as well as some new additions. Old favorites Joya, Ursa Major, Portland General Store, and Cire Trudon, sat side by side with convention newcomers, 21 Drops– a gorgeously designed aromatherapy line, and Le Palais des Thes– a tea company with richly storied blends and delicious packaging. Other new brands on the floor to note: Arquiste, an inspired line built by architect Carlos Huber, and ToykoMilk Dark a new creation by prolific perfumer and designer Margot Elena.
Elements expanded its reach a little further with the addition of color lines—two particularly lovely lines: the eco-conscious Terre d’Oc, and the luxurious ByTerry. Visitors to the ByTerry booth had the opportunity to try on makeup via makeover by one of their national artists.
Interactive displays stole the show, once again, thanks to artist Andrea Maack, and classic perfumer Caron. Visitors to Maack’s mural installation gracing the far wall of the first floor could take away a piece of their choice. Each signed and numbered blotter was misted by the artist herself with one of six fragrances of the choosers choosing. In the elevator bay, male attendees moving between the convention floors could stop at a Caron sponsored barbershop for an extra fragrant expert shave by Garrett from Martial Vivot, an upscale midtown men’s salon.
Please see the slideshow for photos, and watch the video for a discussion on scent with Elements exhibitor Yosh Han, the creator of Yosh fragrances. Bookmark Examiner Alice An’s YouTube Musings of A Candifiend for more coverage of Elements Showcase and other industry news.
A fragrant exhibition at The Elements Showcase!
View original article at Examiner.com
January 30th, 2011 9:23 pm ET
David Ecker
Newark Fragrance Examiner
I’ve been attending various fragrance events in the city for a few years. Today’s event at the Elements at 500 West 36th Street in New York City was one of the best! This is a two day event that started on January 30st, 2011 at 12 noon and ends on January 31st at 7pm.
I have discovered fragrance lines like Keiko Mecheri and Santa Maria Novella in the past but never in their entirety. Here at the Elements, a fragrance exhibition event that showcases the artistry of fragrances, these companies painted new pictures for me to enjoy.
One the Keiko creations that ignited my passion was Les Nuits D’Izu from the Les Hesperides Line. I enjoyed the citrus qualities of this scent and how the jasmine note was skillfully blended in the background. I really like the incorporation of the Yuzu and the rose. Keiko’s scents are available at luckyscent.com.
I always thought that Santa Maria Novella was a fragrance company that reveled in the simplicity of its scents. I used to think that simple was bland but today I learned differently. Today I experienced Cuba, Pomegranate, and Tobacco Toscana and these experiences created a greater desire to learn more.
Eau D’Italie is a small company that is owned by italian hotel owners. I was mesmorized by their Magnolia fragrance, Magnolin Romana. I had smelled Aqua De Parma Magnolia Nobile and I felt that Magnolia Romana to be somewhat less floral and more unisex than the more feminine Magnolia Nobile. Being a guy, this was the first Magnolia that I wanted to wear.
I discovered a new scent by the Pink Room called Darkly Audacious. I love the incorporation of patchouli and tonka bean in this fragrance and I chose to wear this during the event. This fragrance is available at Min New York and is a great choice for men and women alike.
It is really interesting when a perfumer creates an impression of something we are familiar with in sight but not in smell. I’ve never thought how one could provide the impression of snow and rock. Lorenzo Villoresi gave me these smells in his new fragrance Iperborea. Who knew rock and snow could smell so good. Lorenzo’s idea of rock and snow may be different than mine because I never realized the olfactory value these gifts from earth had. Iperborea is available at Lafco NYC.
I smelled many fig fragrances. My favorites were Fig Amere from Miller Harris and Dune Pour Homme from Christian Dior. Today, Royal Apothic gave me a new dimension for fig and it’s not a Fig Newton. My friend Dave was quick to point this scent out to me. The new fragrance, Imperial Fig delivers the best from the earth with a fruity and woody essence.
Elements wasn’t just about personal fragrance. It was about skin care and aromatherapy as well. I had the pleasure of experiencing Susanne Kaufmann’s St John’s Wort Bath with it’s unique scent and I fell in love. If I thought I smelled most of the niche fragrance candles out there, I was deeply mistaken.There were new doors opened for me with Joya Parfums. Looking for a shaving cream? Try Ursa Major’s Stellar Shaving Cream to add some ginger and vetiver to the shaving experience.
I was so happy to be at the Elements today. The website is www.elements-showcase.com.
Indie fragrance and beauty gets a forum at Elements Showcase
View original article at Examiner
View slideshow of Elements Images at Examiner
Alice An, NY Makeup Examiner
August 19, 2011
August 16, 2011— A cloud of pretty scents hovered around the entrance of Skylight West, in New York City. Inside, a throng of stylish people chattered cheerfully as they waited. A hush fell over the crowd as Jane Larkworthy, the beauty editor of W Magazine took the moderator’s seat.
Day two of the Elements Showcase began with a well-attended panel of fragrance industry veterans. Led by Larkworthy, Patricia Choux from Takasago, Anthropologie beauty buyer Melissa Green, designer Douglas Hannant, Ruth Sutcliffe, senior marketing director and fragrance designer at Coty, and Bea von Thurn und Taxis of Susanne Kaufmann, all took turns giving their thoughts on the driving forces of fragrance design.
While the statements made on the panel were far from groundbreaking, one key fact was evident: the room was filled with great passion and true love for the creation of scents. The energy was best encapsulated by Larkworthy, who remarked, “With the passion that people have for fragrance here, in a few years this (event) is going to trump the New York Boat Show.”
Following the panel, showcase attendees filtered casually through the beautifully designed exhibition spaces. A unique concept with regards to tradeshows, Elements founders Fredrick Bouchardy , Jeff Lawson and Ulrich Lang collaborated with Reddymade Design to create the space, which was closer to the look and feel of a well-curated art gallery than a tradeshow floor.Seasoned industry regulars C.O. Bigelow and Bond No. 9 NYC shared the floor with young brands such as Evolution Man by Marco Berardini and Tay Clean & Pure skincare by Sarah Tay. Other notable companies in attendance included Woodley & Bunny from Brooklyn, French perfumer Atelier Cologne and New York-based Odin.
In addition to the exhibitors, Elements also featured three special art installations. The first, located in a beautiful freight elevator on the 6th floor, was a scent tour of life by avant-garde brand Six Scents. Six Scents based its creation off of the inspiration and conceptualization process for the fragrance they developed with Paris-based fashion designer Rad Hourani. The second was a series of scent-inspired sculptures by the students of FIT, featuring furniture pieces by Boston-based Artists for Humanity. And the last, tucked away by the main elevator bank, was “Pillows,” a combination of video, scent delivered via candle, and pillows from IKEA, by New York artist Gogy Esparza.
The candles for “Pillows,” designed in conjunction with Bouchardy specially for the Elements installation, were such a hit with showcase attendees that Esparza hinted that he might make them available at his East Village barber shop Blind Barber. A number of attendees were spotted napping amongst “Pillows” and chatting with Esparza throughout the day.