Style In The City Home > Fashion > Past Issues Fashion > Issue #7 2003 Fashion > Perfumery - art and alchemy

Perfumery - art and alchemy

From Cleopatra to Chanel, the seduction of scent has a rich tradition. Style in the City brings you Melbourne's finest perfumeries, housing some of the world's most boutique fragrances. Katie Cincotta reports.

CHANEL No. 5, the Rolls Royce of fragrance, was the first designer perfume to inspire a culture of fragrance. But it was long before 1921’s release of the legendary floral that perfume was revered for its erotic and mystical appeal.

Legend has it that atop the famous Babylon tower priests ignited grasses and roots to fill the air with a magic fume, destined for God's kingdom.

On Napoleon's return from battle, Josephine had her servants infuse the walls with musk oil, believed to have inspired the phrase, "Not tonight Josephine."

By the Renaissance, perfume had earned a reputation in elite circles as a status symbol. Marie de Medici is said to have owned more than 300 pairs of perfumed gloves. But by the 18th century, scented glovemaking gave way to perfumery. And as with fashion, fragrance became a vehicle to declare the self.

Odette Snellen, owner of O Perfume & Product in Malvern, became interested in fragrance as a child growing up in Switzerland. Her glamorous Swiss aunts would collect sample fragrances for her, and by the time she was 10 she was familiar with names like Givenchy.

It is those rare and legendary European fragrances that line the delicate shelves of O.

"The problem with mass market perfumes is they follow the same trend. When Issey Miyake brought out L'eau (water) everybody brought out ocean water. And how sick of ocean fragrance were we at the end of the '90s? Then it was green tea... and now everyone is following Gucci Rush - spicy orientals like Kingdom by Alexander McQueen and Costume National," said Snellen.

At O you'll find history and pop culture beyond the bottle. This is a shopping experience that carries across time and continent: Fleurissimo by Creed, an engagement present from Prince Ranier to Princess Grace; La Base from Geneva, a "masterpiece" (as Snellen describes it) of 100 natural essences developed by Swiss toxicologist, Magic Helvetia.

Exclusive lines like La Base are the essence of the newest boutique perfumery in Melbourne.

"Our customers are people who appreciate fragrance, not brands. These are people who want someone to ask what they're wearing," said O's store manager Sally McPhee.

They're also customers who appreciate pop culture. Around Oscar time, O ran a celebrity competition to see if clients could guess which fashion houses would dress the stars.

"As children of the new age, we all read the tabloids. People want conversation about that. Celebrity has replaced mythological creatures of ancient times," said Snellen.

Diane Spielvogel, of Paint'nPowder, believes that buying perfume is an intimate retail experience that should pay homage to perfume's rich tradition.

If you follow your nose across the classic black and white check floors of the Royal Arcade you'll arrive at the 35-year old perfumery. The catchcry, "If you can't find your favourite fragrance ask us" holds true for Paint'nPowder.

"We have a lot of things that aren't available anymore that are really special: things from Paris that our great grandmothers probably wore," said Spielvogel, who dabbled in perfumes at the age of five in her father's chemist.

She believes the French are still the finest perfumiers in the world.

"I think the French fragrances are more interesting than the American perfumes. A lot of young people don't like to see a fragrance changing, which is the true characteristic of a perfume. Most of the new perfumes smell the same on everybody, which is a real shame."

For someone who has built a business on the finest fragrances in the world, favourites are hard to identify. But there are some perfumes that are hard to forget. "L' Heure Bleue of Guerlain, the fragrances of Balenciaga and Carron. I love the classics," said Spielvogel.

While most boutique perfume retailers insist that personality is important in choosing fragrance, mood and memory are equally important.

"Selling perfume is one of the most involved psychological practices. You're dealing with your oldest sense," said Spielvogel, who takes more than a year to train her staff in the art of perfume selling.

"My philosophy is that perfume is either a memory or a dream. Perhaps what your grandmother or first boyfriend gave you. People come in looking for a dream."

Paint'n Powder, 13 Royal Arcade, Melbourne.

Tel: (03) 9654 5724O

Perfume & Product, 117 Wattletree Road, Malvern.

Tel: (03) 9509 7333