Perfume from England - here with the fragrant British
Meaning and sensuality: We suspect that in Puritan Britain at most between the covers of a Jane Austen novel. This irresistible combination is actually transformed perfectly into perfumes. From modern fragrance trendsetters such as Miller Harris, Clive Christian and Jo Malone, to the natural-setting label The Body Shop, by designers such as Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, lifestyle labels such as Bench and Kate Moss. Or or...
In the best tradition
However, special attention is currently attracting the wonderful old brands such as Atkinson, Bronnley, Penhaligon's and Floris, which has been around since 1730. In addition to Santa Maria Novella in Florence and Johann Maria Farina in Cologne, Floris is one of the oldest perfume manufacturers in the world and still has its headquarters at 31 Jermyn Street in London. Since the opening in the time of King George II, nothing has changed in the antique interior of the dark paneled perfumery, apart from the dusting. Dust has the brand but not on the shelves or the image ago. On the contrary: The house designed the unisex scent "Palm Springs for Spencer Hart" this year for the trendy British fashion designer Nick Hart. The designer from London's famous tailor's lane, Savile Row, does not just tailor stars like Robbie Williams or "Sherlock" hero Benedict Cumberbatch, but also actresses like Kate Bosworth. He wanted a mixture that carries jazz, and Floris provided the fragrance with aromas of bergamot, cloves, ylang-ylang, patchouli and vanilla. "It's great to see how the old-established perfume brands stay young and up to date without bending," says Philipp Sahling, Managing Director of Albrecht & Dill Cosmetics in Hamburg. Under his own name, he also manages a small, fine perfume chain that specializes entirely in niche scents.
Royal rarities
There, Sahling leads Floris next to a second Brit classic: Penhaligon's. The London institution, founded in the late 1860s by the barber William Penhaligon, has always supplied the British royal family. Whether it speaks for the London hipness that Prince Charles is a regular customer? But despite all the tradition, the brand "got the curve", as Sahling says, "she approaches young customers with modern compositions". In the enchanting bottle war - all bottles have the same shape, only the ribbon around the neck changes theme-related in color, size and design - "Tralala" is the newcomer. In collaboration with the playful British fashion designer Duo Meadham Kirchhoff, perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has created a mix of iris, tuberose, green violet notes and a trace of whiskey that smells as cheerful as its name. The new fascinating compositions by Atkinson, which already existed since 1799 as a "bear" brand among the perfumes, also fit in the center of life. A double Petz is still emblazoned on its label today - a tribute to the bear-smelling ointment that smells of roses, with which company founder James Atkinson once made the first good deals. A bit eccentric, but unmistakable. And typically English. Just like the trio of the "Contemporary Collection", three avant-garde perfumes with the beautiful names "Rose in Wonderland", "Lavender on the Rocks" and "Posh on the Green" - each a smart mix to be posh in the open (just posh on the green) or in the city.
English fragrances - very britain!
Also read
English fragrances - very British!The designer fragrances
But not only the long-established, but also the new brands are booming - especially designer and lifestyle brands are benefiting from the increasing "Made in Britain" popularity. Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, for instance, is as unconventional about her fragrance creations as she is about her collections. Her first perfume "Boudoir", released in 1998, is still blooming with the full bouquet of roses and radiates more pleasure than land. Jimmy Choos "Flash" comes with tuberose and jasmine similarly flowery, and designer John Galliano contributes with "Parlez-moi d'Amour" a fruity jasmine rose variant to the trendy gardening theme. The sales of these brands are increasing, some even in the double-digit range, which has become rare in the perfumery. And the trend, the experts agree, will continue. In view of the concentrated British perfume offensive, the French are sensing serious competition. Rightly so. What do the English have, what they do not have?
British understatement
"Rose in Wonderland" by Atkinsons, Eau de Parfum, 100 ml about 130 euros
© Jan Rickers"Classic, timeless elegance" is, according to Philipp Sahling, a typical feature of these fragrances.Or, as Oscar Wilde put it in a nutshell: "Perfumes may smell, but never become intrusive." The fine English style is drawn perfectly by the local perfume brands on bottles. "These fragrances are just polite," says Thomas Schnitzler, managing director of the Nobilis Group in Wiesbaden, which has specialized in perfume brands with style for more than 20 years. In addition to Atkinson and the exclusive, high-priced collection of the London designer Clive Christian, the company has some exciting newer British labels in the program. For example, the line "Miller Harris", built 14 years ago by perfumer Lyn Harris. Trained at the prestigious Paris perfumer school, Lyn draws inspiration from seasons and natural events, which she translates into fragrance versions.
In "La Pluie", rain, for example, she captured the warm, but cooled air after a tropical shower. Brand new in the Nobilis program is the series "Illuminum". She has been composed by the London perfumer and hairstylist Michael Boadi. For the brand, which is only three years old, he focuses on unusual and very expressive small rows of fragrances that focus on flowers, for example, or oud, an oil derived from the agarwood tree. The mix in the scents of the island is just right. Brands are aware of the tradition their country has in this area, and at the same time they understand a lot of trends. Because they are all based in London, and since the Swinging Sixties the metropolis has been considered the hub of the fashion and music scene. There is hardly a designer worldwide who does not regularly travel to the Thames to be inspired. The city vibrates - also because here the influences from the former colonies mix to a colorful mix, which in all its patchwork facets ladybzw. Gentlemanlike is tolerated.
The fragrance of the metropolis
For perfumers, this city is an ideal location. Here they breathe old and new in the same breath. And that is the outcome of the most beautiful creations. Jo Malone was one of the first among the "new British". The London beautician launched her own fragrance line in 1994 and quickly conquered perfume fans around the world with her delicate creations. So fast that she soon sold her business to the American group Estée Lauder, which took over international marketing. As Creative Director, she continued to lead the brand for years to come and shaped her in a sustainable way. With understatement, it is now also managed. "We maintain the British image very much," says Stephanie Amberg, product manager of Jo Malone in Germany. Therefore, the brand asks loyal customers for tea at the perfumery counter. And with a cup of Earl Gray, the newest mix is so good.
