Victoria: 2669 posts

“With its clashing architecture and congested traffic, Milan is not a city that leaves everyone smitten, but those who know it appreciate its sobriety and style,” says WWD’s report on the new fragrance from Trussardi, an Italian fashion brand originating in Milan. Trussardi My Land is the Eau de Toilette for men. Created by Givaudan perfumer Alexandra Kosinki, this woody fougere includes notes of bergamot, green mandarin, lavender, calone, violet, cashmeran, vetiver, leather, and tonka beans.

“Milan is a city full of distinctive cultures, shopping streets, historical buildings and more importantly a passionate drive for fine cuisine. With Tomaso Trussardi, son of pioneer Nicola Trussardi behind the helm of the new campaign and commercial, this is one fragrance that the CEO takes pride personally in ensuring the essence of Trussardi and his city is captured within the perfume bottle itself.”

Trussardi My Land debuts at the end of September and will retail for USD $45, $59 and $79 respectively for 3 different sizes.

Via WWD and a quote from Cosmone

The airplane landed with a slight bump on the tarmac in Florence, and I stepped out into the Italian summer of swaying palm trees, blue skies, and soft, but naughty breeze that kept trying to lift my skirt. Belgium is only a few hours away from Italy, but culturally it might as well be on a different planet. The rainy Belgian autumn was behind me. I checked into my hotel, turned off my cell phone and went out to walk along the Arno. Perhaps, it’s a sign of my fragile emotional state over the past few months, but as I ate my pistachio gelato, I felt something close to absolute happiness.

The last time I visited Florence was almost 10 years ago, and while I have grown obviously older, she is still the same–voluptuous, ravishing, beautiful to the point of overwhelming. How could such simple things be so perfect, I kept wondering as I smelled the late summer roses blooming in profusion inside enclosed gardens or bit into the golden biscotti perfumed with anise and orange zest. A few days later I was back in Brussels, walking through the park and kicking tawny chestnuts with the tip of my boot. I missed the languid beauty of Italy. I may not have been able to infuse Brussels with the generous Italian sun, but I could conjure up Italian scents and tastes in my own home.

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Whenever I mention to a new acquaintance that I work in fragrance and we plunge into a discussion of perfume, most people remark that they never thought that scents could be so fascinating. We take our nose for granted. In various surveys asking people what sense they would most likely give up, most select their sense of smell. But it only takes a moment of reflection to realize how hard this loss would be. As many studies show, without the sense of smell, our food tastes bland, our libido suffers, our world loses color and even our memories becomes so much poorer. The message is simple: take care of your nose and use it to its full capacity.

Enjoying perfume is only one facet of being scent obsessed–cooking, gardening, and even something as simple as taking a walk in the park counts too. But perfume is such a great adventure. It cheers me up when I feel down. It makes me feel elegant. It indulges my fantasies and wanderlust. Exploring scents for their rich history and fascinating craftsmanship gives me as much satisfaction as art and music, and it is just as rewarding.

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Perfumer and Flavorist Magazine published an interesting overview of the autumn-winter  fragrance trends. Analyzed by  Seven Scent Ltd, a trend agency based in Manchester, United Kingdom), this biannual fine fragrance forecast looks at what might influence the launches a year ahead–the 2013/14 autumn-winter collections.

• “Tea accords: a move away from the classic or traditional green tea accords, towards a more unusual, sophisticated and rich fragrance
• Wood accords: the rich spice of oud is softened in a partnership with rose; a classic marriage of materials from middle eastern perfumery
• Leathers and suede: evoking a timeless elegance and quality in masculine scents
• Spices: such as cardamom, cumin and saffron inspired by the Middle East
• Amber: versatile and popular, it adds warmth and blends with oriental spices as well as soft musky notes
• Red berries: rich and dark notes will deliver an autumnal feel”

Nevertheless, it’s easy enough to find new perfumes that fit many of these categories: Tom Ford Jardin Noir series, Diptyque Volutes, Serge Lutens Une Voix Noire, Chanel Coco Noir, to name a few.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

What can one expect from a fragrance inspired by Billie Holiday’s gardenia, called Une Voix Noire (Black Voice) and created by the dream team of Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake? Heady, dark, convoluted, perhaps? Well, Une Voix Noire is none of these things. It has a surprising combination of softness and warmth. Its presence is generous, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s dramatic without being heady or dense. Une Voix Noire feels velvety the moment you put it on, and it gracefully moves from one stage to another. Frankly, if Lutens said that he was inspired by ballerina Maya Plisetskaya’s Black Swan, rather than by Lady Day, I would have believed him.

I admit that this Lutens wasn’t love at first inhale the way Bois de Violette or De Profundis have been for me.  I anticipated the heady, the dark and the bittersweet, and I missed them in this soft perfume.  Nevertheless, I’m glad that I went along for the ride, because Une Voix Noire forced me to take our courtship slowly and to fall in love with it one layer at a time.

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