elle magazine: 2 posts

Elle Belgium has an article about my work, writing and perfume–and ballet–in its November issue. Journalist Grete Simkuté visited me in my Brussels’ studio and home and the result is her article “Message in a Bottle,” p. 112-116.

Grete and I talked about why perfume was able to sway this political scientist to leave academia and join the lab. Fragrance is about things that smell good, but at its core, it’s also about science, fashion, art, and changing trends in society. It’s not a coincidence that some of the most interesting junctures in perfume history were accompanied by breakthrough developments in chemistry and experiments in art and couture.

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Elle Magazine recently published my article “How To Be Unforgettable” at Elle.com. In this piece, I explore what makes a fragrance memorable and why some perfumes receive more compliments than others. I hope that you will enjoy it.

Perfumer Sophia Grojsman was returning home one evening when she noticed a man following her. As she quickened her step and clutched her handbag, the man shouted, “Wait, wait, I don’t mean any harm, I just want to know the name of your perfume. It’s amazing!” The fragrance was Calvin Klein Eternity, which Grojsman was designing at the time. Once launched, Eternity rapidly climbed to the top of the charts, and today, this explosive floral is still among the best sellers. Grojsman’s anecdote is an extreme example of a perfume compliment, but the poignant reactions that scents can provoke made me wonder—what is the ultimate head-turning perfume? To read the rest, please continue to Elle.com.

Do you ever compliment others on fragrance? If so, what perfumes have received compliments from you?

Painting: Cassatt, Mary, A Corner of the Loge (In the Box), 1879. via Wiki-images, some rights reserved.