Alberto Morillas - Exclusive Q&A

Below, I'm pleased to be able to reproduce Alberto Morillas' responses to an interview conducted by a Carita representative. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible for me to send any follow-up questions to Mr Morillas, but as they stand, his replies do offer a few insights into how he views the creation of the new Carita eau de parfum and his work as a perfumer.

Persolaise Review: Carita from Carita + Truth Or Dare from Madonna (2012)

Image: Jean-Paul Gaultier

Alberto Morillas is the Steven Soderbergh of perfumery: he makes fragrances which appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers, but he never seems to pander to the demands of the lowest common denominator. What’s more, he achieves this with an olfactory signature which always comes frighteningly close to collapsing into banality but somehow, despite the odds, pulls away from the edge and remains fresh and compelling. Those of you familiar with his work will, of course, realise that I’m referring to his penchant for white musks, those synthetic juggernauts which currently spell ‘cleanliness’, ‘childhood’ and ‘innocence’ to generations of people, thanks to their over-use in detergents and fabric softeners.

How Hard Would You Work For Vintage Diorissimo?

I think it's time for a bit of fun! During my recent trip to Dubai, I was overjoyed to discover that Mamma Persolaise had been looking after several miniature flacons for me, most of which have now been added to my collection here in the UK. She was also kind enough to part with a nearly-full bottle of vintage Diorissimo EDT... so - in a rare moment of munificence - I thought I could use these two acts of kindness as inspiration for a contest.

FiFi UK Perfume Extraordinaire 2012 Shortlist

You may remember that a few weeks ago I posted the shortlist for the Best Independent Perfume prize at this year's FiFi UK awards. The other category in which I've had the honour of being a judge is Perfume Extraordinaire, a new addition to the FiFi line up which saw me grading several fragrances 'blind' (ie without knowing their names or who produced them). The points awarded by the various jurors have now been collated, and I'm very excited to announce that they have yielded the following shortlist:

Persolaise Review: Sport Scents from Chanel, Dior, Issey Miyake, Dolce & Gabbana and Thierry Mugler (2012)

Are you feeling athletic today? Do you enjoy wearing fragrances with names longer than those of characters in Tolstoy novels? If so, please click here to be redirected to Glass Magazine and my reviews of the following perfumes: Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme from Chanel; The One Sport from Dolce & Gabbana; L'Eau D'Issey Pour Homme Sport from Issey Miyake; A*Men Pure Shot from Thierry Mugler; Dior Homme Sport from Christian Dior.

Have a great weekend,

Persolaise.

Surfin' UAE

Yesterday, the temperature first thing in the morning was -2° Celsius and we had to scrape ice off the cars. A few days ago, we were driving around in 33° heat, with the air conditioning turned up to Max. I think it's safe to state that coming back from Dubai has been something of a shock to the system. Never mind: Madame Persolaise and I thrive on such meteorological challenges... at least, that's what we say to ourselves.

Persolaise Review: L'Eau Froide from Serge Lutens + Lavender Palm from Tom Ford (2012)

When L’Eau Serge Lutens appeared in 2010, most fans were up in arms. They felt betrayed, they said, by a fragrance which seemed to fly in the face of the aesthetic line that had, in the main, been followed up to that point. Now that the kerfuffle has died down and the shock value of going against the grain has diminished, it’s likely that the new L’Eau Froide will enjoy a warmer reception, although it probably doesn’t deserve to.

Playing With Pyramids Again

Image: Chanel

Above you'll find an image that's featured in the press pack of the new Chanel flanker: Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême. I've published it here as I think it marks an interesting attempt to move away from the usual  pyramid approach. Putting aside the question of the fragrance's aesthetic merits, I have to say that this 'diamond diagram' does actually provide a pretty accurate sense of how Jacques Polge has constructed his latest piece of work. The musks are, indeed, the most prominent facet, followed by the woods. And although the aromatic elements are present, they form a sort of outline, as suggested by the graphic.

It'll be interesting to see if the marketing departments of other fragrance houses follow this style.

Persolaise. 

Persolaise Review: Beloved from Amouage (2012)

Image: Claudia Penrroz

Scented storytelling is thriving at the house of Amouage, thanks to the unfailing efforts of Creative Director Christopher Chong. The brand’s latest release – put together by Jean-Claude Ellena’s brother, Bernard – takes on nothing less than the arc of a long-term relationship as its narrative. It begins with a shock: dense, retro, quinoline-based leather, Bandit-style. The opening salvo is uncompromising and assertive, perhaps even off-putting. But then, new couples don’t give a hoot about how they’re perceived by the world; they’re too busy locking the bedroom door and succumbing to the rush of endorphins.

Persolaise Review: Fils De Dieu Du Riz Et Des Agrumes from Etat Libre D'Orange (2012)

Image: Nitzan Klamer

Ralf Schwieger's ability to inject humour into to his creations is well documented; smell the first few notes of his Lipstick Rose for Frederic Malle and you’ll see why. He’s aimed for the funny bone again with Fils De Dieu, a suitably facetious release from Etat Libre D’Orange. It was originally going to be called Philippine Houseboy, which explains why it starts with a steamed rice accord so vivid, it prompts a salivary response of Pavlovian immediacy. Next to this emerges a coconut facet (desiccated and milky) as well as a suggestion of cardamom, cinnamon, chopped herbs (is that parsley in there?) and a prominent lemongrass note. In other words, it’s an Asian feast from which the only thing that’s missing is a serving of chicken adobo. Genuinely amusing and original, it elicits a chuckle for its chutzpah as well as admiration for the manner in which it presents foodie elements without slipping into gourmand clichés.

I Do Not Pretend I'm A Perfumer: An Interview With Romano Ricci

A few months ago, Romano Ricci popped over to London to talk about his fragrance line, Juliette Has A Gun, and his latest release, Romantina, which was reviewed on Persolaise.com last week. Here are his responses to some of the topics that were raised during my chat with him.

FiFi UK Best Independent Perfume Finalists

Image: Fragrance Foundation UK

On Friday, Fragrance Foundation UK announced the shortlist for this year's Best Independent Perfume FiFi Award; as a Jasmine Award winner, I was one of the judges on the panel, an honour for which I'm most grateful. Here are the four finalists, in alphabetical order:

Mister Marvelous from Byredo

Pomelo from Jo Loves

Precious One from Angela Flanders

Reckless from Roja Parfums

The winner will be announced at the FiFi Awards ceremony on 17th May.

To find out who's been shortlisted in the other categories, please click here.

Persolaise.