SMELLS OF SAUDI ARABIA

I have been away from my blog for quite a while. Life has been lately filled with new adventures, which included being exposed for the fist time to the Middle Eastern culture (and smells).

I realise that it's the first time (or perhaps the second, after Brazil) I see fragrance being so much part of a culture. Here they wear enigmatic and overpowering perfumes in big quantities. But fragrance is not only worn, it is used to celebrate special moments too.

A few scented pictures:

Grocery wonderland.

In the west herbs and spices are practically ground, contained in jars and sold in supermarkets mostly. Here you can buy the whole ingredient (mainly for cooking) practically everywhere. As I visit a grocery store, a "scent library" is in front of me, each drawer containing a different taste and smell universe... Heaven!

Sealed with a scent.

I was invited to a wedding. Real oud being burnt on a burner, the burner being passed around to participants as they let their clothes become imbued with the smell. The scent sealing that moment. Unforgettable. Oud has become an overwhelming trend in Western perfumery over the last few years. In Saudi, Oud is perfume culture, having always been used for burning and as a perfume. 

Besides, another scent. Elegant men wearing a traditional uniform, carrying around luxurious jars. They pour a hot, spicy drink in small cups, which they serve throughout the wedding. That drink is coffee and the taste (and smell) is new: that of cardamom. Saudis drink it often throughout the day.

Another suitcase, another journey...

We are at the souk. Next to mesmerising carpets and goods of any kind, I am offered the opportunity to smell real perfume ingredients (wood), chopped and contained in a lot of suitcases. In the meantime, I am sipping hot camel milk. Unlike any perfumery store!

Aside from the raw materials, (ridiculous amounts and mysterious varieties of) bottled perfumes are sold, made by local producers. In the West we use perfume in alcohol, here perfume is in oil.

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg...

NP/SP

DESIGN WITH SCENTS 2013

The following is the report from DWS 2013. For the 2014 edition see here. 

It has been an out-of-the-ordinary adventure. This was our second - and oversuscribed - edition at Kingston University London, where we experience the design of places through the sense of smell.

Design With Scents 2013 has seen 15 participants from all over Europe participating in our 5-week scent marathon and an extraordinary panel of guest speakers. Delegates came from perfumery, marketing/advertising, design, wine, fashion and education.

On Monday we embarked on a sensory experience of perfume ingredients and looked at the relationship between scent and space. We had the chance to hear from Will Andrews, Fragrance Scientist at P&G about his experience creating designer fragrances and communicating perfume.

Jo Norman, Christophe Laudamiel, myself with some of the participants.

The cross-sensory study of ingredients continued on day 2, followed by a fascinating journey through the history of perfume with Jo Norman. Master Perfumer Christophe Laudamiel joined soon after, with a mind-blowing lecture where he shared his experience in fragrance making and air scenting. 

Divided in "Scent Agencies", on Wednesday students started to work on their scent design solutions. They received inspiration from Jenny Tillotson from Central St. Martins / Cambridge where she researches and teaches about textiles and scents and Dr. Victoria Henshaw, Manchester University, who investigates the relationship between scents and urban design.

Thursday began with John Ayres, who talked about fragrance and the creative process. Together we took the students through the process of "translating" ideas with fragrance. The creation session was followed by Odette Toilette who shared her experience organising perfume events in London. 

After a few hours sleep (we had a dinner on Thursday evening!), participants presented their final projects on Friday. The design solutions they produced were quite impressive, as a result of a strong creative process. To finish, we went on a trip to London where we visited local perfumer Ormonde Jayne and had some very well deserved drinks (on which we must thank the generosity of our friend Barat!).

Speakers, tutors and students: I have learned so much from you! It has been a true delight to take this journey with you and am so happy and grateful that what started one year ago as an experiment is now a very much enjoyed course in the world of perfumery and design!

Thank you to my co-lecturers Jo Norman, John Ayres and to Kingston for believing in this format and all the hard work making it happen together. Thanks to the guest speakers and the participants for their enthusiasm. 

Design With Scents returns in July 2014.

To all of us!

Nicola

THE (ONE) SCENT OF THE RCA SHOW

Royal College of Art Students' show took place, in full creative extravaganza, after the convocation at the Royal Albert Hall (!!!) with special guests Christopher Bailey, CEO Burberry (with other former students) and artist Cindy Sherman. 

Convocation, at Royal Albert Hall

As I went to explore the variety and inspiration, I was a bit put off by the fact that it was mainly visual.Very few artists used sound. Only one used smell: Designer Sofie Boons, who incorporates scents and jewellery, inviting to a new experience of both jewels and perfume.

Scent & Jewellery Designer Sofie Boons. 

I was very impressed (and proud!) by her work and the lab-setting she chose. I came across Sofie's great talent as she attended the first edition of my Design With Scents course at Kingston last year. I am sure she has a scented path ahead.

Space contains air and air can be designed, with scent as the media. I wish more artists (and teachers), especially in the Fine Art course, will soon start to use it.

NP/SP

MY FIRST AMERICAN SCENT SESSION

When we enter a place, and that place is scented, as we breath, our body becomes the space and we are at one with that environment.

Last week was one of the most fantastic weeks of my life, as I guided my first scent session on the most amazing of all places: New York City. But let's go back a square.

About 10 years ago, a man called Harald Vogt started a no-profit organisation called The Scent Marketing Institute which connects those who operate in scent-supported marketing and expands this type of knowledge throughout the world. Their main event is called Scent World.

Now run by Caroline, Harald's wife, Scent World was a uberintense, 3-day marathon to experience the latest knowledge available. Neuroscientists, (scent)marketers, perfumers, fragrance houses, advertising people, bloggers, scent curios and much more gathered near Wall Street to sniff around and share the inspiration in using scents for commercial environments.

My contribution was "Scent Awakening: The Holistic Experience of Scents" where I encouraged participants to develop a holistic understanding of scents. It resulted as one the most enjoyed presentations!

Thank you so much to all those who attended and Caroline, Jennifer and Gloria in particular for putting on such a great show and bringing me over. 

Next Scent Awakening Session will be held in the English countryside at the British Society of Perfumers Training Weekend. Have you booked? Go on their website!

My favourite presentation (aside from mine!) was by Perfumer/Artist Christoph Laudamiel 

who gave one of the most inspiring scent lectures I've ever attended. 

MAD Museum "The art of Scent 1889-2012" Exhibition.

New York Subway: break dancers. NYC Subway has a very peculiar, warm smell that makes me feel like home. It's not unpleasant at all. ...maybe scented?

Special thanks to Hiro for assisting me during the presentation 

and to Omega Ingredients and Capua for providing the oils for my lecture.