The Mystery of Perfume Panel

By Jessica M

Barneys New York recently hosted a panel discussion on “The Mystery of
Perfume” at its Madison Avenue flagship store. The event was
moderated by Roberta Myers, editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, and the
participants were Frederic Malle of Editions de Parfums, Antonia
Bellanca of Antonia’s Flowers, Ben Gorham of Byredo Parfums, and
Fabrice Penot of Le Labo, names well-known to anyone who spends a bit
too much time at the Barneys fragrance counter. (Guilty as
charged...!)

Over the course of an hour, the roomful of listeners was treated to a
Wide-ranging conversation about the art and craft of “niche” perfume.
(We also learned which fragrances from these lines are best-sellers at
Barneys: Carnal Flower, Tiempe Passate, Gypsy Water, and Tubereuse 40, respectively). Fred’s Restaurant (on the ninth floor of Barneys) is a
fun space for a meal and a chat; unfortunately, its layout isn't
really conducive to this kind of event, so photography was difficult.
Instead, here is a sampling of quotations from the speakers, jotted
down to the best of this attendee’s note-taking ability!

On their reasons for founding their lines:

“I was working in a flower shop… I went shopping for perfume and I was
amazed to find out that nothing truly smelled like flowers.”
- Antonia Bellanca

“I realized that many perfumers were bored. They couldn’t do what
they wanted to do.”
- Frederic Malle

On the integrity of the product:

“I want to make perfume even more creative, even more luxurious, even
more exclusive, to bring perfume back to what it was.”
- Frederic Malle

“At the end of the day it’s the creations themselves that are
important, and the intention behind them… We focus on creation and we
hope for business.”
- Fabrice Penot

“Three generations of women are wearing Antonia’s Flowers now, because
the company is twenty-five years old. Mothers can hand the fragrances
down to daughters.”
- Antonia Bellanca

On (not) advising their customers:

“I try not to tell people what to wear, how to wear it – I can only
tell them what I envisioned.”
- Ben Gorham

“What you’re wearing on your skin is the most personal thing in the universe.”
- Antonia Bellanca

On the selective appeal of niche brands:

“Perfume, like fashion, plays upon people’s insecurities; but the
clients of niche perfumery are very secure about their choice.”
- Fabrice Penot

“It’s not just buy, buy, buy – it’s an experience, it’s a feeling.”
- Ben Gorham

“Fragrances are like people – if you try to seduce everybody then you
become incredibly boring and no one invites you to parties anymore.”
- Frederic Malle

On celebrity fragrances:

“Very cheesy.”- Audience member Simon Doonan, Barneys creative director