14 Monday Oct 2019
Posted in Advertising and Scent
This advertisement for Écusson by Jean d’Albret (1947, now discontinued) set off an art historical spark in my memory.
The unknown artist who worked on this ad for Écusson (which translates as “shield”) was obviously inspired by Hans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry the Eighth…
07 Monday Oct 2019
Posted in Classes and Lectures
Description of my presentation on the NJCH website
I mentioned this in an earlier post, but now it’s gone “live” — my presentation on “Five Iconic Fragrances of the 20th Century” was accepted into the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Public Scholars Project for 2020 and I’ll be offering it at various venues around New Jersey (my home state!).
If you’re based in New Jersey and you know of a local organization that would be available to host me, here’s what you can do…
04 Friday Oct 2019
Posted in Perfume Reviews
Tags
My latest post on Now Smell This is a review of five seashore-themed scented body products.
You can read it here.
02 Wednesday Oct 2019
Posted in Art and Scent
If you visit The World of Anna Sui at the Museum of Arts and Design, you’ll come across a gallery space decorated to evoke Anna’s boutiques (and her apartment), with black lacquer dressing tables and cabinets lavishly stocked with boots, handbags, jewelry, and yes — perfumes.
I really wished I could have opened that cabinet and sampled some of the fragrances while viewing the show! Of course, as a museum person, I understand why that’s not possible…but I couldn’t help playing a mental game of matching the fragrances to various looks and “archetypes” in the exhibition.
Here, I’ve paired a few of my photos from the show with quotes from Anna Sui herself and some of her branded perfumes. Read on for my thoughts…
27 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Advertising and Scent, Perfume Bottles
As we drift closer to Fall (day by day, degree by degree…), let’s pause to admire this bottle of Poupre d’Automne from Parfum de Violet. The fragrance was launched in 1923. The stoppered bottle was designed by Lucien Gaillard, a legendary French jewelry who worked in the Art Nouveau style…
23 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Passing Fancies
Tags
Fall is here!
Reading: Getting ready to jump into Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments
Audio: Some episodes of the “Dressed” podcast
Video: Finally watching “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Art: The World of Anna Sui at the Museum of Arts and Design!
20 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Perfume Reviews
My latest post on Now Smell This is a review of two fragrances: Tocca Gia and Jo Malone Poppy & Barley.
You can read it here.
16 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in Uncategorized
When you wander through the 4th-floor section of “The World of Anna Sui” at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), you may notice a sweet hint of scent in the air. This floor of the exhibition is fragranced — a concealed diffuser releases a faint aura of Anna Sui Fantasia (released in 2017), adding a subtle olfactory dimension to this fashion retrospective.
I had a chance to chat briefly with Anna Sui at the exhibition’s preview on September 10 and to ask about her own taste in perfumes and her fragrance collection. Here are a few things I learned…
13 Friday Sep 2019
Posted in Uncategorized
WHY: Because it’s New York Fashion Week and (almost) Autumn!
WHAT: From Anna Sui, a brand-new set of five perfume samples (Lucky Wish, Secret Wish, Flight of Fancy, Fantasia, and Fantasia Mermaid) and a red lipstick (Sui Black Rouge #402). I received these samples as treats from Interparfums and Albion, and now I’d like to pass them along to a reader in the United States…
