Nez, the olfactory review – #04 – Perfume and art

The fourth issue of Nez continues its olfactory exploration, and takes us even further beyond borders, conventions and received ideas about our sense of smell. Opening, Icons of Olfaction, from Andy Warhol to chemist George de Laire, from philosopher Chantal Jaquet to researcher John P. MacGann. Le Nez des designers reveals the olfactory secrets of this profession. In our Odorama notebook, you will discover how we perceive odors when we are blind, the epic of the ionones, these violet-scented molecules, the olfactory secrets of the carrot, and you will dive – completely legally – in the smells of drugs, whether soft or hard. Throughout the Correspondences, you will be able to read an open letter from a young perfumer to his elders, discover the olfactory universe of Sarah Bernhardt, take a trip to Amsterdam for a fragrant and urban portfolio, contemplate the photographs by Roberto Greco, understand the links between Olivier Roellinger's mouth and nose, and discover a painting by Fantin-Latour in smells. In the magazine section, Annick Menardo, the creator of Bois d'argent, Lolita Lempicka or Hypnotic Poison, gives us her vision of the profession of perfumer and her view of the industry. The oud, which everyone talks about without really knowing what it is, is the subject of a photo report, from its planting to the bottle. An olfactory flashback takes us back to the 70s, while the imaginary boutique advises illustrious personalities of this decade. A large file focuses on the intimate and complex links that perfume has with art by trying to answer the questions: is perfumery an art? The perfumer an artist? Is perfume a work of the mind? Who are the artistic directors? How are smell and perfume integrated into art today? Analyzes and points of view from the legal, philosophical, aesthetic, historical, industrial angles… Le Cahier Parfums helps to better understand an industry in full transformation, with the portrait of the independent brand from Oman, Amouage, an investigation into the heart of counterfeiting, and the family tree of the most famous perfume, Chanel N°5. A Cahier critique sifts through all the (many) launches, a selection of 30 perfumes, as well as a handful of perfumed products for the body and the home, which have caught our attention in recent releases. Finally, a diary lists the olfactory events not to be missed: books, exhibitions or other events (increasingly numerous) related to smell or perfume.