Neither crazy weather nor NYC traffic were able to stop me on Thursday from attending PXA 2009, Perfume Expo America. I can't think of many trade shows that can be as exciting as one dedicated to all things fragrance. Many brands, old and new, set up booths to showcase their products and introduce them to retailers, distributors, suppliers and the media.
As a blogger who is equally fascinated with the artistic side of fragrance, as well as with the business and marketing aspects, this was an excellent opportunity to see, smell, chat and feel the pulse of the industry.
Getting acquainted with new brands is always fun. There are several interesting ones that are currently looking for distribution channels here in the US. I got samples of most and have started testing, so stay tuned for reviews of perfumes you most likely have never seen before. Other highlights were actually older brands. Weil perfumes have mostly vanished from the scene, but they are back now and ready to find new customers. Fans of the classic Antilope would be thrilled to see it back in production. According to the brand's rep, it's the same formula and nothing has changed from the original. I wouldn't bet any money on this statement and I'm not familiar with the vintage version, but from brief sniffing I really liked the new Antilope.
In a world where traditional family businesses are being sold to big corporations and losing both their identity and integrity, meeting Jean-Pierre Lerouge-Benard, the president of Molinard, and his daughter, Charlotte, was an unexpected joy. The house of Molinard has a lot more to offer than Habanita and Nirmala, including a line focused on certain notes and accords (including a bold chypre), and a new scent in honor of the house's 160th anniversary. Mr. Lerouge-Benard loves his perfumes, from the raw materials to the final product. He hates the word "juice", which he feels takes away from the mystery and the emotional reaction a fragrance should induce, and is proud to see a fifth generation join the family business.
I had a little disappointment at the Courvoisier booth. I love their EDP (labeled a masculine, but I share it with my husband) and hoped for an interesting addition to the line. While they are working on a feminine version (no release date or any other information available at the moment), their efforts have gone into making two weaker versions of the originals- an EDT and an aftershave splash. Both have lighter, airy notes at the top and are meant to smell "clean". Let's hope for something better in the future.
There were also new European skin care lines- alpine water and edelweiss flowers can only be good, right? Perfumes for kids (I admit not to get this concept. When my nieces are old enough to appreciate and enjoy scents, I'm getting them the real thing. I'm thinking a Lutens), and the house of Piguet still pushing Fracas instead of the new release, Futur.
Happy and scented, it was then time to deal with rush hour traffic back to Jersey.
As a blogger who is equally fascinated with the artistic side of fragrance, as well as with the business and marketing aspects, this was an excellent opportunity to see, smell, chat and feel the pulse of the industry.
Getting acquainted with new brands is always fun. There are several interesting ones that are currently looking for distribution channels here in the US. I got samples of most and have started testing, so stay tuned for reviews of perfumes you most likely have never seen before. Other highlights were actually older brands. Weil perfumes have mostly vanished from the scene, but they are back now and ready to find new customers. Fans of the classic Antilope would be thrilled to see it back in production. According to the brand's rep, it's the same formula and nothing has changed from the original. I wouldn't bet any money on this statement and I'm not familiar with the vintage version, but from brief sniffing I really liked the new Antilope.
In a world where traditional family businesses are being sold to big corporations and losing both their identity and integrity, meeting Jean-Pierre Lerouge-Benard, the president of Molinard, and his daughter, Charlotte, was an unexpected joy. The house of Molinard has a lot more to offer than Habanita and Nirmala, including a line focused on certain notes and accords (including a bold chypre), and a new scent in honor of the house's 160th anniversary. Mr. Lerouge-Benard loves his perfumes, from the raw materials to the final product. He hates the word "juice", which he feels takes away from the mystery and the emotional reaction a fragrance should induce, and is proud to see a fifth generation join the family business.
I had a little disappointment at the Courvoisier booth. I love their EDP (labeled a masculine, but I share it with my husband) and hoped for an interesting addition to the line. While they are working on a feminine version (no release date or any other information available at the moment), their efforts have gone into making two weaker versions of the originals- an EDT and an aftershave splash. Both have lighter, airy notes at the top and are meant to smell "clean". Let's hope for something better in the future.
There were also new European skin care lines- alpine water and edelweiss flowers can only be good, right? Perfumes for kids (I admit not to get this concept. When my nieces are old enough to appreciate and enjoy scents, I'm getting them the real thing. I'm thinking a Lutens), and the house of Piguet still pushing Fracas instead of the new release, Futur.
Happy and scented, it was then time to deal with rush hour traffic back to Jersey.
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