Elements New York 2015: An Introduction

by: John Biebel

After spending a few years focusing on events in the Middle East and Asia, The Elements Showcase returned this September to New York for a three-day event at Pier 94 at Manhattan’s Midtown, Westside. Seated comfortably within Fashion Week, this year’s Elements worked together with Capsule and Axis, two important ready to wear and specialty designer trade shows that focus on the modern wearer, contemporary lifestyles, and the alignment of fashion and an often eclectic modern buyer—one who is collecting many items of clothing, and many fragrances from many different sources. The combination of fashion, accessories, home goods, and artisan and niche fragrance was lively, engaging and extremely modern. Wandering the enormous halls of the pier, one felt distinctly alive in the present time but peering into the adventurous future.

The fragrances, candles, and skin care products featured at the event reflected some new approaches, radical departures, and investigations into time-trusted themes, but with new twists. Here is a just a peek at some of the contributors, with continuing articles and in-depth explorations to come in the next few days.

Être Rose Deux

In the category of reinvestigation, two perfumers have taken on new approaches with trusted standards. We speak of the beloved ingredients Rose and Leather. Être au Parfum has developed its first series of scents, all centered on rose (Rose Une, Deux, and Trois), which reflect different aspects of the rose in its fragrant life, from citrus freshness to boozy finality. They are also designed to be worn together in different layering combinations, making them a true original concoction for each wearer.  Designer turned perfumer David Jourquin presented his collection of six leather-inspired perfumes, drawing from his fascination of working with leather and the inherent subtleties of leather as it is interpreted as suede, tobacco leather, rich Russian leather and leather-florals. The bottles themselves are covered with leather “jackets,” from which the bottle can be removed and refilled.

David Jourquin fragrances

A merger of two trends arose to create a singular trend of its own—the notion of using essential oils not just as perfumes, but as important ingredients in their own right. This was the case for some skin, hair, and body products, richly scented through their skin-friendly constituents. Toronto-based F. Miller is creating natural mixed oils for hair, beard, skin, lips and face containing deeply fragrant essential oils which emit their own citrus and woodsy character. Bottega Organica, an apothecary company co-based in Italy and New York, US, creates all-natural facial oils, hydration sprays and other skin-enriching products that come alive with beautiful natural fragrance and antioxidant oils.

Belinda Brown Blessings

Frazer Parfums

Sourcing of materials and inspiration from Africa was apparent in the beautiful offerings from Frazer Parfum of Cape Town, South Africa and Belinda Brown, a Nigerian perfumer who collaborated with Roja Dove to make her Blessings collection. Both perfumeries have used their home continents as sources of inspiration and creation. For Frazer, it has also been a place from which they source many of their materials and create sustainable models for harvesting perfume materials from the natural landscape.

Lalique Voyage de Parfumeur candles

Known brands in the niche world were offering some of their latest creations, such as the new candles from established crystal, perfume and home furnishings brandLalique. Their “Voyage de Parfumeur” candle collection traces scent origins, and plans for a holiday release of an Antarctic inspired candle.  The brand that forged an Italian sensibility of perfume with Middle Eastern ingredients, held together by the theme of music, Sospiro, has been met with great word of mouth success amongst niche enthusiasts, and they are expanding their reach and promoting new scents in this east-merges-with-west tradition.  Olfactive Studio, another brand that has met with considerable acclaim and success in niche perfumery, offered a peek into their next work, Selfie, which includes as its photo inspiration a mirrored surface—so that you may gaze at yourself on the packaging.

Frassaï

Species by the Thousands, Frassaï, and Kindred are all interested in fragrance as something that one can carry easily, and each offer fragrant roll on oils, or fragrances that are included as part of jewelry. Earth Tu Face, an apothecary brand from San Francisco, makes solid perfumes available in hinged shell cases that also transport easily. The notion of perfume being something that can travel well and be touched up when needed, seems to reflect the idea of versatility and more control for the wearer.

Earth Tu Face solid perfume

Kindred fragrances

This is just a brief introduction to the offerings that is Elements/Capsule 2015, and look to Fragrantica for in-depth coverage for these and many more perfumers in the next few days.

Images: John Biebel