Several nights ago, on July 14th, the fashion boutique Lark hosted the most fabulous launch party for 1000 Flowers.
Liquorice Allsorts... an inspiration for Reglisse Noire
I arrived with my parcels of Reglisse Noire and Fleur No1 perfumes, and created a display on the wooden table at the front of the store. There were rustic old benches lined up in facing the table, and quite a few people were arriving already with looks of excitement and anticipation in their eyes. This was, afterall, the first time for many to meet a ‘perfumer’ and somehow the seed had been planted that this was possibly as rare an experience as meeting a unicorn!
All in all, the night was a smashing success. The feeling was festive and bustling, and the gin and tonics were refreshing, the fruit platters bright and sweet, the flowers were stunning (a giant bouquet of pink hydrangea, peonies and madonna lilies), and turnout was close to 100 people.
At 8, everyone gathered at the front of the store, and I gave a small talk about my journey into perfumery, (selling my house to facilitate going to school in France), about my own philosophy of creation (especially in regard to the Buddhist idea of the Middle Path), followed by an open question & answer segment. The questions flowed fast and furious, and it felt like we could have continued well into the night. For me, this was thrilling- it’s such a treat to feel so appreciated for my accumulated knowledge base, and so supported by a warm and happy bunch of perfume enthusiasts.
A rose by any other name...
One very kind person named Dora, (tamarind tree catering…dora@chef.net), surprised me by bringing a platter of chocolate truffles that were flavoured with the same notes as Reglisse Noire. White pepper, star anise, mint and vanilla. Needless to say, they were delicious!
I have realized that this heavy veil of mystery and secrecy surrounding the field of perfumery is persistant. And those of us who work inside this art form, forget how technical and specialized it really is. It is so rare for me to get the opportunity to directly interface this way with a group of people, most of who will never be perfumers, many of whom are not serious perfume aficionados, and yet hold a keen interest in this subject and have questions they’ve never been able to ask before.
In the perfumery lab
Thank you to Dane and Veronika, the owners and founders of LARK- for recognizing the love and passion that I have for my work which has resulted in the 1000 Flowers fragrances. It’s wonderful to become part of an organization which values heritage and quality creations (be it clothing, accessories, or fragrance). Long live the art of finesse and fine craftsmanship!
St James striped shirts- Made in France- from LARK
Zeha-Berlin...shoes from LARK
The LARK boutique after the show.
PS. Photos of the party not yet available. To be added at a later date.
Comments