The project, Form follows Fragrance, started last week at the Centre Culturel Louis Vuitton in Paris (official partner of the project along with Firmenich and Swedish cardboard producer Korsnäs) and saw the first few designers using the fragrances as inspiration for drawings.
Marie Christine Dorner was one of the first designers to take part in the experiment earlier this week at the Centre Culturel Louis Vuitton (see photo).
When the experiment has come to a close and all the drawings have been collected, they will be exhibited at Le Lieu de Design in Paris in September as part of this year’s edition of the business to consumer event Rives de la Beauté, as well as being on show at the opening of the event on 14 September.
Abstract and unclassifiable
Firmenich’s brief was to create a collection of abstract and unclassifiable fragrances in the hope of avoiding a memory orientated response from the designers.
According to Solène Davy, account manager, fine fragrance and communication at Firmenich, the demand for totally new, unclassifiable scents echoes some of the briefs the house receives from major clients.
“This is an exercise that perfumers know very well. As we are asked for totally new fragrances on major briefs, we have to invent every day new olfactive territories,” she told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, and went on to highlight Essence from Narciso Rodriguez as being a particularly abstract scent.
Firmenich’s involvement in the project was motivated by the desire to remind clients that perfumers are first and foremost artists, Davy said.
“This project is supposed to remind our clients that the heart of our activity is creativity; that our perfumers are artists even if they need to be connected to the commercial aspect of their work.”
Davy also added that the company supports the Rives de la Beauté vision to build bridges between different artistic disciplines.
Fragrance’s effect on creativity
According to Wiels, the idea for Form follows Fragrance was inspired by recent scientific research into the effect of fragrance on dreams and the link between memory and anticipation.
Researchers at the University Hospital Mannheim in Germany have been investigating the influence of odours during dreams and their findings suggest that certain odours such as the fragrance of a rose can lead to more positive dreams, whereas a rotting egg odour can have the opposite effect.
This, combined with research suggesting that memory plays a strong role in imagining the future, led Wiels to consider investigating the effect of fragrance on creativity and a future orientated act.