I was really surprised, in a bad way, by Luca's last article in NZZFolio. It's curious also how the publisher "translated" the title from German to English!
It is quite superficial to say first that No5 EDP is wrong… and then to discover that there are 3 versions of the same perfume! I will not say that knowing this fact would be a must for every fragrance expert, though No5 is more than a reference in our world !
I think that Luca Turin, before saying to the public that some version is wrong, should :
- remember when extrait, EDC, EDT and EDP were launched, which of them was a cultural reference for a specific period, which was advertised, which was the hit in number of bottles sold, who used what both in Europe and USA and why…
- ask himself why there are all those concentrations on the market and how did they appeared during the history, what version is advertised today, and why that one…
- try to find the olfactive differences in raw materials and their reason…
- formulate a conclusion more than a quick opinion
It is so easy to say, and easier when you are not a perfumer, that an act of vandalism had taken place. And easy to forget that millions of people are buying an EDP (and I don't think that No5 life and success is only marketing!) and like it. And easy to say that what millions like is "a lapse of judgement" assuming that only you know what's "the good stuff".
And the idea of “Free the Chanel Five” campaign… is completely ridiculous. When asked about the idea of defending the haute couture, Coco Chanel had a remarkable answer. You may see the interview on youtube.:)) Freeing from what? And based on who's opinion ?
About his opinion on the extrait…" the Parfum is the 1921 original, and smells fresh as paint and unchanged from day 1." Did Luca really know how it smelled in 1921… and then in 1924 when Chanel Parfums was created and the industrial production started?... or the late 30's…or the beginning of 60's in it's glory days… I am also curious about the No5 paper I have - hand written by Ernest Beaux - to what period belongs, was it the final perfume…etc. There is still an unasked question - what is more important for an old fragrance - the cultural reference smell for the general public or the first formula ?
I don't know how useful is for the public a big guide where what you offer is only your personal opinion and not a better understanding of some fragrances. Even when you do art or film critics… there are some rules to follow, otherwise is a just a personal opinion! I would still prefer to read such a guide written by an experienced perfumer (like Guy Robert).
But…as the guide is to be released in USA, I wouldn't be surprised that a well written story, with lot of scandal and hard words would sell better than an objective guide. Once I had the idea to write something like …"the black list of fragrances" - the worst perfumes and the biggest failures of the industry.:))
At the end… even fragrance writing is a business, take a look on amazon and check the releases in the past 3 years ! :)
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