Is my fragrance IN or OUT ?

Fashion brought into fragrance its own system of references and perception of time / taste. Today this is more present than ever but how relevant the time of fashion and its continuous permutation and recycling is to fragrance? Already in the 20's and 30's "parfum à la mode" was almost a synonym for aldehydes and when famous fragrances were very long lasting on the market and women loyal to them, the notion of classic vs. modern had something true. Fragrance creation has always taken advantage of the latest molecules, methods of extraction, something called "fashionable ingredients". The question of "dated" perfumes can be seen from 2 perspectives - the producer and the consumer. For the first one there is a little chance to introduce now a perfume like Madame Rochas and hope to enter the top 20 when you know the sales numbers of that particular perfume. We can understand their definition of outdated perfume as something that is not the best investment:) But how relevant this economic approach can be to a consumer? Can a consumer say or recognize something as "outdated"? I believe that 15 years ago the answer was not very difficult to find. If you would be able to spot an outdated perfume… can you say what is modern or trendy like in fashion? Can the nose smell the sense of modernity? I doubt that our nose can put years near a smell as we can do in fashion.
What is the meaning of "it smells old"? Is it because we smell a certain perfume over 2 decades or is it because those we associate the smell with have a certain age? I also think that the industry does not think very much about the age of the consumer, unless he is very young. The simplicity of many feminine launches is close to the formulation of body sprays for adolescents. Unlike fashion, in fragrance there is no ideal age and we live in a multilayered universe of tastes with different speeds. The press (I think of Le Figaro now) should show more respect to the variety of ages. The fact that you might have 50+ and like Mitsouko should bring more reflection to a young 20+ when discarding the perfume as "outdated". If the brand discourse can have an economic justification, otherwise the notion "outdated" is not very respectful and lacks the aesthetic dimension. The variety is more important today than the distinction "classic-modern, old-new". Of course, when speaking about a new launch this term could also mean … lack of originality by the interpretation of a classic theme.
Trends in fragrance are more relevant to producers and often mean a "new idea" or an idea that would sell. But they are not obvious for the consumer and cannot be identified simply because they do not work as in fashion. Half a day in big store can offer to any women the idea of what's hot in the season and what items she could/ could not wear. It does not work the same way in a perfume shop were new, old and very old creations stay together in similar new designs. Even if you smell entire Sephora you cannot be sure about what's hot that season. :)
Often vintages are discarded by young people as … smelling old, confusing the effects of time (the alteration of the juice) with aesthetics. In fact the problem is that is quite impossible to smell a 1930 formula fresh or a new one not reformulated. Often aldehydes were discarded as being old lady. But now our mind is clean of aldehydes… there are very few worn today in our modern universe infused with woody notes. Try Capricci and Coeur Joie (new extraits - Nina Ricci) and tell me if they smell outdated.:)

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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art