By Andrew
The whole Six Scents project has me in a quandary: should I laugh or should I cry? A numbered series, monochrome packaging, (mostly) celebrated noses paired with avant-garde designers, briefs that border on self parody, overproduced web site – the whole preposterous, pretentious bundle puts even gimmicky outfits like Etat Libre d’Orange and Le Labo to shame. It’s everything that’s wrong with niche perfumery today, and all involved ought to be embarrassed, except that the sorts of people who invent stuff like this are by definition shameless.
No. 4, Diagonal
One look at the list of notes and you know that Diagonal will be a derivative pastiche of every abstract synthetic composition that Mark Buxton has done for Comme des Garçons since 1994. It all boils down to an abrasive woody amber and laundry musk, and you can get the same thing more cheaply from your local drugstore. Then go ahead and give the savings directly to your charity of choice.
I’m both shocked and amused that after this round they actually got the go-ahead for Six Scents - Series Two. (Sounds like it should feature Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.) Wait for the DVD…
Year: 2008
Brief: Gareth Pugh
Perfumer: Emmilie Coppermann
Notes: Dill, black pepper, nutmeg, palisander, black tea, amyris, white amber, musk.
No. 5, Illicit Sex
This entry in what is surely the most absurd niche perfume project since Humiecki & Graff is almost redeemed by the entertainment value of its brief: “Men’s gym locker rooms and Vaseline mixed with sweat, all whipped up with a warm towel.” If it smelled anything like this gay adolescent fantasy, Illicit Sex might be halfway interesting, but in the event it’s nothing more than a wan, hollow cheeked synthetic incense composition in ersatz Bertrand Duchaufour style. The best part by far is a distinct whiff of Bengay® in the top notes. I guess all the action got those gym studs really sore.
Dare I say it, but after nearly ninety years, even that other “No. 5” is far more daring and original than this.
Year: 2008
Brief: Jeremy Scott
Perfumer: Philippe Roques
Notes: Bergamot, aldehydes, pepper, nutmeg, rose, benzoin, olibanum, cedar wood, musk
photo: shift.jp.org
Ouch. Still, Andrew, perhaps you wrote too well: saying something is "a wan, hollow cheeked synthetic incense composition in ersatz Bertrand Duchaufour style" kinda makes me want to smell it...
ReplyDeleteI think you effectively drove me away from "Diagonal," however. Many thanks.
How can anyone love perfumes that 'border on self parody'. What a great line. Can I use it?
ReplyDeleteIn my ignorance, I've never even heard of Six Scents. But I will look out for it now.
"Ouch. Still, Andrew, perhaps you wrote too well: saying something is "a wan, hollow cheeked synthetic incense composition in ersatz Bertrand Duchaufour style" kinda makes me want to smell it...
ReplyDeleteAh, but the problem is that for all the pretentious avant-garde posturing, the stuff just smells so boring.
"How can anyone love perfumes that 'border on self parody'. What a great line. Can I use it?"
I don't know - you'd better go ask the folks on MUA who have accused me of plagiarizing Luca Turin wholesale. He may have said it first. ;-D
Looking at these reviews again, I'm impressed (and a little bit embarrassed) at how cranky they are. Was I just having a bad day, or was there some reason I reacted to them so vehemently? After thinking about it for a while, I've decided it's the insult to our intelligence as consumers implicit in the Six Scents' marketing that gets my goat.
I wound up buying No. 4 Diagonal, and here's why. I don't have a frame of reference of this perfumer, the company, or the marketing. One could say this scent is for someone who doesn't know any better, however, I welcomed this into my collection amidst carefully reviewing and sampling over 150 fragrances. It lives amongst 50 others that make much more of a statement. So the allure of No. 4 Diagonal to me is in the subtlety, sheerness yet leaning towards masculine, and the ease of wearing. I don't have to worry about anyone smelling cologne on me with this. It's a spritz of tea, wood, dill, and warmth. It has a really laid back comfortable uplift. It's a skin scent to me and is great for days that I lean towards not wearing a cologne at all. With that said, I can understand how some would hate on this because it's lack of statement or presence and feel that the creators are just blatantly ripping the customer off. And to me that is where the charm lies. If this actually is a form of self-parody, I think I like that even better.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI think you were a little bit hard on Six Scents. I recently purchased two of the Six Scents series two fragrances (No.2 Damir Doma and Yann Vasnier and No.5 Richard Nicoll and Rodrigo Flores-Roux), and i really enjoyed them. After purchasing the product I was pleased to discover that 10% of each fragrance goes to charity each year. They definitely need to make this more present on their website, but then i like that fact that they are not hiding behind a charity to persuade consumers to their products purchase. Also, after reading about the project more online i realized that they never claim to be a luxury niche perfume.. they seem to be quite modest in this regard (mainly the press labels them as niche), however what they do communicate and execute very well is the whole positioning of the collection as a curated art project. When i opened the package, i discovered a DVD/Film that was commissioned by Marco Brambilla who's work i recently had the opportunity to experience his permanent installation in the Standard Hotel elevators. Yes they are very clever with their marketing and at some times it seems like a gimmick, but what can you expect from a perfume collection conceptualized by a creative agency that works with Louis Vuitton and edgy fashion brands. As for the fragrances i purchased, I thought that the perfumers were quite accurate in bringing the concepts/stories of each fashion designers to life. I am in love with the Richard Nicoll fragrance that is made mostly of fennel, black basil, sweet orange and cedarwood. Although, each fragrance is meant to be unisex, Damir Doma's fragrance is quite masculine, but it transforms on my skin beautifully. Maybe the fragrances are better since series two is with a new fragrance house. I give them credit for giving young fashion designers the opportunity to apply their ideas and aesthetics to creating a fragrance and the part with inviting prominent contemporary artist to then interpret or translate each fragrance in a different artistic medium. I am not sure if they will make it to series three, but i am looking forward to see where they take it and how the fragrances themselves progress. I just hope they don't produce another fragrance like 'Wicken 3000' by the German designer Bernhard Willhelm, this was a little bit of a joke.. a perfume that smelled like air and water... the result, almost nothing. The perfumer must have been ripping his/her hair out with this. The fashion designers definitely need to be more serious...
I actually really enjoy Series 1 No. 2, "Wicken 3000." Yes, it smells "almost like nothing" but alas, to me, that is its charm. It is the most minimalist perfume I've ever smelled, and there are days when that is ideal. It's unique not because of what was put into it, but what was left out. It would never appeal to those who don't like modern fragrances, but as far as modern scents go, it is wholly unique.
ReplyDeleteI thought No. 3, Spirit of Wood, was also very good. It's a rather natural smelling dry wood scent. Far more natural smelling than the highly lauded Hinoki, that is for sure.
definitely such a pretentious crap! you put it very well in this review.
ReplyDelete