The Story Of Perfume
Have you ever been inexplicably transported back to
childhood when hearing the unique tones of the
ice-cream truck? Or stopped dead in a crowded mall
when a woman walked past wearing your mother’s
scent? Contrary to popular belief, memory does not
reside in the deepest recesses of our minds. It lies in our senses—in
touch, taste, sight, and sound. It lies in a much-loved childhood treat,
an old high school love song, or the kiss of a former flame.
And it lies in scent—the lingering trace of perfume in the wind.
Some think perfume is a fleeting pleasure, dissipating almost as
quickly as it is applied. It is the stuff of nights out on the town, illicit
love affairs, and summer romances. They are deceived. Perfume
holds a key place in the collective memory of our human experience,
touching civilisations and marking societies with a lasting scent.
This is the story of perfume.
It begins in antiquity with the use of incense. Many ancient cultures would burn fragrant woods for religious ceremonies, paying tribute to their gods and anointing their dead. The name perfume comes from the Latin phrase per fumus, meaning “through smoke.”
It was the Egyptians who began using body scents in everyday life, although evidence has been found of perfumeries dating as far back as the Bronze Age. In the hot, stuffy desert climate, scented oils and unguents were as much a necessity as they were a luxury. They even had their own god of perfume—Nefertem, the beautiful young lord of the lotus flower.
From the start, the story of perfume was inextricably interwoven with the stories of great historical and literary figures. Cleopatra—never one for understatement—is said to have met Marc Antony for the first time travelling in a barge so coated in perfume, its scent announced its arrival before it was even in view.
From Egypt, the use of perfume spread throughout the ancient world. The Romans, champions of indulgence and excess, took its usage to heights even Cleopatra may have thought a tad over-the-top. They would adorn not only themselves with scent, but the walls, floors, drapes, and furniture of their homes, as well as any horses, dogs, birds, and other animals unfortunate enough to be within spritzing distance. So overwhelming was the use of aromatics in ancient Rome that the poet Cicero lamented, “the right scent for a woman is none at all.”
Although the use of perfumes in Europe was widespread pre-Christianity, by the Dark Ages, it had all but disappeared. Much knowledge was lost due to barbarian invasions, and the new religion known as Christianity, frowned upon the use of cosmetics for personal beautification.
Memory lies in the sound of a childhood ice-cream truck, an old high school love song, or the kiss of a former flame.
The Islamic world, meanwhile, was experiencing a golden age. Arabs and Persians were making extensive scientific discoveries and establishing new trade routes across the old world. They developed innovative distillation processes and introduced new raw ingredients from their travels. By the Middle Ages, Arabic influence had seen a small-scale resurgence of perfumes in Europe.
It was Queen Isabella of Hungary who, according to popular myth, introduced the first modern alcohol-based perfume to Europe. As the legend goes, a monk presented the frail old woman with this strange new concoction. On trying it, the wrinkled ruler recovered her youth and beauty, and was proposed to by the much younger, but immeasurably dashing, King of Poland. From then on, “Hungary water” won fame as both a perfume and miracle tonic.
It may come as a surprise that France did not see the general introduction of perfume until the sixteenth century. When Catherine de Medici became Queen of France, she brought with her a new fashion: wearing gloves scented with perfume to hide the pungent smell of tanned leather. The French court found this a sensation and began to wear perfumed garments of every kind. Perfume production in France flourished, and it soon established itself as the centre of the European fragrance industry.
The use of perfume during the Renaissance was heavily associated with the royal houses of Europe. Queen Elizabeth I demanded that all public places be scented as she could not tolerate strong odours. When King Louis XV came into power in the eighteenth century, the French court became known as la cour parfumée (the perfumed court) due to his insistence that a different fragrance be applied to his apartments each day. These glamorous façades hid an unpleasant truth: strong aromas were used to mask the smell of body odours caused by less-than-adequate hygiene.
Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, brought a new fashion: wearing gloves scented with perfume to hide the pungent smell of the tanned leather.
Perfume even played its part in the courtly intrigues of backbiting nobles. Many plots involved fragrances and their accessories. Some perfumers would lace the fashionable scented gloves of the day with deadly poisons. Pillbox rings, a popular way to carry keepsakes and perfume, were also used to store venoms for assassinations or suicide.
The industrial revolution saw radical changes in the development of perfume, thanks to the advances in organic chemistry, and thus the role of the modern perfume designer was born. By the dawn of the twentieth century, perfume had
become more than just a scent. The design elements surrounding it—the bottle, the wrapping, and the marketing—had gained importance, and perfumers worked closely with artists and glassmakers.
No story of perfume is complete without mentioning the iconic Chanel No. 5. Clothing designer Coco Chanel developed the fragrance in 1921, intending it for the modern woman she felt she represented. The first time she wore the perfume, it literally stopped people in their tracks. On release, the fragrance was an unadulterated success, and to this day, it remains the world’s best-selling perfume.
It was the Chanel model that transformed perfume into what we know today. Fragrances are now closely associated with the fashion industry, and designers frequently release their own signature scents. And just as it has always been, celebrity and perfume come together in a heady mix. Many actresses and singers follow in the glamorous footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and Catherine Deneuve as the face of luxury brands, while others go even further and release their own fragrances. Marilyn, in fact, was famously quoted as saying that the only thing she wore to bed was Chanel No.5.
Next time you indulge in the transitory pleasure of your favourite fragrance, let it transport you not only to a moment in your history, but that of someone else’s. Perfume is more than just a dalliance that blows away in the breeze. It is the scent of priests and pagans. It is the scent of kings and courtiers. It is the scent of art and murder. It is the scent of history.
The Creatives Behind the Shoots.
Here’s the talented team who made it all happen:
- Creative Director & Photographer: Ingrid Irsigler
- Stylist & Producer: Karin Orzol
- Hair & Makeup: Andrew St James
