The Eau My Soul Facebook group and Instagram account is a space for lively discussion about perfume and I was thrilled when founder Christi Long invited me to a do a live Q&A in September. I really enjoyed all the viewers’ questions in the Q&A.
I talked about how I go about developing a scent with a perfumer, and the sharing of my mood boards of images and ideas. I shared the story of how Lace and Tartan followed Leopard and Greek Keyes, in anticipation of my 2017 exhibition at the Institute for Art & Olfaction.
I don't really share mood boards anymore, so it was fun to reflect on how that process has changed over the years. Truth is, that I do it differently every time I approach a perfume. Some perfumes are really fast, like Jungle Jezebel, and some perfumes are really slow. One perfume I have been developing has been in progress for four years.
One commenter asked about my use of fabric and fashion motifs for inspiration, and this led me to talk about why I changed course on my through-line after my first four scents. I used Rules of Attraction by Miguel Matos as an example of how the artistic direction for each fragrance has changed course. For this fragrance, Miguel Matos found inspiration in the vintage classic, Bal a Versaille, which I love. I fantasised about lavish parties in the Hall of Mirrors, Marie Antionette, and Marquis de Sade. Rules of Attraction is a novel by the equally devilish and extravagant writer, but from our time: Bret Easton Ellis.
We talked about my rather polarizing Artist Edition packaging for Jungle Jezebel and the spectrum of reactions. Conceived as a DIY portrait of Divine, one commenter compared it to a Duchampian readymade, which was very kind.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable 60-minute chat and I’m so appreciative of all the participants who joined and a special thanks to Christi Long for hosting the wonderful Q&A!
P.S. check out Christi’s reviews on Fragrantica for Jungle Jezebel, Rules of Attraction, and Charade. We love to read feedback and reviews from the perfume community on Fragrantica and we encourage everyone to join the discussion there.
XO SB