Johannesburg - SA Fashion Week is putting the sense of smell to good use by including an exclusive fragrance experience in the four-day extravaganza.
Unscent 2014 – Love Magic Potions is a journey into the idea of love through smell.
Described as a multi-sensory voyage of seduction, the project is about fragrance coming together with art and literature to tell many stories through the sense of smell.
Eight professional perfumers were given the task of making their own “scents of passion” by Celso Fadelli, the chief executive of international perfumery Intertrade Group.
On Wednesday, guests were invited to smell them – Love in the Field, Gardenia Love, Tubella, The Mood for Love, Rome Antique, Ever Ours, Sweat & Tears and Love Addiction – and interpret them.
Sara Frigerio of Intertrade Group, a perfumery based in Italy, gives the guided tours.
She said fragrance was more than just about smell. It was also about creating experiences and inspiring memories.
The interactive experience is perfume heaven for diehard collectors. Different brands from around the world are on display and available for purchase.
One of the guests said he used to view perfume as just chemicals, but after the experience, he realised there was so much more to it.
“One of the perfumes reminded me of the incense they used to light in church when I was a boy,” he said.
The fragrance experience was launched at the Pitti Fragranze fair in Florence, Italy.
Frigerio said Intertrade was in the process of making a limited edition of the eight potions.
Those attending Fashion Week can look forward to indulging all five senses at the Crowne Plaza in Rosebank.
The first night got off to a great start, with ranges from Gert-Johan Coetzee and Black Coffee among the new talent.
The Star