An armony between design and beauty

There are no doubts: if you want to discover something really new, you have to go to New York: yesterday I virtually travelled around NY and I must say that, nearly 10 years since 9/11, New York is as energetic as never.

Fashion and fragrance are part of the scene, with lots of new trends to sniff out in city’s department stores.  One major trend is eco-fragrances…

Green  essences – in an ecological sense, rather than in terms of colour or scent –  are in.

Designer Donna Karan, for instance, recently launched a green perfume in her DKNY line. The fragrance, christened Pure DKNY, boasts recyclable materials and renewable energies for its raindrop-shaped bottle, as well as fair-trade vanilla in the formula of this sweet floral scent.

As for NY base Bond No.9 (I’ve allready presented this line, do you remember?), this spring they launched their latest scent, a unisex fragrance called High Line. This time, the bottle itself is quite green, since the scent’s name refers to the new elevated park installed on the former freight-train line in south-west Manhattan. The fragrance is green, floral and aqueous, befitting this city park overlooking the Hudson that has just celebrated its first anniversary.

But I think that the really innovative trend is that of the newer fragrance brands that are surfing a different green wave: organic. In the States, natural perfumes are part of the enthusiasm for protecting the environment that is growing by leaps and bounds. Not all the fragrances in this category are actually organic, but they are all natural, even if the world “organic” is often prominently displayed. In fact, for this moment, independent organic certification is less common in the USA than in Europe.

In this green team, we can refer to Libby Patterson Organics (their mythical scent, Deep Alchemy, is a powerful woody essence).

Then there is also Réglisse  Noire, a spicy-gourmet scent by 1000 Flowers, a brand founded by Canadian Jessica September Buchanan.

The brand that gets the most points for packaging is called Tallulah Jane. Their logo is a coat-of-arms adorned with pink pistols and a banner that declares “New York City”. A modern look for “Nature Inspired” scents for men and women.

Also a European brand is active in this new trend: in fact the niche brand Honoré des Prés has just launched a new collection christened “We love NY”. The fragrances created by the perfumier Olivia Giacobetti, are certified organic, and their playful look was inspired by take-away drink-cups. The fusion food inspired menu of scents includes: carrot-iris (I Love les carottes), tuberose-room (Vamp à NY) and coconut-coriander (Love Coco).

Of course the collection name is a tribute to the “I Love NY” logo created by Milton Glaser in 1977 and printed on thousands of shirts, mugs and more that can be found in every souvenir shop in the city.

Prosays‘ is a new Japanese company that, in our country, I have till found only in Rinascente.

It produces a line of 30 products for skin care plus a  perfume. The target is represented by women of middle-class. I concentrate my attention on this brand because, as the shop assistant told me, it means “the expert says”. This brand, stamped in bold characters on the packages, is studied to create curiosity among young women in career that want an efficient product, as suggested by other professional figures in the sector and not only because the brand has the firm of a designer (in this case the designer is “Tommy Li Design, China”). So, Prosays’ is a unique case in cosmetics markets.

Instead of hiding through paternalistic, decorative and pretty packages that expose a stereotyped concept of femininity, Prosays’ makes a perfume, “Proays’ Rose Water” that recognise the new role of the woman through a package that is esthetically valid, classic, monochromatic and has a professional aspect.

The perfume is in a glass-made package  that creates a discrete decoration in a more serious way than shine colours or more pretentious materials. The promotional text and the information are organized in a simple but immediate layout “a griglia”.

The graphical decoration is limited to the external package in poach cartoon: it protects by accidents,  gives personality to the perfume and, being recyclable, is expression of the will to protect the nature.

The realistic but elaborated photos of insects, plants or laboratory machines expires objectivity and not emotions, describes components or explains the jus of the perfume with metaphors.

This package is the symbol of a contemporary aesthetics which would make it perfect for a new social concept of women.