Quest Blog

Esxence 2014 – Towards a Harmonious Niche Fragrance Brand/Retail Interface (Chairman Sarah Colton)

 Photos courtesy of Lisa Hoffman Beauty
 
Lisa Hoffman is a very good friend. And you don’t have to meet her to know this.
 
The qualities of friendship are written all over her brand, Lisa Hoffman Beauty, and with each of her creations you get the feeling that a thoughtful friend has listened to your needs and then come […]

 
 One of my most exciting Esxence moments was witnessing the triumphant re-birth of a fine old French perfume brand, Le Galion – Maison de Parfumerie, more than 30 years after its creation.
Originally founded in 1930 by a certain Prince Murat, Le Galion was later sold to perfumer Paul Vacher, best known as the nose for Arpège, creat […]

Photos courtesy: Takasago
 
 
Madame Butterfly: A Perfume of Innocence, Passion, and Betrayal
Friday evening, April 4th was witness to a singular event in perfume and opera history.
 
Prior to the New York Metropolitan Opera performance of Madame Butterfly, members of the cast and guests at a pre-performance cocktail party […]

“Year after year, the identity of our community gets more and more clear and defined.”
Silvio Levi – Esxence Co-Founder
 
 
A week after returning to Paris from The sixth edition of Esxence – The Scent of Excellence, Artistic Perfumery’s trade fair in Milan, I’m still under the spell of what was essentially a 4-d […]

 
 
I can’t in good faith leave the month of March without sharing a hot tip for capping off your annual ‘Get-the-Ole-Bod-Ready-for-Spring’ prep.
 
D-E-T-O-X
Before you groan, let me assure you that the particular detox activity I’m going to recommend is so absolutely pleasurable that I’m determined to repeat it a […]

Atelier Cologne and Twisted Lily
A short ½ hour subway ride from mid-town Manhattan takes you to a peaceful yet trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of 2 and 3 story buildings that looks like small-town USA and has street names that read like a Monopoly Board. There are several ways to get there. I took the F Line from the 47–50th Sts–Rockef […]

Image courtesy Elements Showcase
 
 
 
Risk-taking, experimental, and convivial, Elements Showcase managed to capture, yet again, the American niche fragrance spirit in a wintry New York last week.
 
In a new twist, this 7th edition of Elements was skillfully ‘curated’ (current NYC IT word) by co-founders Frederick […]

 Image: Cock (symbol of France) Weathervane
 
 
The last two years have witnessed exponential expansion of the Paris niche fragrance market.
 
In 2012, the opening of two multi-brand niche fragrance shops, Jovoy and NOSE generated an important up-tick in activity for small to medium sized artistic niche brands and opened […]

Photo Courtesy Givaudan: Vetiver at Baie des Cayes, Haiti  
 
 
I have always loved vetiver, perhaps more than any other raw material. Something about its dry-edged green earthiness has always spoken to me. It recalls the mellow brown of a cigar or beautifully tanned leather, but there’s also a brightness to it, and a salti […]