PERFUME REINCARNATIONS

Hi everyone. I wanted to discuss with you all the allure of old vintage perfumes, and how they have been altered and reintroduced so they are easy to wear for today's younger market.

 I came across my mother's old empty bottle of Chanel No.5 which got me thinking of the popularity of this perfume. It is supposed to be  a masterpiece and one of the best selling perfume of all times. But in all honesty, how many of us can wear this intense, complex scent easily every day or felt seduced by it when we were teenagers? Sometime ago, all the big perfume houses came up with the idea of introducing the original classics to younger generation.  Even though a lot of perfume critics don't like this business of monkeying about with the old classics, in recent times, the perfume market has witnessed a rise in teen/tween consumers and they have very cleverly cashed in on this change to their advantage. I don't mind this trend as long as the original gems are not discontinued.

Let's look at some of these old timeless perfumes and their newer counterparts.

The old classic...

Miss Dior by Christian Dior 1947
Named after Catherene Dior ( Christian Dior's sister) this perfume was a game changer in the 1950s. Dior became the rage in the fashion world and his first perfume launch was wildly popular, grabbing much attention around the world. Today this brilliant classic is all but forgotten.
Perfume notes: bergamot, galbanum, clary sage, aldehydes,carnation.orris root,jasmine,neroli,lily-of-the-valley, rose, narcissus,leather,sandalwood,amber,patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver.
Scent: Heavy on the patchouli, dry, medicinal, chypre leather, with a touch of spring flowers.

Below is an interesting expert I wanted to share from http://queensofvintage.com 

The designer’s instructions to the perfumiers creating Miss Dior were simple: “Create a fragrance that is like love.” But, the fragrance went unnamed until the elegant Mitzah Bricard saw Christian’s sister Catherine enter the Dior Couture boutique and said: “Look, there is Miss Dior”. “Miss Dior! That is my perfume!” exclaimed Christian.

More than one liter of pure fragrance was sprinkled every week in Dior’s first boutique when it opened in February 1947, a lot of money, but very effective propaganda as not everyone could afford the scent. In the post war years it was not easy to find material for the fragrance. There was no coal to burn and thousands of workers were on strike, but the team behind Dior quickly realized that luxury was the secret of success, even if it meant having to, temporarily, neglect its French customers because many had no money to spend.

The first bottle, designed by Fernand Guerycolas, of Miss Dior was sold on 1 December 1947, nine months after the revolution of the ‘New Look’. Miss Dior captured the spirit of the Maison Dior and soon became a fragrance of haute couture.

The modernized version...

Miss Dior Cherie by Christian Dior 2005

Playful and sweet. Miss Dior Cherie is aimed at younger girls in search of classy French perfumes. Miss Dior Cherie is reformulated and not available in it's 2005 version anymore. The new version created in 2011, is supposed to be more subtle and charming.

Perfume Notes: Mandarin orange, wild strawberry, jasmine, rose,Vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, Oak moss and amber.

Scent:Fun,flirty, feminine. Fruity opening with a fresh floral heart mixed in with amber. 

You can read my detailed review of this perfume HERE

CHRISTIAN DIOR

The Old classic...

Shalimar by Guerlain 1925

Shalimar was created in 1921 and re-released in 1925 in a bottle designed by Raymond Guerlain. And launched at the Decorative Arts Exhibition as an antidote against The Great Depression. It is said that while examining a sample vanillin, Jacques Guerlain suddenly poured the entire contents into a nearby bottle  of Jicky, just to see what would happen. The result: Shalimar. Jacques Guerlain was inspired by Mumtaz Mahal, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built. Indian Emperor Shah Jahan's love for Mumtaz Mahal, his favorite wife, was so great that he built her the Garden of Shalimar in Lahore Pakistan (and indeed the Taj Mahal). Shalimar means the 'Abode of Love' in Sansikrit.

Perfume notes: Lemon, jasmine, bergamot, May rose, Tonka bean, opoponax, Vanilla,Iris, Peru Balsam, gray amber, Patchouli, Rose, jasmine,Orris, Vetiver,Civet,leather,sandalwood, Incense and Vanilla

Scent: Fresh citrus opening  followed by warm enveloping vanilla and leathery woods.(wikipedia)

The modernized version...

                                       Shalimar Initial by Guerlain 2011

Scent of desires, joy and sensuality arrives in a flacon which reminds us of shape of the traditional edition. The new bottle is taller and sleeker than the previous. It is decorated with blue stopper and blue tassel on the neck of the flacon. Liquid of the flacon is coloured in warm pink.
It is said that Shalimar Initial was  developed by Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser at the request of his niece, who wanted a Shalimar she could wear. Perfume Notes:  bergamot, orange, green notes, fruity notes, rose, jasmine, iris, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean and white musk.Scent: soft, powdery iris-y floral with a mostly clean woody-musky base. There is citrus in the top, but it has nothing like the rush of bergamot and lemon that opens Shalimar.The heart is a quiet floral, every so slightly sweet, ever so slightly almond-y, with a hefty dose of iris, and the dry down is an ambery vanilla with Shalimar’s dirty bits replaced by a clean white musk. It’s not as dark, smoky, rich or vanillic as regular Shalimar.

(nstperfume.com)

                                      Jean Paul Guerlain and his grandfather Jacques

The Old Classic...

Coco by Chanel 1984

Coco by Chanel is a Oriental Spicy fragrance for women. Coco was launched in 1984.Top notes are coriander, pomegranate blossom, mandarin orange, peach, jasmine and bulgarian rose; middle notes are mimose, cloves, orange blossom, clover and rose; base notes are labdanum, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, opoponax, civet and vanilla.
Scent: Intense, rich and sophisticated with hints of Oriental spices and ambery  dry down.

The Modernized Version...

                                                     Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel 2001

Launched for Chanel's younger fans, Coco Mademoiselle is a more vibrant,fruity version of the old classic.

 Perfume Notes:  orange, mandarin orange, orange blossom, bergamot; mimosa flower, jasmine, turkish rose, ylang-ylang; tonka bean, patchouli, opoponax, vanilla, vetiver and white musk. 

Scent: Youthful and classy with hints of jasmine infused musk with Patchouli.Floral Chypre.

The Old Classic...

                                                      No 5 by Chanel

Famous Chanel N°5 is a symbol of good taste and is currently one of the best selling perfumes in the world. Coco Chanel asked the perfumer to create a perfume ' which smells like a woman'. Chanel N°5 is a very complex fragrance which does not allow any of the fragrant components to be isolated out of the composition, what was exactly a request of the great Chanel – the perfume should not smell like a rose, or a lily of the valley, but as a composition.

The perfume became famous thanks to many celebrities who wore it, among which Marilyn Monroe. Chanel N°5 is often connected to her name because during an interview in 1954 she said that in bed she wore only ‘some drops of Chanel N°5'. That statement became a superb advertising slogan and a reason for millions of women around the world to choose this perfume.

Ernest Beaux created two series of perfume samples numbered 1-5 and 20-24 and asked Coco Chanel to choose one of them. Madame Chanel chose the sample no. 5 and thus the perfume got its name. Superstitious, Chanel presented her new perfume on the fifth day of the fifth month of 1921.

Working on creation of this perfume, Ernest Beaux created and for the first time used the synthetic component – aldehydes. In his formula the aldehydes are accompanied by fragrances of rose and jasmine. The fragrance of aldehydes is pure and fresh, reminds of the odor of clean linen just brought in the house form the fresh frosty air. It is said that the famous creator drew his inspiration for creation of this fragrance from one of his visits to the Arctic Circle and the smell of water in midnight. The unique smell of frozen lakes and rivers fascinated him so much that he decided to replicate it in his creation.

Chanel N°5 is the first perfume in the floral-aldehyde group and the first by the quantity of aldehydes in its composition (another legend says that the Ernest Beaux's assistant overdosed the aldehydes in the composition by mistake). 

The first Chanel N°5 was captured in a simple rectangular bottle with the top which resembled Place Vendome in Paris. The first bottle was designed by Chanel herself and represents her classical principle – the less is more. (source Fragrantica.com)Perfume Notes: aldehydes, bergamot, lemon, neroli and ylang-ylang, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley iris, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber and patchouli.

Scent: soapy aldehyde opening with a creamy floral. Sensual and Intense.

The Modernized Version...

                                                            No 5 Eau Premiere by Chanel

 A new version of the world-renowned perfume – Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere. This modern and seductive fragrance was adapted from the original Chanel N°5.

The new version of the 'old' fragrance is lighter, fresher, softer, more delicate, and suitable for every-day use. Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere includes all original ingredients of N°5: rose absolute, jasmine, neroli and ylang-ylang. Ylang-ylang for this fragrance comes from the Comoro Islands, and Jasmine from Chanel-owned fields in Grasse.( source Fragrantica.com) 

                                                           Coco Chanel

The Old Classic...

Chloe by Chloe 1975
This is a feminine and romantic perfume with an intensive floral aroma; the fragrance with character, like so many of the “old” fragrances. Karl Lagerfeld launched Chloe in 1975.
Perfume notes:honeysuckle, orangle blossom, ylang-ylang, hyacinth, lilac, coconut, bergamot, aldeydes juicy peach,jasmine, rose, narcissus, tuberose and carnation,oriss root,oakmoss, sandalwood, amber, musk, cedar and benzoin. Scent: Heavy floral with emphasis on aldheydes and tuberose.

The Modernized Version...

Chloe by Cloe 2008

Fragrantica describes it as: The new eponymous eau de parfum by Chloe is quite a departure from the once-popular tuberose composition of the same name. A light and fresh yet seductively strong and self-possessed scent, the new Chloe fragrance is in no way its predecessor's timid younger sister.

Just like all Chloe's bold, arty and free-spirited designs, the fragrance is feminine in a rather non-traditional, not all-out-girly way. Its accords expertly play against each other and they seduce the audience by being both elegant and daring at the same time.

The fragrance is very versatile, it is intended for everyday use and is more than suitable for becoming someone's unique signature scent

Perfume Notes: Peoni, Freesia, Litchi, Rose, Lily-of-the-valley, Magnolia, amber and virginia cedar.

Scent: Capturing the spirit of the woman. Fresh, smooth floral with the emphasis on powdery romantic rose. 

                                                          Chloe founder Gaby Aghion

Are you in favor of or against these new versions? Do you know of any more ? I would love to hear your opinions/comments.

Krizmah: Designer Bags with a conscience

Hello everyone. Today I want to take you all with me to the beautiful valley of Chitral here in Pakistan. The Chitral Valley at an elevation of 1128 meters (3,700 ft) is popular with mountaineers, hunters, hikers, naturalists and anthropologists.

One of the major attractions of Chitral are the Kalash valleys-the home of the Kafir-Kalash or "Wearers of the Black Robe", a primitive pagan tribe.

Their ancestry is enveloped in mystery and is the subject of controversy. A legend says that the people from Kailash valley are the true descendents of  Alexander  The Great. They are still living between two mountains in three small villages and  are still preaching the Gods which were preached in Alexander's time when he came here centuries ago. His army men married  and settled  here. Since that time Kailashis only married in their own tribe. They  look European, and most of them have white skin, bluish greenish eyes and curly light brown hair like Greeks ! Even Greek government recognise them as their true descendents and nowdays they are making public facilities for the betterment of these people so that they continue living in their original way of life and do not get influenced by modernization

The Kalash women wear black gowns of coarse cloth in summer and hand-spun wool dyed in black in winter. Their picturesque headgear is made of woollen black material decked out with cowrie shells, buttons and crowned with a large colored feather. In parts of Greece even today some women sport a similar headcovering. The Kalash people love music and dancing particularly on occasions of their religious festivals like Joshi Chilimjusht (14th & 15th May - spring), Phool (20th - 25th September) and Chowas (18th to 21st December).

Zainab Ulmulk ( not belonging to the above mentioned tribe), who hails from the royal family of Chitral, was approached repeatedly by the women of her village to utilize their craft creatively.
At a time where hand bags have suffered immensely from the herd mentality of fake designer bags with gauche logos to bags big enough to fit  a doberman in, two women have gone to other extreme and produced something so original, you have to be an ‘original’ yourself to be able to carry them. Zainab Ulmulk and Nadia Malik of Krizmah aren’t shy of taking this risk. Graphic design graduates from the National College of Arts, these young women decided to put their design prowess to use and started their own handbag line.

The brand is associated with Mogh Limited, an NGO that works closely with the cottage industry in Chitral. The expressed purpose of this project is to counter the apparent decline in home-weaving of “Shu”, Chitral’s traditional woollen fabric, the sale of which still provides cash to rural families subsisting in a harsh environment. With over 1,400 women working under them, the NGO also employs women from far-flung areas of Chitral and neighbouring villages.

The name of the brand has an enthralling history and is not a funky twist on the word charisma, as one would normally think, but instead is the name of a type of flower (in the khowar language) A kind of purple Iris. that grows in Chitral around Ulmulk’s ancestral fort. “As children we would weave things out of the krizmah that grew around our home in Chitral. But it also has a special significance since it used to be my grandfather’s official seal,” explains UlMulk of the choice of name for her brand which is as much a commercial enterprise as it is an effort to be socially conscious. “There is no concept of giving back to the community,” bemoans Malik who wants to dedicate a percentage of sales to be invested back in Chitral. At the moment the women are salaried employees of the brand but work according to their own schedules and household commitments on the fabric sent to them. Which is why, it takes up to six weeks to complete one bag on average. A unique pairing of leather and fabric, Krizmah carries an unconventional collection sporting motifs from traditional legends and folk lores. Chitrali artisans use the hand-woven works to celebrate the rich culture and mythology of their ancient kingdom from time immemorial, and each of the handbags tells a tale from the valley.

While one bag narrates the tale of a lost princess, another exquisite bag tells the tale of the famous opium growers in Chitral and how they met their business downfall.  The bags are all handmade and are a testament to the industrious north of Pakistan.

(source:Virtual tourist,pakistannewsblog,leaks.pk)
NOTE: ALL THE BELOW IMAGES AND TEXT EXTRACTED FROM KRIZMAH FACEBOOK PAGE)

Our inspiration for this piece?

Butterfly Chai

Many an afternoon after finishing their daily chores, women sit around sipping tea under the Chinar tree watching their young one's chasing butterflies fluttering around the wild flowers growing in their garden.
The children quietly stalk their colourful prey proudly displaying the butterflies they catch to their mothers before setting them free to fly into the cool summer breeze once again.

Our inspiration for this piece?

After Hours

The ability to see in the dark has elevated Owls, to manifestations of wisdom. Because of their close kinship with the night, owls are also associated with magic and love. Young lovers often swear by the owl to profess the love they have for each other which only the owl has been able to see.

Front

Back

Our inspiration for this piece?

Hashim Bigim - (The disappointed Princess)

A folktale from the Kingdom of Chitral. Hashim Bigim, the beautiful princess of Gilgit, is promised in marriage to the crown prince of Chitral. The young woman undergoes an arduous journey to reach her Prince delighting in imagining her future husband. Will he be as handsome as in her dreams?

Our inspiration for this piece?

Vanishing Pordoom
“Por – doom” (Snow Leopard, in Khowar, a distinct language of Chitral )

The Lord of the Mountain, , the endangered Snow Leopard is now on the brink
of extinction across most of its traditional Himalayan habitat. A few of these
magnificent creatures still roam the rugged terrain of Chitral’s Hindukush
Mountains in search of their ever elusive prey, the Markhor.

 Our inspiration for this piece?

Mastuj Gold

Mastuj, a princely state within the kingdom of Chitral, boasted the finest opium of its time. Fields of poppies that once adorned the Yarkhoon valley of Mastuj, are now no more, after crops were destroyed by farmers to earn a meager compensation of a shovel and a pick.

Geelas Paradise

During the summer season cherries are relished by both the human and animal residents of Chitral. Often birds of various colours are seen flitting from tree to tree to enjoy this delightful fruit. The Golden Oriole lords it over the others with its song which sounds like ‘’cherries have ripened’’…” cherries have ripened’’ in the Khowar language.

Our inspiration for this piece?

Tree of Life

A tree whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. Various trees of life are recounted in folklore, culture and fiction, often relating to immortality or fertility. Our depiction of the tree of life bears fruits such as pears, apples, peaches and cherries which are grown abundantly in Chitral. The fruit produced by the tree nourishes an ever advancing civilization.

 Our inspiration for this piece?

Joshi
The traditional annual spring festival of the Kalash people in mid May. It is held to welcome the coming of spring after the severe Chitrali winter. The autumn wine harvest is brought out in generous quantities to celebrate the onset of spring. Through mystical dances and hymns the Kalash turn out in large numbers, in colorful dresses, to pray for an abundance of honey, grapes and walnuts in their valley.

Sitari's dream

Singing, music and dancing is a major part of Chitrali culture. Being a romantic, but yet an extremely conservative society, only the men folk sing and dance, as their women sneak peeks at them from a distance. As they gather under the starry sky, the notes of the sitar carry them away into a carefree dream, as another challenging day draws to an end. The authentic 5 string ‘chitrali sitar’ is a handcrafted instrument, painstakingly carved out of mulberry wood and is a part of all chitrali homes.

Our inspiration for this piece?

Kalash Kopas

Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir, three valleys in Chitral, are home to
the Kalash tribe. The Kalash, people (one of the few surviving pagan tribes) now limited to a mere 3000, have been acknowledged by the Greeks as descendants of Alexander the Greats lost army. The “Kopas” is a traditional head- dress worn
by all Kalash women. Adorned with shells and buttons, always decorated on a black background matching their black kaftan like attire, “Peeran”. One side of the bag depicts the Kopas and the other the Peeran.

Back

Front

Through the Grapevine

A common sight along the narrow mountain streams of Chitral, grapevines adorn the holly, oak and mulberry trees that grow alongside. Wine making and wine drinking is central to the Kalash culture and religion. To catch the sun in the narrow Kalash valleys the vine has to be allowed to grow up to tree tops which ends up as a struggle between the bees and birds above and the people below, to get to the fruit.

Shindoor valley in Chitral is famous for the polo festival held in the world's highest polo ground.

Front

Our inspiration for this piece?

Shandur

Every summer a fierce battle is played out on the Shandur plateau
where the Hindukush, Pamir and Karakoram ranges meet.
Shandur was the traditional border between the two princely states of Chitral and Gilgit. In days gone by, when they would accuse each other of abducting livestock and womenfolk, Shandur would be the venue where the two local chieftains would meet to iron out differences in heated debates.
Today, each July, in front of thousands of spectators, the two ancient rivals play their hearts out in a furious game of traditional mountain Polo in the same spirit and with the same ferocity as their medieval forbears.

Back

Front

Our inspiration for this piece?

Sikander

Captain of the Chitral polo team for the last three decades, and grandson of HH Sir Shuja Ulmulk ‘Mehter’ (ruler) of Chitral whose reign lasted 45 years. Each year when Sikander Ulmulk threatens to retire from polo the people beg him for one more year fearing that without him the team will lose the dominance it has enjoyed over arch rival Gilgit in recent years. “Polo renews the bond…” The motif depicted on the bag is commonly found on most Chitrali Chogha's (traditional robe) worn by royalty and common folks alike. Here polo is not the ‘’game of kings’’. The local barber and shoemaker on horseback not only brushes shoulders with his prince but also throws him off his horse or cunningly hooks his mallet from the least expected angle.

Back

L to R: Zainab ulMulk and Nadia Malik

                        

Krizmah Website

Krizmah Facebook Page