If you have read my blog before you know that I love to stockpile fragrances, sometimes it becomes a problem when people ask me what I am wearing and I have no idea. Not sure, I just grabbed one of the bottles off my shelf. Or I mixed two different ones today. But I always know when I am wearing an Arquiste, it’s always unmistakable. Up to this point, find Arquiste hasn’t always been easy due to its artisanal approach to scents and its exclusive distribution. Enter J Crew.
The brand worked with fragrance developer Carlos Huber of Arquiste, and also Givaudan perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier to create the two scents, No.31 and No.57. The two fragrances were inspired by Peggy Guggenheim‘s ground-breaking 1943 ‘Exhibition by 31 Women’, the first all-female modern art show in the US, which featured the works of Frida Khalo and Helen Frankenthaler among others. You are probably now asking yourself how someone creates a scent based on an event that they never attended? This must be your first dabble in artisanal fragrances where florals are rarely talked about. I will forgive you. Well, you look to the hedonistic cocktails that were consumed on the night, the patrons and the venue itself. You do a little historical digging.
“Guggenheim had oak chairs so patrons could sit down and admire art. The walls, floor and ceiling were all done in wood,” Huber told WWD. “Of course she didn’t just serve wine and sparkling water. There were Manhattans, negronis, and gin-and-tonics – all these cocktails that were popular during that era,” said Huber.
No.31 is inspired by the perfumes worn by the guests. The scent contains bold notes of red vermouth, eau-de-vie accord, and Bulgarian rose with damson plum, patchouli and oakmoss. Carlos describes the second scent, no. 57, as more “avant-garde, genderless”. The scent is named after the East 57th Street address of the gallery. No.57 is perfect for men, it was inspired by the woody scent of the gallery’s curved oak walls and the aromatic cocktails that filled the room. The fragrance features top notes of oak and cedar, along with notes of whiskey, cinnamon, labdanum, and vanilla. labdanum and vanilla. Yes, this means you will smell like wood and booze. It’s perfection. You can thank Jenna and Carlos. Available now.
Images courtesy of J.Crew