Perfume is a non-visual form of dress. Much more than just mixing pretty scents, chemistry plays a major role in perfume design and - as in clothing design - excellent perfume design is inspired. Christopher Brosius was inspired in part to begin designing perfume and start his very unusual company from a rather unconventional sources. After receiving his degree in architecture from Columbia University, he worked many odd jobs; at one point as a taxi driver where he was often left nauseated for his entire shift from female passengers wearing perfumes that impregnated the interior of his cab. Ironically at that point in his life he decided that he "hated perfume." He was presented with the opportunity to start designing scents in 1988. He has been quoted to say: "Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape." One of his earliest commercially launched scents was inspired by a scent he loved ever since he was a child. He says, "I have always loved the smell of things – particularly growing things. I decided to try to capture some of these smells and my first real breakthrough was Dirt. One of my greatest pleasures was digging among the vegetables, herbs and flowers in my small garden on the farm. I loved the smell of the fresh clean earth and decided to bottle it. It was a far greater success than I’d ever dreamed. I suppose the rest is history." Get a first hand view inside Mr. Brosius' head as he works to get inspired, create and market his scents. His online journal is fascinating especially for those of you interested in pursuing a career in fashion design. Browse the website for an incredible experience: CB I Hate Perfume .
Thursday, June 23, 2011
From Cab Driver to Perfume Designer - Christopher Brosius
Perfume is a non-visual form of dress. Much more than just mixing pretty scents, chemistry plays a major role in perfume design and - as in clothing design - excellent perfume design is inspired. Christopher Brosius was inspired in part to begin designing perfume and start his very unusual company from a rather unconventional sources. After receiving his degree in architecture from Columbia University, he worked many odd jobs; at one point as a taxi driver where he was often left nauseated for his entire shift from female passengers wearing perfumes that impregnated the interior of his cab. Ironically at that point in his life he decided that he "hated perfume." He was presented with the opportunity to start designing scents in 1988. He has been quoted to say: "Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape." One of his earliest commercially launched scents was inspired by a scent he loved ever since he was a child. He says, "I have always loved the smell of things – particularly growing things. I decided to try to capture some of these smells and my first real breakthrough was Dirt. One of my greatest pleasures was digging among the vegetables, herbs and flowers in my small garden on the farm. I loved the smell of the fresh clean earth and decided to bottle it. It was a far greater success than I’d ever dreamed. I suppose the rest is history." Get a first hand view inside Mr. Brosius' head as he works to get inspired, create and market his scents. His online journal is fascinating especially for those of you interested in pursuing a career in fashion design. Browse the website for an incredible experience: CB I Hate Perfume .
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1 comment:
He's more subtle than "Dirt" now. I would recommend Memory of Kindness for a bit of dirt, tomato vines, and a feeling of true summer warmth, but almost everything he makes is remarkable!
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