Dear Shaded Viewers,
As Dries Van Noten steps away from his fashion brand, his venture into fragrances and beauty products offers a comforting way to keep his artistic vision close to our hearts. This new chapter is a natural extension of his creative ethos, deeply rooted in his love for unexpected combinations and profound connection to nature. The designer’s sprawling 55-acre garden near Antwerp serves as both muse and laboratory for his olfactory creations, offering a rich tapestry of scents and inspirations that inform his unique approach to perfumery.
Van Noten’s garden, with its hundreds of plant species, is more than just a hobby; it’s a living, breathing source of creativity that has significantly shaped his fragrance line. The designer’s penchant for juxtaposing contrasting elements, a hallmark of his fashion designs, finds new expression in his perfumes. Just as he might place a vibrant, almost neon rose next to a deep, velvety “Munstead Wood” variety in his garden, Van Noten applies this principle to his fragrances, creating unexpected and captivating scent combinations.
This approach is evident in creations like Cannabis Patchouli, a fragrance born from a gifted patchouli plant in his garden. Van Noten’s desire to explore a fresher interpretation of this classic scent showcases how his gardening experiences directly inform his olfactory creations. Similarly, his rose-based fragrances challenge traditional notions by blending familiar floral notes with more avant-garde elements, resulting in scent profiles that are both surprising and alluring.
The influence of Van Noten’s garden extends beyond mere inspiration; it’s integral to his creative process. He has invited perfumers to visit his garden, allowing them to experience firsthand the scents of flowers and plants in various seasons. This immersive approach ensures that the fragrances capture not just individual notes, but the essence of the garden itself – its changing moods, its unexpected harmonies, and its natural contrasts.
Van Noten’s appreciation for the changing seasons in his garden is reflected in his fragrances, with a particular fondness for spring as a time of rebirth and awakening. This sentiment is captured in scents like Mystic Moss, which evokes the freshness and vitality of new growth.
Moreover, the designer’s deep connection to nature through gardening has reinforced his commitment to sustainability in fragrance production. This is evident in his focus on using high-quality, ethically sourced natural ingredients and implementing eco-friendly packaging solutions.
In essence, Dries Van Noten’s love for gardening has profoundly influenced his fragrance creations, infusing them with a unique character that reflects his artistic vision, his respect for nature, and his desire to challenge conventional norms. Each scent tells a story, much like his fashion designs, offering a sensory journey that is at once familiar and unexpected. Through his fragrances, Van Noten invites us to experience the world as he sees it – a place of beauty, contrast, and endless possibility, all rooted in the rich, fertile ground of his beloved garden.
Later,
Diane
