AT BLINMINGDALE'S DUBAI STORE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MIDDLE EAST AROMAS OF THE FAMOUS ATKINSONS PERFUMERY HOUSE ARE PRESENTED. PERFUME HOLDING CREATIVE VICE PRESIDENT SHANTS WOMSER TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CREATING A BRAND, NEWS AND FORMULA FOR THE FAVORITE BOUQUET OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA AND KATE MIDDLE.
Brigitte, they say that the brand owes its fame to the brown bear.
Oh, this story is worthy of a legend! And it all started with the fact that the founder of Atkinsons House, an entrepreneurial trader from Cumberland, James Atkinson, in 1799 decided to move to the capital of England and start his own business there. At that time, perfumery was considered one of the most profitable occupations. In London salons there was no end to the visitors ordering, for the fashion of those years, special perfumed balms for styling hair and mustache. Of course, Atkinson also decided to succeed in the hairdressing field and opened his own perfume boutique at Gerard Street in London. He quickly outperformed his competitors. And even without knowing the laws of marketing, he managed to attract the close attention of the English aristocracy to his boutique and business. Indeed, by his personal order, a live bear was kept on a chain at the door of the boutique, by the way, which later became the symbol of the brand and the main decoration of the emblem of the House.
And for the preparation of balms used bear fat with a pleasant pink aroma. Customers were thrilled. They came to see the bear, buy perfumes and enjoy the excellent service Atkinson was famous for.
So claim after this that the bears are able to provide only bear services!
Soon, the new perfumer introduced to the public the first English cologne English Eau de Cologne. The use of spices in the formula provided stability to the new aroma. At the same time, the notes were set by notes of juniper, cardamom and Turkish rose. But true glory did not come to Atkinson only after he gave the cologne a new name 24 Old Bond Street (in honor of the address of the headquarters of Atkinsons, which opened in 1832 on Old Bon Street) and poured it into stylish bottles. The new cologne was a peculiar response of the British to Italian perfumes, which were at the peak of fashion and considered the standard of perfumery art. It is said that King George IV was one of the first perfumer’s innovations: when His Majesty got acquainted with the sound of aroma, he immediately decided to make Atkinson a court perfumer. As you know, the location of the king by unspoken tradition has always had a significant impact on the mood of the English nobility. Since then, every new Atkinsons fragrance has become fashionable and has enjoyed great popularity in society and in the world.
Among the loyal fans of the brand, at the same time, such implacable opponents as Napoleon and Admiral Nelson were listed. And among the favorite clients were Lady Hamilton, Margarita of Savoy, dandy Brammel and the Russian Empress Alexandra Fedorovna ... By the beginning of the 20th century Atkinsons had become a real perfume monopolist, having a significant impact on the markets of Europe, North and South America and Australia. So from a modest boutique a whole fragrant empire grew.
Is Atkinsons ready to surprise fans with its legendary fragrances today?
Due to limitations, we cannot use the ingredients of the original formulas today. Therefore, for example, our English Eau de Cologne, invented more than 200 years ago, today is only inspired by a vintage cologne, and recreated in its modern interpretation. For example, it is still filled with fresh notes of cardamom, juniper and Turkish rose, but presented in full accordance with the current fashion - with top notes of whiskey and black tea. By the way, the original English ingredients give the aroma a light smack aftertaste. We also created an interpretation of the legendary colognes English Eau de Cologne, 24 Old Bond Street, The British Bouquet, The Odd Fellow's Bouquet, The Nuptial Bouquet and Fashion Decree.
It is claimed that most of these fragrances were released for very specific historical figures.
And indeed it is. The Nuptial Bouquet was specially assembled for Queen Victoria's wedding ceremony. She loved flowers, therefore, especially for her from the notes of lily of the valley, violet, white muscat, myrtle and sandalwood, a very romantic bouquet was made. By the way, Kate Middleton used a similar fragrance on her wedding day and earned the approval of experts as a follower of the royal tradition. And the famous French actress and fashionista Sarah Bernhardt used our Fashion Decree bouquet, inspired precisely by her magnificent play. Silk notes are especially active in this fragrance. Its appearance on the market was a real sensation. Indeed, at the court of Queen Victoria, the silk flower was considered an exorbitant luxury. So, at the end of the XIX century, these flowers were transported to the islands from Asia in special boats. And so that the precious material does not deteriorate due to annoying insects, it is wrapped in patchouli leaves ... Today we use a softer version of patchouli from Indonesia. And nowadays fashionable freshness of the aroma is ensured by adding notes of magnolia and pepper to the formula.
By the way, Brammel's favorite dandy fragrance was The British Bouquet, composed of notes of bitter orange, lavender and citrus zest brought from Australia, and the smell of skin presented as the main chord. And our The Odd Fellow's Bouquet was made for Lawrence of Arabia himself. He flaunted notes of Turkish tobacco and ginger (a favorite English combination) and was actively used in the salons of most gentleman's clubs in London.
How difficult was it to find perfumers to recreate a vintage collection?
We invited the most famous perfumers and provided them access to the holy-saints - the archives of our House. However, they, as I said, could not use the original formulas. However, reproducing a similar fragrance from other elements is a rather difficult task, therefore, for example, Christine Najal (Terry de Bashmakoff was the packaging designer) was invited to recreate our famous 24 Old Bond Street fragrance, Bernard de Pusa worked on The British Bouquet, Fabrice Pera - over The Odd Fellow Bouquet, and Karin du Broy tried for Fashion Decree.
Brigitte, you have academic knowledge in the field of perfumery. Is there a fragrance that you want to create?
Yes, and this is a scent with notes of vetiver for women. I already somehow tried to collect it, but I did not like the result. The thing is that I really want to get a special feminine fragrance, but at the same time I use traditionally masculine ingredients!
How important are Atkinsons customers and the Russian market?
The history of our perfume house is closely intertwined with the history of Russia - after all, it was the Russian tsars and the elite who were among the first to support the Atkinsons and for many years were among our main customers. I think that the current Russian elite will also like our vintage collection of premium class aromas.
In September, we hosted a presentation of Atkinsons fragrances at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Moscow. As well as with Bloomingdale's in Dubai, we signed an exclusive agreement with TSUM in Moscow. So now it can be argued that the Atkinsons English perfume brand has successfully entered the Russian market, seriously determined to regain its former glory and leading position!
