In the company of a couple of wonderful South African customers who are passionate about perfumes, we walked for two days through the aisles of the ESXENCE 2019 trade fair held in Milan from 25 to 28 April, making sure that our eyes and noses were as impartial as possible on the brands and their products on exhibition . This elegant and bourgeois city, the economic capital of a country a country where niche perfumery is particularly popular. Over the years, Esxence has seen the number of exhibitors grow bigger and  richer with new and prolific perfume brands. Most players and observers of the perfumery industry deplore an ever-increasing number of launches, on the grounds that it: trivializes the offer; very often lacks creativity; doesn’t always respect the codes of luxury, and is responsible for the loss of  appeal of perfumes to consumers by creating confusion. The arrival of niche brands has contributed to amplifying this phenomenon. But that’s the way the world is going, and the perfume industry is no different from other markets such as the movie industry, literature, or music. The valves that opened this massive diffusion are probably impossible to reverse. But should we really regret it?

Our opinion on  this question has changed! while we too have long deplored the growing number of launches, which has risen in two decades from a few hundred to several thousand a year, we now believe that it is healthy and gratifying that each of us,  – bearers of  creative energy and ideas of which we desire to share with the world, – can do so with greater ease thanks to the reduction in development costs and the potential that new communication and design technologies offer for small businesses. Of course there are some products that are less inspired than others, initiatives that are not driven by any forceful idea, launches that are merely repetitions of what we have experienced beforeBut, There is a considerable percentage of entrepreneurs in our industry who are passionate about their profession and their love of perfume, and even if they were just a handful, it would be infinitely regrettable if they were unable to express their passion.

We were lucky enough to meet some of them in the aisles of the Milan fair, and we would like to pay tribute in this article to their courage and commitment, which make our industry so endearing and special.

We were very happy to meet Lucien Ferrero  – a tireless craftsman in the perfume industry for almost 50 years – who for 3 days, with his characteristic enthusiasm and humility, explained to each of his many interlocutors, the approach he applied in the creation of the 3 perfumes that were presented in his name: “Par amour pour lui”, “Par amour pour elle”, and “Seringa Blanc”. Generous and expressive fragrances  in the image of their creator, whose influence on modern perfumery, whether fine, more figurative or 100% natural, is, and will remain immeasurable.

We also ran into Alexandra ROOS, whom I had never met before, and who greatly contributed to our renewed optimism. Each time we passed by during these two days, we saw her beautiful smile coming back with the same sparkling look, and the same enthusiasm for her beautiful fragrances formulated by Fabrice Pellegrin. It didn’t take  a lot for us to be seduced by  her ROOS&ROOS brand, which she  expresses with frankness and simplicity. Why? because the notes she uses are superb and joyful; the presentation,  luxurious but without ostentation; and the prices moderate. If the success has any logic at all, this brand  undoubtedly meets it.

We met Denis Vogade and his brand Miller et Berteaux, which we had already noticed in previous editions of the show. Here again, we perceive a quality approach, a sincere desire to offer consumers a product that does not deceive them. The fragrances are signed and beautiful, especially its latest launch menta y menta, written in lower case  letters, but with major accords, where mint is perfectly mastered, amidst citrus, tea, coffee and jasmine notes. It is signed by Vincent Ricord, a perfumer (who worked for Expressions Parfumées and then Drom) whose talent is constantly asserting itself.

We could also mention Hervé Gambs, and his beautiful eponymous brand. Superb, racy juices, a highly sophisticated Oud, roses and woods in profusion, surrounded by rich, textured accords; fresh scents that transport you to the shores of the Mediterranean, and in short, an olfactory ‘coup de coeur’ already felt in the past, confirmed and amplified this year.

There were a host of other remarkable brands, among which we have selected two more, which are maintaining the beautiful course they have been on since their beginnings; Etat libre d’Orange, which presented its new and very beautiful opus, “Experimentum Crucis”, a very successful blend of spicy cumin notes. Olfactive Studio, an established brand with a recognized olfactory signature, whose new fragrances have brilliantly succeeded in the complex exercise of revisiting three of the most beautiful flowers in perfumery. They are “Violet Shot”, “Rose Shot” and “Iris Shot”, presented in an elegant leather outfit and all signed by the  exceptionally talented Dominique Ropion.

We may have missed out on many other great perfumes, but we’ll be back at the show next year to be sensationally surprised and overcome once again by the enthusiasm of all these designers, who day after day fight to keep their brand alive

PS: With the 2020 edition cancelled, we hope that we will be able to make some great discoveries again at the next edition of the show in February 2021.