A few weeks ago the New York Times headlined You’ve heard of K-Beauty. Now try K-Perfume, a bit like saying: we know everything about Korean skincare by now, while it’s time to discover the perfumery of Seoul and its surroundings, about which we know little or nothing. Instead, the local olfactory culture seems very fascinating and the most sophisticated, artistic and niche K brands are starting to get noticed in the West.
«Korea has a rich history of perfumes that dates back to 500 BC when fragrances had a mystical value because they were used in religious rituals to disperse negative energies.
Over time the vision has changed, but perfume has remained an instrument of well-being, capable of freeing the mind and protecting the body. In the past, in fact, it was customary to carry bouquets of flowers and herbs with you in small bags or traditional accessories such as norigae”, explains Su min Park, co-founder of Elorea, a brand of sillage and aromas for the home which has been has opened a store in New York which also hosts installations by young Korean artists. «Many of these ancient traditions unfortunately disappeared during the Japanese occupation, coinciding with the introduction of Western alcohol-based fragrances onto the market. The intent of the brand is to revive our olfactory heritage by reimagining it for a modern audience.”
The creator points out that in her language the word for perfume, hyang soo, also means “longing for home”. «It’s a very poetic concept: we all want a place, a place, a memory and fragrances are a powerful way to revive these dreams».
The approach of BornToStandOut, founded in 2022 by Jun Lim and arrived in Italy after being presented last September at Pitti Fragranze, is decidedly different.
“We live a socially standardized lifestyle, where we feel comfortable because we want society to consider us normal. It is a way of approaching life uncritically. We rebel against all this,” we read on the site. «We offer a different style by boldly using avant-garde ingredients: our perfumes are dirty, fun and wild», says Jun Lim. An example? Combine notes of banana bread with those of rum, or those of honey and sesame with pistachio and almonds. «Koreans today prefer delicate fragrances with little character, pleasant and comforting. The perfume market is growing, but it is not driven by cultural development or an awareness of local taste, rather by endorsements from K-pop stars working for big international brands. Ours is a conservative Confucian country: the good of society is more important than that of the individual and supporting individual choices (which may include the use of a niche fragrance) is considered rude or impolite.”
Romeo Oh, on the other hand, grew up in a rural region of Korea and then moved to the Marais, in Paris, where in 2019 he founded his couture perfumery brand, OhTop. «After working in fashion for years, I understood that fragrances are the last garment we put on. How much do my origins matter? 50%. I have been in Paris for 35 years and I feel I have two cultures, two characters, two different universes that merge into one.”
#skincare #Korean #perfumes #triumph #rebellious #unconventional
– 2024-03-28 23:02:35
