Another interesting perfume launch by a young female artist, this time an Irish one. Danielle Ryan has launched Roads, a concept that covers books, films and fragrance and I got the chance to meet her recently at the UK launch of her first ten fragrances.
It’s ambitious to launch so many fragrances at once, particularly if you have no previous experience in the industry. As a new name, it allows you to present a bigger ‘brand presence’ on the perfume counter -a solitary bottle looks a bit sad and t’s easy to get lost amongst the noise so I get why Danielle’s gone big, but ten’s still a bold move.
Danielle took me through each smell, which were presented in ceramic eggs -you stuck your nose inside and inhaled – and I was surprised how good they are. She’s been inspired by places, people, history and emotions and all the fragrances are made in the UK.
I liked Harmattan, using ubiquitous oud, mixed with a saffrony lavender and Graduate1954 which is an old school tuberose mashed up with lighter florals such as jasmine and bergamot. Cloud 9 is a contemporary waft of well-being, a mix of chamomile, lily of the valley and vanilla and seemed to be everyone’s favourite.
What I really like is Danielle’s idea that fragrance can sit next to art and film in her brand umbrella, it’s very refreshing to see perfume taken out of its traditional environment of ‘beauty’ and given a new persona, something that might enrich your cultural life in the same way art can. Makes perfect sense to me and it was what the New York Museum of Art and Design was saying with its exhibition The Art Of Scent back in 2012. Perfume reaches more than just our noses and we wish Danielle well with her new venture.
Roads fragrances will be launching soon in Selfridges UK, Brown Thomas Ireland, Barney’s New York and NK Stockholm. Go smell ’em