Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
Sustainability as a modern resurgence of classicism and how those principles can be applied to the perfume industry ‘Classic’ is the name used to refer to the era of antique Greek civilization spanning between 490 and 338 BCE. Commonly known as the apex of the Athenian Republic, this period of relative peace in the Mediterranean Basin allowed the blossoming of arts and philosophy as well as the development of a theoretical frame. This brief moment in history has been considered since, as early as during the Roman Empire, to be a Golden Age. Throughout the ages, especially in art history, we can observe a cycle. Whenever society feels it has reached a climax and the outcomes become excessive, there is a return to the sources, an “ideal of plainness” as Michael Greenhalt calls it in his book What is Classicism? (1990). Classicism indeed is often dismissed for its return to bare essentials, its almost mathematical rules of writing drama or music. In his book, Greenhalt even extends the phenomenon to non-western civilization; pointing out the pureness of the Ming style in response to the excess of the previous dynasty. To Greenhalt, classicism is “namely the revival and reworking of past ideas and styles, and their fitting to modern circumstances” (1990). Classic specialists, like Mary Beard and John Henderson, remind us that antique texts are the base for a new reflection and each era provides a new angle of reading. The key point in this phenomenon is actually the need to go back in time to this era of severity. Renaissance theories reacting to the empirical excesses of Gothic architecture, French Classicism
countering
Italian
Baroque
theatricality,
Neo-Classicism
answering
the
masquerade of Rococo, the geometry of Art Deco discarding the floral crowd of Art Nouveau; everything is caught in a loop of immoderation to simplification. In a way, sustainability could then be seen as one more spin of the same wheel. In consequence to excessive industrialization and the disruption of the balance between economy, society and environment, the need for a return to classic principles is strongly felt and since the
Classics Project 1
Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
technological progress took us to a point of no-return, it is almost a question of survival instinct this time. There are indeed connections between Sustainability thinking and the philosophy of ancient Greeks. One could actually be found in the recommendation to build an emotional bond between objects and user to outgrow a pure materialistic approach. Consumption is now perceived as a major threat to our survival from the resources exhaustion angle as well as the waste accumulation perspective. In order to counter this phenomenon and change those habits, a new motto has been put forward: “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle” While the emphasis has mostly been put on recycling until now, reducing consumption is in fact the point that should be emphasised. By building a strong connection between objects and users, discarding used products become less easy; thus diminishing the need for a new item and consumption itself. Meanwhile, the development of such production can be paired with a sustainable management of resources just like we can witness in the paper industry with the sustainable management of forests. This willingness to reach beyond the materiality of the object echoes the words of Socrates, through the writings of his disciple Plato. Indeed, in Parmenides and the famous Allegory of the Cave in the Republic, they express the idea that the sensible world, which can be interpreted as the material world, is only the first level of perception to reach out to a world of ideas and learn about the true nature of things. Perfume is actually a very good portal for such an experience. Relying on the sense of smell which works with associations; the materiality of the product, e.g. molecules, is completely overlooked in favor of the memories paired with the scent. In his book Odor sensation and memory (1991), Trygg Engen specifies that scents themselves are neutral and it is only our unconscious interpretation through the filter of our memory that gives a good or bad
Classics Project 2
Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
impression. Smell indeed is only warning about an unknown scent, it will direct our attention to its source but can’t help us determine if it is dangerous or not. This brings us to another interesting question: Why then do we wear perfume, taking the risk of provoking an instant dislike among our peers? In a way, it is very similar to making a fashion statement by wearing colourful or bold designs. Perfume has always been a strong signifier. The use of cosmetics is attested as early as the 3rd millenary BCE with findings in archaeological excavations of tombs in Mesopotamia. In Egypt, scented ointments and oils were part of the ritual of embalming and the statues of the gods in temples were actually coated with those same products. There is no doubt that the extreme difference between the large amounts of primary resources necessary to produce very little essential oil impacted on the way perfume was perceived. This status of luxury product, remember the gifts brought by the Three Wise Kings in the Bible, was strongly reflected by the bottles. The small stone vases of the Egyptian as well as the precious glass alabastron from Syria testify of the high regards for perfume. It is clear that perfume has been sign of wealth since the dawn of civilization. However, we still don’t know why it is used. The easiest answer brings us back to the process of odour memory. If statues of immortal gods smell of perfume, the wearer of this same scent is associated with the idea of eternity and power. This fact takes us back to the very animal nature of human beings. Chemical communication in the animal domain, more commonly known as pheromones, is actually carried by the sense of smell. Oddly though, we are unable to perceive our personal scent. Perfume becomes then a substitute for this ghostly odour and even more a mask. The hero of Patrick Süskind The Perfume exemplifies this phenomenon elaborating an ordinary man scent as well as a charismatic one thus enabling him to change the perception of his person by the others. To return to our classic philosophers, Aristotle, a former student of Plato, states that “Man is by nature a political animal”. Furthermore, he adds in the Metaphysics,
Classics Project 3
Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
that our senses are the first filters of our intelligence. So we need to wear perfume and project an idea of us to secure our position in society. Perfume allows us to either stand out or blend in. At least that is the common belief. As Dr. Havlicek from Charles University of Prague recently stated before his participation to the International Fragrance Association Conference, we in fact pick the perfume that will work best with our body odour. So it would be more accurate to say that perfume singles us out. Then why, when we are asked to think about the perfume industry in terms of sustainability, the task seems at first as colossal as Hercules’ labours? The key problem is what is known of perfume industry which amounts to very little. In the public opinion, it is an expensive coquettish product sold to people in order for them to fulfill their wish of becoming the famous face that was chosen to represent the fragrance. Indeed, perfume has been imprisoned in a manufactured materiality. The precious packaging has overpowered the precious content. Moreover, the way in which a fragrance is described is quite disturbing. It is often referred to as something overwhelming when not as a love potion. Despite the truth contained in this idea, since scent is a trigger for a powerful and very complete memory experience, the words and images chosen to depict the phenomenon are not comforting for the human mind. Losing control of ourselves is not totally perceived in a negative way. However when it is triggered by an outside element over which we have no influence, it becomes much less appealing. We live in an era of science and reason. This means that we want to understand the process of everything and when, paradoxically, we would not mind taking control of another person, we would rather not be their victim. The idea of taking risks and blending in was mentioned earlier. The combination of various scents to create a fragrance may be infinite but how many can actually provoke an agreeable experience? How many are safe enough to predict that they will generate a positive association in a majority of people’s brains? This limitation of perfume design needs to be seriously considered because if the number of variations is limited, the brand becomes a Classics Project 4
Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
major criterion of choice. And how does a fragrance embody a brand? By creating an immaterial idea through the power of association produced by scents. We there reach the same obstacle encountered by Socrates and Parmenides in the opening of Plato’s eponymous dialogue: the One and the Many, the Like and the Unlike. Does a scent have the ability to stand for more than one idea? The question is indeed complex since associations and interpretation of a scent are very personal. How does a perfumer manage to tell a specific story to the customer? The perfume industry needs to embrace the idea of classicism and re-explore the reasons of its existence in the light of Sustainability. Fragrances have been always been used for a purpose of communication, hi-jacking the natural sense of smell to give humans the possibility of expressing an idea of themselves that they imagine to be true. Picking the right perfume could be summed up by the motto written in the Temple of Apollo in Delphi: “Know thyself” Sustainable design thinkers usually recommend leaving room for the user input. This quality is in fact embedded in perfume making due to smell processing by the brain. So what is the next move toward a deeper emotional involvement of the consumer? The key factor may reside in the way perfume is sold. Just like in bespoke tailoring, existing mixes could be used as block patterns and then fitted to the customer; adding just enough of a personal a touch. Instead of branding a scent, the perfume store should offer a more personalized service. Using fragrances that have been identified as representative of a typical category, the sale assistant could help the customer define his personal scent and then offer to add one or more ingredients to perfect it. This would require a higher level of expertise on the part of the sales assistant but it will contribute to the preservation of very specific skills and the experience of perfume shopping could actually participate in building a stronger bond between the perfume brand and the Classics Project 5
Raphaëlle Bénard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
customer, encouraging repeat business. This type of interaction could help to put forward the story, the idea behind the perfume and the inspiration of the perfumer. The revelation of a little bit of the process and an invitation to take part in the magic of creating the product would be the first step to a more sustainable use of perfume. Sustainability is also about informing people and, just like the classic philosopher, giving a true idea of the product. More information about the basic ingredients and the quantities of resources used as well as quality is necessary to reinstate the preciousness of perfume. This information could be included in the sales pitch and further conveyed through pricing. Preciousness would help remind the user what the act of putting perfume on is all about. It will lead them to chose a fragrance in a more conscious process and truly use it as it was meant to be used. We need to remember that perfume is not about covering our body odour and hiding the animalistic part of our nature. It is indeed the exact opposite. Perfume is about self-expression. Putting a specific scent on is sending a message to our peers about ourselves relying on the archaic and wildlife-typical sense of smell. Perfume is indeed and has always been about communication. This property is the heart of the industry and this is what needs to be exploited. Why is it the future of fragrance? How would taking this direction help the industry to develop more sustainable practices of the perfume production? Sustainable design is about creating sustainability through design. It is about letting sustainability occur more than planning it. The real outcome of sustainable design is experience and storytelling in an extended time line. Perfume actually possesses the attributes of such product. As Nabokov stated: “Memory can restore to life everything except smells, although nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it.” (1970) Classics Project 6
RaphaĂŤlle BĂŠnard MA Fashion and the Environment
London College of Fashion December 2011
It is established that scent is a trigger for a very complete experience of our past. The experience can be very individual as well as shared. Picture the wonder of being able to offer the bottled memory of a moment you shared with your loved ones. Sustainability is about community, bringing people together, connection and increasing consciousness of interactions. Reuniting around a very vivid experience of a memory or creating the scent of a future memory in, say, a particular event, answers very well to the requirements of sustainable design. Sustainability is very much centred on the will of replacing the human in his own environment, helping him to understand the network of interactions he lives in. Of course, this can be taught but it can also be experienced. Perfume with its ability to provoke an experience, to share associations on an unconscious level, beyond the sensible world, contains the essence of such a process. In a way, perfume belongs to this classic issue that connects sustainability thinking with the Greek philosophers: the social nature of human beings and the imperative of finding a way to live together in harmony. At first, fragrance, with its very chemical and manufactured nature, appears to be the most unsustainable, a mask which you can hide your true nature behind. It is only through introspection and trying to return to the essential question of why perfume is used that a way toward a durable and meaningful future for the industry can be found. Resources can be managed in a sustainable way, packaging can be redesigned to reduce environmental concerns but the first necessity is to remind producers and customers of the preciousness of scent as an extraordinary communication tool.
Classics Project 7
Â