The Scent – as seen by Chantal Roos
Chantal Roos, Grand Lady, well-known in the perfume branche and for her perfume concepts (Opium, Kouros, Le Mâle, L’Eau d’Issey…), is head of the Advisory Board of The Scent. With its president Shahzad Haider, this first high-end salon dedicated to niche fragrances, will be held from January 23rd to January 25th in Dubai.
Zoom on this unique event with Chantal Roos
After having worked for the biggest names in the industry (YSL, Shiseido with BPI and Issey Miyake, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Sanofi Beauté with Tom Ford, a division of Gucci), Chantal Roos launched her own brand, Dear Rose in 2014, together with her daughter Alexandra, composer, singer and artist. A history about experience and transmission.
How did you get to know Shahzad Haider, the president of the Fragrance Foundation in Dubai ?
I’ve known him for several years because I participated in many Grand Prix editions of the Fragrance Foundation. This idea exists already for a long time in the US. The formula has then been copied and developed in other countries, notably in France, with the Fragrance Foundation France and its FIFI Awards. The foundations’ goal is to stimulate and promote the most creative talents in the field of Perfume.Is there a prize awarded to the best niche perfume by the Foundation ?
Yes. It’s the FRAGRANCE FOUNDATION AWARD. The jury (composed of personalities with different sensibilities and backgrounds) gathered on October 7th at the Perfume Museum, to choose between the pre-selected perfumes and come to a final short list. The winners will be announced in November 2017 in Dubai.
Can you tell us about the first niche perfume salon, The Scent, which will be held from January 23rd to 25th in Dubai ?
The Scent will be an olfactory experience, highlighting the fragrances of the Middle-East with emphasis on diversity and innovation. Art will also be in the foreground of this event which will be unique in its genre. A great premiere, because of the level of quality as well as the set of artistic niche perfumes that will be represented and the presence of perfume celebrities and experts in the field. This will be for the first time that the event will be exclusively dedicated to these unique fragrances, now to be witnessed by the whole world. Until today, next to ESXENCE in Milan, Fragranze in Florence, TFWA in Cannes and some recent initiatives in Paris, there was no important perfume event in Dubai, a town where the perfume culture is deeply anchored in tradition and plays an important role. You should know that in the Middle-East the “layering effect”, a daily ritual that consists of applying several layers of perfume during the day (3 to 7) to finally create your own fragrance is part of the culture.
Who will attend the event ?
Many distributors and supply chain collaborators will be present to uplift the event and its fragrances, as well as many negotiators, retailers and resellers.What is different about “The Scent” in comparison to other events ?
The event was designed as an artistic experience, where art, painting, music and fashion blend with fragrances. Shahzad Haider, the president of The Scent, wanted it to be very high-end event. Designed in an artistic way with the stands presented in a flower-shaped layout, this will be a unique experience for all the senses.
What are the objectives for the “The Scent” salon ?
This will be one of the most status-enhancing experiences in the perfume universe and the Middle-East. The spin-offs will be international but also national because in this country there is a genuine love for perfumes and the exigency is at the highest level. The aim of The Scent remains to attract distributors from all over the world in search of new brands and keen on fragrances, but also to have an important impact on innovation and diversity in the Arabian world of perfumes.
Novembre 2017
By La rédaction