The elegance of being a Dandy: a writing contest



Alfred D'Orsay - Richard James (1833)

«A dandy touch of scented elegance», years ago I chose to subtitle this way the blog just because, whether it's a gardenia or anything else, boutonierre and perfume are two necessary features of the real Dandy. Dandy is also the name of the fragrance of the House d'Orsay paying tribute to its founder Count d'Orsay and to all the men with a unique style. Scrittore e amante dei profumi, Wilde used to wear a green carnation asa boutonierre but nowadays there are many ways of being a Dandy. What's yours? Here's your chance to talk about it.

From the all women's meeting of Marie Huet from Parfum D'Orsay and Stefania Giannino from Nobile 1942 with the blogger Patrizia Finucci Gallo curating since 2011 che contest WriteWear, the writing contest «Les Dandy aux Parfums - The elegance of being a Dandy» has born.
Write down 20 raws (max 1300 characters) about your Dandy side, what's your take about this chic trend and how you mix it in your life style, your wardrobe or again your passion for art.
Two winners (one italian and one french) will be chosen by a panel of experts and will have the chance to get to Milan for the prizegiving. The Italian winner will gain: a ticket to stay one night in Milan on March 28-29 2015, the entrance at Esxence 2015, the international salon of artistic perfumery and finally a bottle of Le Dandy (or La Dandy) offered by Parfums d’ Orsay.

The contest is open to Italy and France and you have time till the midnight of March 10 to send your writings to parfumsdorsaywritewear@pfgstyle.com.

Blind Sniff Roulette #1: Paris di Yves Saint Laurent

Paris - Pubblicità del 1990

La selezione di quest'anno delle fragranze con cui giocare si apre inevitabilmente influenzata dai miei incontri sulla storia della profumeria ed in particolare come molti hanno azzeccato, siamo davanti ad un best-seller anni '80: Paris di Yves Saint Laurent in versione eau de toilette vintage. La leggenda vuole che Yves Saint Laurent avesse dato come unico briefing a Sophia Grojsman un orologio con un cinturino rosa. Come avete ben descritto, ispirata da Après l'Ondée Sophia lo ha tradotto in un jus femminile (colori chiari, fantasie floreali) e vivace (La vie en rose, Vivaldi), romantico (Sissi, Audrey Hepburn, l'operetta) ma con un tocco contemporaneo malizioso (Brigitte Bardot, pizzi e trasparenze) che nei decenni è diventato un classico associato all'espressione più raffinata dell'eleganza anni '80.

Blind Sniff Roulette #1: Yves Saint Laurent Paris

Paris 1990 advertising

This year's selection of fragrances to play with inevitably opens under the influence of my conferences about perfume history and in particular as many of you guessed right, we're in front of an '80s best-seller: Paris by Yves Saint Laurent here in vintage eau de toilette concentration. Legend tells that Yves Saint Laurent just gave Sophia Grojsman as briefing a watch with a pink strap. As all of you widely described, inspired by Après l'Ondée she translated this into a feminine (pale colours, floral prints) and lively (Vivaldi, La vie en rose) juice full of romance (Sissi, Audrey Hepburn, Lehar) yet with a contemporary naughty twist (Brigitte Bardot, lace and sheer fabrics) that through the decades has gained his place among the classics as the most refined expression of the '80s showy elegance.

Vero Profumo Onda: verso il Nirvana

Per molti versi il 2014 è stato l'anno di Vero Kern. Prima il lancio della sua quinta fragranza, Rozy ispirata ad Anna Magnani nell'interpretazione de La rosa tatuata che le valse un oscar.

Poi la consacrazione dal MUDAC di Losanna che inserisce Onda fra le opere esposte nella mostra Nirvana - Le strane forme del piacere. La mia folgorazione per questa donna però nasce nel 2010 a Bologna durante lo Smell Festival. Tutte le creazioni di Vero hanno nomi di quattro lettere, ma quel pomeriggio di novembre le quattro lettere di O-N-D-A sussurrarono al mio naso dolcezze così indecenti da dare i brividi.

Vero Profumo Onda: heading to Nirvana

For many reasons 2014 has been Vero Kern's year. First the launch of her fifth fragrance, Rozy inspired by Anna Magnani and her character in The rose tattoo that won her an oscar. Then the accolade from MUDAC in Lausanne including Onda among the artworks shown through the exhibition Nirvana - Strange forms of pleasure. My crush for this lady starts in 2010 in Bologna though, during the Smell Festival. All Vero creations bear a four letters name, but that november afternoon the four letters O-N-D-A whispered to my nose such dirty sweetness to give me goosebumps.