six scents

If you have an unhealthy obsession with couture and fragrance, let me introduce you to your next fixation: Six Scents. We've talked about these designer/nose collaborations before, but now it appears that pairing six of the fashion world's most dynamic designers with six of Givaudan's most gifted perfumers is going to become a regular thing.

This year, the teams created fragrances centered around the theme "Innocence to Experience," crafting scents that recall the most definitive moments of their journey to adulthood. Sales of the fragrances will help raise money for War Child, a charity that helps children whose lives have been torn apart by conflict, so this isn't just art for art's sake, either.

Last night's launch party for the limited-edition fragrance set Six Scents was rather memorable — and not only because I've never before witnessed performance art inspired by perfume. The bash was held to celebrate the collaboration between six designers and perfumers who got together to see what they could come up with by exploring "the relationship between artist and nature." Six was the theme of the evening, with an equal number of films, art pieces, and photographic works scattered about the studio space.

Phillip Lim, Henry Holland, Damir Doma, Henrik Vibskov, Richard Nicoll, and Toga, represented the fashion end. Mr. Holland, fresh from his recent show during London Fashion Week, kept an eye on the proceedings as host. Phillip Lim wasn't there, but I was especially interested in his first foray into the fragrance world.

He partnered with perfumer Natalie Gracia-Cetto, who said she was "inspired by Phillip’s unique and special style: easy to wear to go to work and stylish enough for a night out. It’s a fresh and sensual unisex fragrance that can be worn all day long." It includes notes of both white and black pepper, patchouli, cedarwood, and magnolia for an unusually heavy scent that isn't for the faint of heart. Check out more info at Six-Scents.com.