Interview with Frederick Bouchardy of Joya Creator of “Ames Soeurs”
April 23, 2012
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and/or guest contributors and do not necessarily state or reflect those of The Perfume Magazine LLC, Raphaella Brescia Barkley or Mark David Boberick.
All content included on this site, such as text, graphics, logos, icons, videos and images is the property of The Perfume Magazine, LLC. or its content suppliers and protected by United States and international copyright laws. The compilation of all content on this site is the exclusive property of The Perfume Magazine, LLC. and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws.
The Perfume Magazine.com is solely owned and operated by Raphaella Barkley Raphaella Barkley; Editor, Founder and Owner of The Perfume Magazine LLC.
The Perfume Magazine Forums, The Perfume Magazine.com, The Perfume Magazine FaceBook,The Perfume Magazine Twitter, and Sniffapalooza Magazine.com, as well as all The Perfume Magazine Social Media, is also solely owned and operated by Raphaella Barkley and The Perfume Magazine LLC.
THE PERFUME MAGAZINE LOGO & BANNER
Perfume Magazine Brand Consultant: Tim Girvin
Our logo was created by GIRVIN | Strategic Branding, based in Seattle, NYC, and Tokyo. This is a specially built font that their design team created exclusively for Perfume Magazine. It is a custom cutting, redrawn and founded on a type design originated in 1798 by Giambattista Bodoni, drawn from the archives of Firmin Didot, an exemplar of luxurious design principles for hundreds of years. GIRVIN's team built the "fume" trail, as well as composited the arrangement of the bottles as part of the branding strategy.
The Perfume Magazine Banner was designed exclusively by GIRVIN and is the property of The Perfume Magazine, LLC.
All images appearing in the banner are registered trademarks of their respected company and are used with permission.
Creed Bottle image in The Perfume Magazine Banner is a registered trademark of Creed and used with permission.
Fracas Bottle image in The Perfume Magazine Banner is a registered trademark of Robert Piquet and used with permission.
The logo and banner are property of The Perfume Magazine, LLC. and are protected by U.S.and international copyright laws.
© Copyright. 2012. All Rights Reserved. The Perfume Magazine LLC 2011
By Lynn Morgan
How did you meet M.J. Rose?
I didn’t know her previously. We were relatively new to one another when this began. Business friends introduced us.
What was your initial response to The Book of Lost Fragrances?
I loved it. I read it very quickly and it just flew by! There aren’t many books in this vein dealing with perfume. She uses history as a backdrop for the story she is telling. The Book of Lost Fragrances is basically a mystery, and creating a fragrance is like solving a mystery: assembling a puzzle, discovering the pieces that will make it come together.
How did Âmes Soeurs come about?
I worked exclusively with one perfumer: Raya Vega, who has created many fragrances for us. We used the book as inspiration. We selected scents that had a religious or ritualistic flavor, and then we had our way with them! The top notes are tamarind, Cyprus and grapefruit; the middle is rose bulgur, ginger and orange blossom, and the dry-down is cedar wood, incense, amber and sweet musk, so the overall effect is orange blossoms, wrapped in smoke, incense and musk. It comes as oil. That gives it an intimacy, and a sense that the oil will change and evolve on your skin over time. It doesn’t have the same effect as spraying it on from a bottle; you have a much more intimate relationship with it.
How did you begin making perfumes?
A. Backwards. I started with a home fragrance company. We had a collection of candles and diffusers called “Perfume in Porcelain”. We started adding more fragrances to the line, and because our customers responded to the tactile nature of the products, we decided to add body products to the line. Perfumes evolved from there.
Is Âmes Soeurs the first perfume you’ve created that was inspired by a novel? What are your usual sources of inspiration?
It’s our first collaboration with a writer, but it won’t be the last. We’ve collaborated with designers- fashion; furniture or industrial- and artists before.
What do you find inspiring?
Music inspires me. Design. History. Food. My friends’ art work and art by others I admire.
What are your favorite scented materials to work with?
The range of possibilities gets me excited! I’m not overly fond of sweet scents. When you get a really good, high quality jasmine, it’s not that sweet. I don’t like gourmand scents very much. I produce a lot of different kinds of perfumes and different products have different requirements. I’ve always thought that one of the most attractive things about perfumery is that it allows people to go their own way and explore their own ideas.
Orange blossoms, jasmine, frankincense and myrrh- how did you select the notes that comprise Âmes Soeurs?
We were guided by M.J. Rose’s description in the book, but we didn’t follow it exactly. It’s a little like cooking: a chef doesn’t always follow a recipe to the letter. We wanted a floral that evolved into something deeper, smokier and ancient.
Is Âmes Soeurs going to be a limited edition?
We’re launching it at Henri Bendel in New York. Later, it will be available in about ten stores around the country and on our website, JoyaStudio.com. There will be a super limited edition of solid perfume: a total of fifteen, packaged in a porcelain vessel, trimmed in 22 karat gold.
Customer response will determine the ultimate fate of Âmes Soeurs: if the demand is there, we will keep producing it.
How do you define what you do?
My creations are more about the experience than practicality!
Frederick Bouchardy
