Dior isn't ignoring the oud bandwagon that
has almost every single perfume house on the planet vying for a perfume
with the exotic-sounding prized Eastern material in the name. Oud Ispahan,
combining two exotic references in one, is Dior's latest addition to
their Privée line of fragrances with a limited boutique distribution.
Not
only an oud (after all, Dior also have Leather Oud in their line-up)
but also a rose (the famous Damascus Rose) and an amber rolled into one,
Oud Ispahan promises to bring the Arabia Felix smile to many a Diorphile's face.
For mysterious, grown-up hippie women (and men—the fragrance is presented as a unisex offering) who want to smell sophisticated and orientalized, exotic and fascinating, Oud Ispahan is a fragrance release that will create some talk. Of course the more seasoned perfumephiles among us will find that oud and rose is a classic combination that has been already explored, but Dior rather aims at consolidating an Arabian authenticity than presenting a novel accord.
For mysterious, grown-up hippie women (and men—the fragrance is presented as a unisex offering) who want to smell sophisticated and orientalized, exotic and fascinating, Oud Ispahan is a fragrance release that will create some talk. Of course the more seasoned perfumephiles among us will find that oud and rose is a classic combination that has been already explored, but Dior rather aims at consolidating an Arabian authenticity than presenting a novel accord.
“Oud Ispahan recreates Mr.
Dior’s dreams of the Orient* through a striking Rose Oud Amber accord.
Created by Dior Perfumer-Creator Francois Demachy, this
universal scent features top notes of Labdanum Absolute, middle notes
of Patchouli Essence from Indonesia and bottom notes of Oud Essence from
Laos, Rose Essence from Turkey and Sandalwood Essence from New
Caledonia for a warm, spicy reinterpretation of Eastern locales.”
According to Demachy it's
"an immediate impression, an instant local snapshot of the Orient."
*Christian Dior has said, "As for the bazaars of Trebizond, on entering I felt as though I was heading into Ali Baba's magical cave."
[Trebizond is actually on the border of the Caucasus region and the
Black Sea and bears the heritage of the Byzantine empire and its Greek
populaces, but let's allow this lumping of the Middle East into one
exotic amalgam continue for Western tastes...]
Oud Ispahan
is going to be released in summer 2012 through Dior boutiques worldwide
and will be available from 28th May in Selfridges Maison des Parfums on
Oxford Street, London.
125 ml will set you back 125 GBP, 250 ml of juice go for 185 GBP and 450 ml cost 285 GBP.
