To announce the celebration of its 20th birthday, the
Fragrance Foundation France rounded up a dozen of the very best perfumers on
the planet, all recipients of a Best Fragrance award, and what a family picture
that was… Where else but in Paris could
you have coffee with Annick Menardo, making a wish while you ate the season’s
first cherry with Dominique Ropion, sharing a laugh with Jacques Cavallier
about some anecdote from his native village of Cabris or watching Maurice
Roucel cuddling the resident tabby?
From
the back row going down, left to right :
Aurélien
Guichard (Givaudan), Michel Girard (Givaudan), Olivier Polge (IFF)
Annick
Menardo (Firmenich), Michel Almairac (Robertet)
Jacques
Cavallier-Belletrud (Louis Vuitton), Jacques Huclier (Givaudan)
Christine
Nagel (Mane), Maurice Roucel (Symrise), Dominique Ropion (IFF)
Alberto
Morillas (Firmenich), Sophie Labbé (IFF), Daniela Andrier (Givaudan)
Ten awards will be given out by a college of 800 voters representing member
companies of the Fragrance Foundation France. The “Prix des Experts” will be
awarded by a jury of perfume editors, evaluators and bloggers – of which I have been a member since its foundation three years ago – to a product from
a niche or exclusive line.The public is called upon to vote for best feminine and masculine
among the 15 top-sellers of 2011 on the French Fifi website.
In addition, the Foundation will give out a special award to the best
masculine and the best feminine fragrance of the past 20 years, picked among
the 40 laureates that won the award since its creation:
French Fifis for the best feminine fragrance, 1993/2011
1993 L’Eau d’Issey (Issey Miyaké)
1994 Classique (Jean-Paul Gaultier)
1995 Tocade (Rochas)
1996 Dolce Vita (Dior)
1997 Organza (Givenchy)
1998 Lolita Lempicka (L. Lempicka)
1999 Noa (Cacharel)
2000 J’adore (Dior)
2001 Flower (Kenzo)
2002 Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel)
2003 Gucci edp (Gucci)
2004 L’Instant (Guerlain)
2005 For Her (Narciso Rodriguez)
2006 Alien (Thierry Mugler)
2007 Nina (Nina Ricci)
2008 Infusion d’iris (Prada)
2009 Chloé (Parfums Chloé)
2010 Ricci-Ricci (Nina Ricci)
2011 Belle d’Opium (YSL)
French Fifis for the best masculine fragrance, 1993/2011
1993 Minotaure (Paloma
Picasso)
1994 XS pour Homme (Paco
Rabanne)
1995 L’Eau d’Issey pour
Homme (Miyaké)
1996 Le Mâle (Jean-Paul
Gaultier)
1997 A*Men (Thierry
Mugler)
1998 Jaipur (Boucheron)
1999 Pi (Givenchy)
2000 Allure pour Homme (Chanel)
2001 Lolita Lempicka au
masculin
2002 Higher (Dior)
2003 M7 (YSL)
2004 Gucci pour Homme
(Gucci)
2005 L’Instant pour
Homme (Guerlain)
2006 Dior Homme (Dior)
2007 Terre d’Hermès
(Hermès)
2008 Fleur du Mâle
(Jean-Paul Gaultier)
2009 1 Million (Paco
Rabanne)
2010 Jamais le Dimanche
(Ego Facto)
2011 Bleu (Chanel)
Now, on to you. Which would you pick out of this list as the best fragrance of the past 20 years?
The winners will be announced on June 26 during the 20th anniversary
gala celebration of the Fragrance Foundation France.
Crappy iPhone picture is mine, and will be replaced by a professional group portrait as soon as it's forwarded.
Tomatefarcie, aw c'mon: Tocade, Infusion d'Iris, Narciso Rodriguez for Her, Alien, L'Instant and Lolita Lempicka are all great fragrances, just to name a few of my personal picks... As is L'Eau d'Issey: it's more because it's been so widely imitated that it gets a bad rap.
RépondreSupprimerAnd yes, I saw that article and I was very happy about it!
I really loved the original 1999 J'Adore. That or Tocade would be my pick. ~~nozknoz
RépondreSupprimerNozknoz, J'Adore has certainly been a defining scent for the past decade!
RépondreSupprimerI think I'd go with original J'Adore and Dior Homme.
RépondreSupprimerMust have been a great evening! :)
Ines, Dior Homme would be a great pick for the masculines, wouldn't it?
RépondreSupprimerThe event was actually a breakfast, and the opportunity of taking the group picture I posted, of perfumers who'd won the French Fifi.I'm only sorry it didn't last longer (everyone had to go to work), since there were a few perfumers I'd never had much of a chance to speak with.
Torn between M7 and L'Instant DGPH. However, M7 has been tinkered with and the new edition a mere whisp of the old.....so, L'Instant it is!
RépondreSupprimerStephen, those were rewarded in their initial iterations, so whether to give credit to perfumers for their work, or promote a fragrance that no longer entirely deserves the acclaim, is kind of a tough call.
RépondreSupprimerNo idea about the women's! For the men, the original Gucci Pour Homme stands out as an exceptional, yet wearable, incense for men. I've hoarded bottles in my closet, I confess!
RépondreSupprimer-Marla
PS: OK, twist my arm on the women's and I'd go for the ORIGINAL J'Adore.
Marla, totally missed out on the Gucci pour Homme, still regret the original eau de parfum for women though!
RépondreSupprimerI should choose Tocade de Rochas and Allure pour Homme de Chanel.
RépondreSupprimerAlso, I like the photo: after reading your post, you feel how important people you see on it, no matter qulity... I feel I respect these persons for their creativity and inspirations... // louizkoul@gmail.com
Louizkoul, I'm still waiting for the professional picture to replace that one, but I agree it's a very impressive line-up!
RépondreSupprimerL’Instant pour Homme (Guerlain)
RépondreSupprimerCybele
Cybele, I'll definitely have to give that one another sniff!
RépondreSupprimer