Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, has teamed up with world-renowned arts and design college Central Saint Martins in London “to reimagine the future of fine fragrance.”
“Firmenich is empowering a positive future for fine fragrance,” said Ilaria Resta, President, Global Perfumery, Firmenich. “Through both RE|GENERATION and Olfactive Design, we are writing a new story including creation, distribution points, distribution methods, and physical or digital experiences, to reinvent the value of fine fragrance. Perfume becomes a social intermediary, identity marker and mindful catalyst.”
“These inspirational projects with the talented next generation of designers are nourished by science and art. They represent both the future of luxury and the ultimate essence of fine fragrance,” added Mehdi Lisi, VP, Global Fine Fragrance, Creation, Development and Innovation (CDI), Firmenich. “We are proud to share this work, co-created with Central Saint Martins.”
The 14th edition of Firmenich’s Olfactive Design programme is an unique collaboration with students in the Master of Arts of Narrative Environments and of Material Futures at Central Saint Martins. Partnered with Firmenich Fine Fragrance perfumers, students worked collectively to imagine seven future worlds with both utopian and dystopian attributes: Hope & Re-Enchantment, Danger/Chaos/Risk, Circularity, Generations & Memory, Hybrid Experiences, Identity and Pleasure & Wellbeing. Together, teams co-created prototypes, installations and bespoke fragrances inspired by the students’ work to show how fragrance will impact our world in the years to come.
Bethany Shepherd, Professor of MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins said: “This is the first time our students have worked with perfume. With the rise in popularity of immersive experiences and meaningful interactions, students were keen to explore how scent can link both personal and cultural memory, and how olfactive experiences connect people to better understand each other and their environments.”
Access to the projects is now available exclusively on Firmenich’s RE|GENERATION website so that customers and consumers can view the intricate works via images and video footage of each project. Additional content will be added bi-weekly, covering new themes, projects and insights.
“Since 1998, Firmenich’s Olfactive Design program explores a thematic from artistic and sensorial standpoints. Each edition offers a unique experience engaging our senses as well as our imagination. This exclusive immersion takes us on an olfactive journey showcasing the creativity of our Fine Fragrance perfumers from Paris, New York, Sao Paulo and Dubai, who work with full creative freedom.”
For more about Olfactive Design and RE|GENERATION, please click here
