Recently the Fort Worth Kimbell Museum hosted an exhibit entitled "Balenciaga In Black" showcasing many of the designer Cristobal Balenciaga's design from his long career. The exhibit was organized by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris. The first time I viewed the exhibit I was more interested in the designs of the clothing, but the second time I began to take in the nuances of the dresses and how certain fabrics were used for structure and effect. I noticed how many shade variations of black there are, depending on the sheen and style of the fabric.
Balenciaga In Black exhibit, Kimbell Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, Autumn 2018.
My Mother was an accomplished seamstress and when I was growing up she made most of the clothing for my sister and me. It never occurred to us to feel cheated of "store bought" clothes as her creations were always so perfectly constructed. I learned at an early age to appreciate the distinguishing characteristics of fabric. Most of what came my way was utilitarian cotton, but for my Mother's dresses there was linen, with its dressy Southern vibe rendered more casual by the inevitable wrinkles that would follow the minute the wearer sat down. Satin was shiny and dressy but had a certain structure and took up space, especially if there were tucks or gathers in the design . Silk was sinewy and whisper thin, draping the wearer like a second skin. Taffeta had a sound; it crunched and rustled with movement.
Balenciaga 1956. Google image.
Cristobal Balenciaga was born in the Basque region of Spain and had a mother who worked as a seamstress so he began training in the industry at an early age. A noblewoman in his town recognized Cristobal's potential when he was only a teenager and sponsored him to train in Madrid. Success followed and Balenciage opened stores in important cities in Spain. Eventually the Spanish Civil War would force him to close these shops and seek refuge in Paris where his empire and reputation would grow. Balenciaga was always distinguished from other couturiers as the one who could take a design all the way from inception to completion with his own hands, and throughout his career he always had one design in each of his runway shows he personally sewed.
Crisobal Balenciaga in an advertisement for Le Dix perfume. PerfumesWithoutPity.tumblr.com
I would like to be writing about the perfumes Balenciaga released during the era he was designing, roughly 1920 through 1968. Le Dix was released in 1947 and was named after Balenciaga's address, 10 Avenue George V. This was followed by La Fuite des Heures in 1948 and then Quadrille in 1955. Unfortunately I've never smelled any of these and I haven't had the best luck acquiring vintage scents on Ebay, so instead I thought it would be interesting to focus on scents that use fabrics as inspiration. At the Balenciaga In Black exhibit particular attention was given to the type of fabric used to make each dress and the information plaques that identified each creation went into great detail. Balenciaga's choice of fabric enhanced the final outcome of his design and allowed him to make structural works of art, such as the rose dress at the top of this post which seems almost like a stand-alone work of art.
A photo of the exhibit at the Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The first fabric-named scents that came to my mind when planning this post were Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Silk Mood and Oud Satin Mood. I don't own either of these so I went to my local Neiman Marcus on a couple of occasions to give them a try. I became confused if I was trying the eau de parfum or extrait versions of these, and to my nose they mostly smelled the same, just that the extrait was more intense and lasted longer. Oud Silk Mood is not what I expected, initially. With the word "silk" I expected a somewhat transparent perfume that floats and breathes. What I smelled on first spray was a synthetic plastic smell. Thankfully this faded quickly but while it was present it was very distracting. Maybe this was just a reaction with my skin. I looked at other reviewers experience on Fragrantica and they were almost all outstanding in their praise.
Oud Silk Mood has a simple note diagram: oud, rose, chamomile, and papyrus. I admittedly have an extreme sensitivity to the oud note, so take this with a grain of salt, but I found that oud is eighty percent of the fragrance for me, followed by rose, then a little papyrus. The notes begin to meld together in what is a lovely smell, but still, not the diaphanous trail of fragrance I was expecting. Then there is a sea change. The papyrus note becomes more apparent and this makes the heavier notes drier and more airy so this eventually becomes more "silk-like". However when I view it through the lens of being a perfume representing a "silk mood", it's a big fail for me. It does not bring images of a diaphanous swatch of fabric embracing the wearer but is more heavy and solid. No floating is taking place! A couple of hours in my patience begins to pay dividends. The papyrus is subduing the overwhelming oud and now the fragrance does begin to take on more transparency. Still, I am not won over. Sorry, FK, I love almost everything you create but Oud Silk Mood is a miss for me.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood is a totally different story. Not only do I enjoy wearing this opulent perfume but I can imagine that it is meant to represent a shiny piece of satin fabric which has been turned into a gown fit for a princess. Satin has a formal appearance and it is glassy smooth to the touch, almost slippery. It has more heft than silk and can thus be constructed into more formal designs. Satin is a fabric rarely seen today except in formal gowns and it has a presence. Depending on the design it can stand out on its own with no structural help or it can lie sleekly along the curves of the body. In Oud Satin Mood the oud note is heavy and full of presence, but at least on my skin it is less commanding than it is in the Oud Silk Mood. Rose essence from Bulgaria and rose absolute from Turkey ensure that the rose note takes center stage and is toughened a little by the oud. The feeling is one of luxury and abundance. Vanilla adds a bit of sweetness and makes this scent feel smooth and sleek. A little benzoin makes everything better in my opinion, and here it combines with amber to give a warm sensuousness to the scent. Oud Satin Mood feels like something royalty would wear in olden days to let everyone know they had access to the best and aren't afraid to flaunt it. As a bonus, if you spray Oud Satijn Mood to go out at night you are going to still smell delicious the next morning, just in a slightly buffered version. When I compare the extrait to the original, the original is a more syrupy style of vanilla while the extrait seems more perfectly blended. The extrait also has notes of geranium and cinnamon, not found in the EDP.
People are rather rapturous in their praise of these scents on Fragrantica and in reviews, and the longer they're on my skin, the more I understand. These are serious perfumes that unfold and reveal slowly. No need to rush to judgement.
Organza by Givenchy is another perfume that references fabric-- organza-- which is a a sheer silk. Although it's been so long ago that I tried this perfume that I can't accurately describe it, I remember not caring much for Organza, which came out in 1996. However when the flanker Organza Indecence was introduced in 1999 it was very popular and I bought a bottle (wish it had been five or so!) and I carefully use the remaining contents. The bottle itself is beautiful. While Organza had a similar lid but a straight body, Organza Indecence, which was supposed to amp up the sexiness of the scent, resembes the curves and flow of a woman in a long gown. In fact, the bottle resembles the Ballenciaga outfit above. Even almost twenty years later my bottle of Organza Indecence is full of the warm spice of cinnamon, the velvety liquid of amber and vanilla, a touch of plum, and earthy patchouli. It's feel is dark and delicious and this was the intent. While Organza with its white flowers was supposed to be "white" in attitude, Organza Indecence was meant to reference black organza by using woody and spicy notes. Organza Indecence does feel like something you'd wear for a night out. It is warm, spicy, voluptuous, and extravagant. I notice that Givenchy has reintroduced Organza Indecence in a less beautiful bottle, and I'm willing to bet it's a less beautiful scent.
Blue Silk byAgent Provocateur gives an interesting interpretation of silk. Agent Provocateur is the purveyor of luxury lingerie and all their scents are meant to be provacative and somewhat sexy. Blue Silk and its sister fragrance Lace Noir (which unfortunately I couldn't find to sample) were introduced in 2018. I found Blue Silk to be quite different from the other perfumes in the Agent Provocateur line. The fragrance does gives a feeling of silky lightness; the notes seem somewhat airy and don't hang too heavily. The use of spicy notes of pink pepper mix with juniper in the opening to give the feeling that this is not a "white" scent. After the pink pepper I smell a very subdued note of rose, more of a floral aroma than an identifiable flower. The juniper mixes with citrus notes of mandarin orange and lemon to provide lightness and lift to the scent. Notes of peach and jasmine add to the silky feel, all very well blended. Finally notes of vanilla, musk, tonka, sandalwood, and vetiver give a cashmere like effect to the scent which wears soft and close to the skin. This scent feels unisex to me. There is a slight powderiness thanks to the tonka, but it's contained. The best thing about this scent is that at least in the United States it can be found at very reasonable prices at online discounters.
Grisette does give the impression of light frivolity and a certain innocence, despite the original connotations of a grisette. It reminds me slightly of Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie or Teo Cabanel's Julia, not the scent, but the air of youthful playfulness. While I firmly believe that anyone can wear any perfume, this one is decidedly feminine. At first there is almost a minty scent combined with the citrus. Everything is very fresh and lively. Then a soft muted rose, pink and pretty, not blood red and torid, mixes into the scent. There is such a tart freshness that I thought maybe a touch of lychee was in the scent, but no, I guess it is just a very sparkling grapefruit note, along with bergamot. The luminous citrus notes combined with a very soft and innocent rose last for a surprisingly long time on my skin. Eventually all the notes soften and iris, cedar, and musk combine to form a soft white veil of scent. The rose is faint now, and although a tartness remains, the brightness of the citrus notes are gone. In truth I love the opening and the first hour or two of Grisette. After that, it becomes softly pretty and much less present. Added later: I add this after going to bed and thinking that Grisette was all done. I woke up and my wrist was literally pressed against my nose. I was smelling a slightly spicy smoky aroma. As my brain fully engaged I realized that this must be the amber and incense notes mentioned in Grisette's list of notes, however yesterday they were nowhere to be found. It is literally more than twelve hours later that I finally experience these notes, and had my wrist not been pressed to my nose I doubt I would have noticed. For those who like their scents to stay close, though, this could be acceptable. For me Grisette is pretty and enjoyable but feels a little young to be something I'd reach for very often.
This dress has butterfly winged bodice. It was on display at the exhibit.
Shantung is a silk where slight irregularities are allowed to exist and it is recognized by its nubby texture. It is less formal than silk, think of it as silk with attitude. It's origins are traced to the Chinese province of Shandong where raw silk originated as well as the trading route known as the silk road. Shantung is an English bastardization of the city of Shandong, which literally translates to "east of the mountains", in this case the Taihang Mountains. I remember my Mother sewing a dress from shantung when I was a very young girl, and running my finger over the silky yet rough texture. This texture gives the fabric a sheen, and depending on the color, almost an irridescence. Shantung, which was used in some of the designs on display at the museum, allowed Balenciaga to play with black. With the right fabric is could appear shiny or matte, jet black or a dark silvery-grey.
Etro's description for Shantung is actually pretty spot on. "In the dew-laden air of an eastern morning, a sparkling note of mandarin blends with the sweetness of blackcurrant and lychee. Threaded with Somalian incense, cedar and cashmere woody undertones and carried in musk's sensual embrace, the fleshy corollas of rose and peony blossom in the heart of the garden ao create an even more mesmerizing effect."
Shantung by Etro does seem to draw inspriration from its Chinese Silk Road origins. It opens with an incredibly fresh and juicy blackcurrant note. It is reminiscent of Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau's opening of blackcurrant. The note is tart in Shantung and this is further accentuated by a litchi note, fruity and slightly sour. This gives the feeling of a morning in the garden before the sun has burned away the scents; the buds which will unfurl toward the sun later in the day now are fresh and green. There is a feeling of fresh and new nature and there is a certain delicacy to the scent. As rose and peony enter that delicate fruitiness is emphasized even more. The peony is much stronger than the rose on me. There are also mandarin to add lightness and brightness, and again is a nod to the Chinese origins of shantung silk. This initial freshness stays for some time. Eventually the scent becomes more muted with notes of wood and musk, and there is supposedly incense but quite honestly I never experience it. Shantung is a really lovely scent that I am tempted to add to my collection and I think it is a good representation of this Chinese silk fabric, capturing it's lightness and fluidity, but adding a spunky twist on ceremony.
The Etro description for Shantung describes the silk as unexpected in it's pebbley uneven surface, and some of the piquant notes in Shantung are meant to mimic this surprise element of the fabric.
There was a long span of time when the house of Balenciaga didn't release a perfume. To the best of my knowledge Cristobal was released in 1998, and other than two flankers, that was it until 2010 when Balenciaga Paris was introduced. This perfume did not try to mimic the big perfumes from the past for which Balenciaga was known, however I think Perfumer Oliver Polge, working under the direction of Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquiere, captured the elegance of the Balenciaga history. In a longer review here I wrote that Balenciaga Paris is elegant and refined, but even though it is a soft floral chypre it shows great retraint. I smell violet petals scattered on a cement sidewalk wet with rain. But what I smell that really connects this scent to the current discussion of fabrics and couture clothing is that Balenciaga Paris reminds me of freshly starched and pressed clothing, a garmet with sharp pleats ironed to precise folds or a crisp collar ironed to rigidity. There is a smell of steam against cloth that reminds me of well cared for and beautiful clothing. This facet of the scent is even more present in Balenciaga L'Essence, a floral green flanker to the original launched in 2011. Olivier Polge was also the perfumer for this one and he took away a bit of the prettiness to make it a statement on tailored, pressed clothing. It's a great scent to make you feel fresh on hot days. Grab it if you can still find it; it's becoming less available.
I would like to end with a very brief tribute to the holy grail scent named after fabric, Crepe De Chine by F. Millot. It was launched in 1925 and disappeared ages ago except occasionally can be glimpsed for sale on Ebay. Several years ago I bought a sample vial of the vintage and it was the kind of scent that makes you despair that as cliched as it sounds, they really don't make scents like this anymore. It smelled like elegance in a bottle and was so rich and evocative. I'm not saying the scents are in any way the same, but two modern day fragrances that give me that same all-out glamour are Puredistanc Warszawa and DSH Perfumes Vert Pour Madame.
The Balenciaga exhibit was very inspiring and the cut, elegance, and attention to detail of the clothing made it understandable why scents were so grand, back in the day.
Color photos my own. Vintage photos Google images. Perfumes my own except for MFK. Thank you to Neiman Marcus for those.
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