It’s the turn of the century and the belle époque (“the beautiful era) is unraveling the corset-tight rigidity of the Edwardian era through an influx of novel art, design and innovation. Creativity in art, fashion and perfumery is at an all-time high. Fashion is incorporating looser fitted and practical designs inspired by the independent, athletic and feminine woman as seen by Madame Vionnet’s bias cut dress and Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel’s sporty tweed suits.
The perfumery game is changing, too, with the introduction of ionones, aldehydes and other synthetic ingredients that allow perfumers to produce formulations with new olfactory facets in larger quantities. As a curious chemist and creative artist, John Blocki of Blocki Perfumes is leading the way in American perfumery with creations that pay homage to both the European past and American present.