A Harrods Summer

So in the summer hiatus, what did the editor do?

Took a needed break. Went to many weddings. Went to Greece and Albania in the same day, a story for another time. But most relevant to this publication was my time at Harrods. For those not familiar, Harrods runs a “Meet the Perfumer” season each summer where established houses host events on new releases, existing collections, or the philosophy behind the house itself. If you enjoy perfume beyond the appearance of owning a collection, these events are worth attending. You leave differently from how you arrived.

I attended two. BDK Parfums, driven by new releases I had been meaning to test, and Widian, one of my favourite houses for uniqueness, quality, and class.

BDK Parfums

This event celebrated ten years of BDK and the launch of their Collection Studio. In their words: “The Collection Studio creates an intimate dialogue between perfumery and fashion, two sensory languages capable of going beyond words to convey pure emotion.” Three releases: Stellar Silk, Oud Paradisio, and Silver Ceremony. Before the scents, what mattered more was the conversation. David, the founder, came from fashion before life pivoted him into perfumery. A pattern I keep noticing among the most interesting people in fragrance: they arrive from elsewhere and bring a vocabulary perfumery alone would not have given them.

Both David and perfumer Jordi Fernandez have synesthesia, a condition where senses cross paths involuntarily, one experience triggering another. Seeing a colour produces a texture. Hearing a note generates a feeling. This was the foundation of the entire collection. They spoke about translating the tactile sensation of touching fabrics into perfume. For David it is a summation of his former life in fashion and his present life in fragrance, distilled into a bottle. A genuinely inspired premise. Whether the compositions deliver is another question.

Widian

This was the one I had been looking forward to. I own Sahara and Limited 71. Got them signed. Truly one of one now.This event centred on the existing collection and what Widian is about as a house. We spoke directly with owner Ali Aljaberi and perfumer Hamid Merati- Kashani. Three things stayed with me.

First, Hamid described knowing what a fragrance smells like before he creates it, the way an artist holds a picture before the brush touches canvas. He described this in relation to Polite Oud. It confirms what I have always suspected: the work starts long before the lab.

Second, a reframing of niche. Niche is not a volume category. It is niche because it comes from the heart. That moves the word from a price bracket to a posture.

Third, manufacturers like Firmenich are developing proprietary molecules and using them as anchors in formulas so compositions cannot be duped. A significant industry shift we will expand on in the next chapter.

In Summary

My time at Harrods this summer was well spent. These were not marketing presentations dressed up as events. They were real conversations with people who care about what they make, and who were willing to share how they think. You leave understanding more than you did when you walked in, and that changes the way you smell things afterwards.

I would encourage anyone who enjoys perfume beyond surface level to seek these events out. And I want to give a shoutout to The Niche Show, which continues to create space for exactly this kind of thing. If you are not familiar, look them up. Worth your time.

Selected fragrances

Stellar Silk

A pleasant santal and benzoin composition with a vanillic quality, steering clear of the familiar Bianco Latte direction. Airy, milky, powdery and toasted, with an almost nutty edge. Smelling the individual accords beforehand elevated the experience, but the finished fragrance did not stay with me. Well made, though at this price, I want more.

Oud Paradisio

If you are tired of oud paired with whichever tropical fruit is fashionable, I understand. But Oud Paradisio earns its place through a distinctive pineapple ice cream accord that could almost stand alone as a perfume. Familiar territory, with enough difference to warrant a try.

Silver Ceremony

If you are tired of oud paired with whichever tropical fruit is fashionable, I understand. But Oud Paradisio earns its place through a distinctive pineapple ice cream accord that could almost stand alone as a perfume. Familiar territory, with enough difference to warrant a try.

London

Any true Londoner knows the city is less romantic than this perfume suggests. It rains, and the Tube smells like the Tube. But Widian captures the London you miss when you are away: sweet, juicy rose, fruit and a soft powdery finish. Generous without overdoing it. Great stuff.

London Harrods Exclusive

Some find this too similar to the original. I disagree. The shared DNA is clear, but a raw oud makes this woodier, more animalic and, to my nose, more refined. It has an edge the original rounds off. That is what I want, and why I prefer it.

Polite Oud

Inspired by the aftermath of a Middle Eastern wedding: lingering bakhoor and fifty perfumes mingling in a room that still remembers its guests. The result is a light, clean, approachable oud. Memorable for its wearability, though I want something that makes me pause rather than nod. Still, it fulfils its brief, and I respect that.