January 27, 2013
Creative Directors in Perfumery: Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Creations + Readers Choice Draw
Neela Vermeire
It is rare that a Creative Director in Perfumery can bring our jaded niche community together, not only through fragrance, but through warmth and passion. We wrote about Neela Vermeire in 2011, and named Bombay Bling, one of the top 25 perfumes of 2011..that's how good her brand was just out of the gates. I met Neela in January 2012, during the official launch of Neela Vermeire Creations at the Elements Showcase, January 2012. She greeted me with a warm hug on that cold winter day. Everyone she encounters is greeted by Neela with equal enthusiasm. Ever since has traveled the world without a publicist or handlers; she is doing just fine. Neela is the perfect example of how to build a brand… as its greatest advocate and ambassador.-Michelyn Camen, Editor In Chief
Commissioned painting created by Lara Meissirel showing the three eras of India (Property of NVC; all rights reserved)
I grew up in India where most of my family still lives and studied in the US and completed my Master's degree. I married my Belgian husband (hence the name Vermeire). I continued my journeys; I moved to London, then to Aberdeen in Scotland – the Granite City (it is a great place for playing golf, for pottery, for enjoying their incredible landscapes and for art (love anything by Charles Rennie Mackintosh) and their sense of humour. Next was Paris (with a short stint in The Hague), then back to London and back to Paris. Paris is where my passion for perfumery blossomed into a business and is now home base.
My earliest memories of any form of perfumes were from the various daily ceremonies that took place in my family and grandparents’ homes (specially incense spices and sandalwood paste), perfumes I detected from friends/family members close to me who enjoyed wearing fragrances. Beautiful fragrances have always stirred emotions in me very similar to music, colours, textures or other visual art forms. Each of the first India trio is from various periods of my life and are filled with olfactory emotions…
A flower market in Bangalore, photographed by Neela Vermeire (All rights reserved)
Family holidays and school trips to various parts of India made me realize and appreciate the vastness and variety of India and the depth and differences in our Indian culture and history. The smell of jasmine, tuberose worn by women, Indian flower markets, roadside food stalls – smell of Indian snacks, wood stoves, roasted peanuts, tea/chai stalls, fruit stalls – smell of green mango, guava, lychees, jack fruit (very strong smell), musty book stores, wet earth after monsoon rain, dry earth under the scorching sun, smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, stronger chai, spices etc.
As I have observed before, India (like most warm countries) can emit the most beautiful natural smells and also the most awful odours.
Each move around the world has also made me deeply aware of all our cultural differences, richness and preferences. I think of myself as a global villager – restless, curious and hopefully mindful. I love most forms of art and have a deep connection with many creative persons.
My formal education was far removed from perfumery – it is in social sciences and I qualified as a Solicitor in the UK. While training in Law, I found myself inexplicably intrigued by scent, and after a day of long study would head to test perfumes at Liberty of London, Fortnum and Masons and Harrods to name a few. Prior to setting up Neela Vermeire Creations, I worked on consulting projects – promoting emerging artists and creators from various parts of the world. I also did a niche perfume tour called Perfumepaths.
I have been an avid perfume and art collector for many years and always associated perfume with the Arts. Like all great art, great perfumes connect with our emotions without any force or effort. Fragrances are truly the most invisible of art form except to the nose and our memories. To understand Neela Vermeire Creation's core values is to know that each fragrance was created to evoke emotions by using the best quality raw materials and never compromise on artistic freedom.
Why so? I believe that niche perfume lover/customer understands, knows and values fine quality. The NVC perfumes have been created with a great deal of thought and passion.
Unlike many of my peers and colleagues, I don't have product development or a marketing background from one of the large companies in the fragrance industry. In my case, I started with learning about every aspect of the perfumes and then worked through various stages of bottles, caps, box, and packaging. There was no road map; I am still learning. Many companies use one-stop shop companies – who help these designers/brands from start to finish. However, many smaller niche brands (unless backed by majorly investors) continue to work like I do.
When developing a brief, I explore my ideas/dreams, then work and do qualitative research on the concept and usually take some time to imagine the olfactory outcome without getting fixated on the result. In my mind's "nose" – I have an olfactory vision. Then there are meetings with perfumers – we discuss what the concept is, what the main natural ingredients will be in the perfumes etc. I leave aroma chemicals to the specialists – the perfumers.There is always a story for the perfumer to work on and imagine the perfume further. Perfumers then produce mods based on these meetings/discussions/ideas.
I explored many opportunities but it all came together when I met Bertrand Duchaufour.
Bertrand Duchaufour and Neela Vermeire
Bertrand was introduced through a fellow creator friend and also another perfumer. He is one of the few independent perfumers I have met in France who had visited India. We hit it off. Bertrand was different from other perfumers and we bonded because he understood so much of Indian culture. When we discussed the perfumes – we discussed the historic periods and the natural ingredients that were important during those times. We discussed and remembered our individual experiences. We met every couple of weeks to test the mods together and then I would keep testing the perfumes for a little while. I did not send lengthy briefs because it is also about sharing the reaction of a fragrance. Bertrand is a true professional perfumer and he made sure that each perfume reached or surpassed what we had set out to achieve. He is a master perfumer.
I placed no restrictions for the prices of the very best raw materials. Quality, depth and complexity are the key and that is how we plan to continue on this journey. The first NVC trio is very true to the concept and most of the natural ingredients used have connection with the history of India because those were from my research while I developed the concept. Bertrand Duchaufour brought together a harmonious balance between the natural and aroma chemicals as the master perfumer. Together we brought to life the scent of three periods in Indian history- the Vedic era, the Moghul/British Raj era and modern India.
Creative Directors are the core individuals/conductors in any artistic project. We are the innovators, strategists, designers, troubleshooters and facilitators. In a small company, we need to wear various hats each day – at almost every stage of the development there are challenges unless one outsources. I did not wish to outsource for various reasons – I guess I wanted it to be a personal project as much as possible. I work on every aspect of the project and I am very hands on with the development of the fragrances. I did not ever wish to rush in terms of time. That is the only way I can share my passion and these perfumes.
Development of the concept, working on the fragrances closely with perfumers, this is a confidential business; there are usually no "contracts" – it is based on goodwill and mutual respect/trust. Perfume creations are usually guarded with great deal of confidentiality so that there is an element of surprise when they are launched. But I will tell you a hint. My next two fragrances will fill in some important scent memories of India , Paris and their cultures. They will launch in 2013; Bertrand composed one and the other was created by nose Fabrice Olivieri (Hors la Monde and Undergreen).
I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture. I try to immerse myself in the music (all forms), the arts, architecture, history the literature, and of course the smells from the street and the unique scent of the people I meet.
Multiple art forms can and are often interwoven, and it's where they meet that result in the magic of some truly outstanding fragrances. I am not interested in creating perfume that is engineered to sell to the most people. I hope NVC represents the beauty found in timeless fragrances and will be on my customers bureaus many for many years to come.
-Neela Vermeire, founder and Creative Director of Neela Vermeire Creations.
Generosity is part of Neela's nature. When I asked her what she wanted to offer as a draw, she immediately said a reader's choice of full bottle (55 ml at $265 usd) of Trayee (nominated for a Indie Fifi 2013), Mohur or Bombay Bling. If you are new to NVC, please read Mark Behnke's review here. In a conversation, Neela was so pleased that I love Mohur, as it just may be her favorite in the collection.
To be eligble, please leave a quality comment about what you learned about Neela Vermeire as a Creative Director, a memorable quote AND which fragrance you would hope to win. Draw closes January 30, 2013.
Increase your chances of winning by LIKING CaFleureBon Creative Directorsin Perfumery; your comment will count twice. You will also be supporting the Creative Directors who put a piece of their passion and vision in every bottle you buy. THIS IS THE FIRST FULL BOTTLE DRAW WE HAVE HAD FOR NEELA VERMEIRE CREATIONS SO SHOW SOME LOVE.
We announce the winners only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume
I love the fact that Neela states she begins with dreams and ideas, then the machinations of all the practicalities follow. Her joy and passion comes through the article and is inspiring both for desiring the fragrances as well as travelling to India. Thank you for a fascinating article and generous draw. I would love to try Trayee.
There are so many wonderful things to pull from Neela Vermeire’s presentation. I love how she continuously draws the connection between smell and memory, particularly memory associated with places. I didn’t know that she once did a niche perfume tour named Perfumepaths! I would have loved to have been a part of that! My favorite quote is nearer the end of the article: “I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture. I try to immerse myself in the music (all forms), the arts, architecture, history the literature, and of course the smells from the street and the unique scent of the people I meet.” A fantastic sentiment and something all travelers should keep in mind.
Thank you so much for hosting the draw, and thank you to Neela for her generosity! I love all three, but if I had to choose one, a bottle of Bombay Bling would make me very happy!
I find it very compelling that she doesn’t have product development or a marketing background from one of the large companies in the fragrance industry, and is doing her work out of love of beauty. But by far my favorite quote is: ”
I placed no restrictions for the prices of the very best raw materials. Quality, depth and complexity are the key and that is how we plan to continue on this journey.”
In an era of dumbed-down perfume, this is music to my ears! I’ve tried all three fragrances, and they are very impressive. But Mohur is my favorite so that’s the full bottle I dream of!
Thank you for taking us, the perfume lovers, to another magical journey – into the worl of India and Neela!
One valuable thing I learned was that no contracts are made between the creative director and the perfumer, and it all comes down to goodwill and trust!
And this was pretty honest and I liked it: ‘I am not interested in creating perfume that is engineered to sell to the most people.’
If I am to win a bottle of Neela’s creations, I wish it is Bombay Bling since I still haven’t found the perfect fruity frangrance that may suit my cravings for originality and unobtrusiveness!
I really like the fact that she’s coming to creative direction and the running of her business from such an atypical direction, and yet she sounds so hands-on. Her commitment to the project and to her customers is very clear; truthfully, those are the sorts of women-fronted businesses I get excited about supporting, which is part of what I love about the fragrance world. She said a variety of things I liked, but this struck me: “Multiple art forms can and are often interwoven, and it’s where they meet that result in the magic of some truly outstanding fragrances.” I think this results in the magic of many outstanding pieces of art and creativity; this is a point about creativity and multimodality I often find myself making.
I have liked this series on Facebook, as well as liking it in general, of course! I’ve been wanting to try all three NV fragrances rather desperately, but the reviews leave me sure that I’ll love Mohur.
Thanks for the wonderful draw !
My favorite quote is:” I believe that niche perfume lover/customer understands, knows and values fine quality.”
I would like to try Trayee.
I would choose Trayee if I win. I really enjoyed learning how this whole thing came together through her relationship with the very talented Bertrand Duchaufour, and how that developed.
My favorite quote: “I work on every aspect of the project and I am very hands on with the development of the fragrances. I did not ever wish to rush in terms of time. That is the only way I can share my passion and these perfumes.”
I loved learning more about her approach and philosophy. My favorite quote is a long one: “The smell of jasmine, tuberose worn by women, Indian flower markets, roadside food stalls – smell of Indian snacks, wood stoves, roasted peanuts, tea/chai stalls, fruit stalls – smell of green mango, guava, lychees, jack fruit (very strong smell), musty book stores, wet earth after monsoon rain, dry earth under the scorching sun, smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, stronger chai, spices etc.” As someone who has been to India and fell in love with the country, she evokes every wonderful bit of it in that sentence.
I would choose Trayee if I won, though the story and background behind Mohur fascinated me too. It sounds like a lovely ode to Shah Jahan’s beloved wife.
Great article, with interesting information about Neela’s background and creative process. My favourite quote: “Like all great art, great perfumes connect with our emotions without any force or effort”. I have loved India since I was a little girl and think all three scents sound delicious, but if I would have to pick one, Trayee is the one that intrigues me the most.
Oh wow!!! I love the Neela Vermeire fragrances!!!! And so exciting to hear there are two new releases planned. Wow. That’s exciting!!! Neela is so personable and generous. I admire her adventurous spirit. I’d love tp hear more about her travels and what prompted her to move and live in so many great places.
One quote I like, “I did not ever wish to rush in terms of time. That is the only way I can share my passion and these perfumes.” This is so evident in each of the three fragrances. I see a relationship between them, but they’re also each very unique. I think the beauty and the complexity of the scents makes it evident that a lot of care went into their creation.
I’d love bottles of all three! But for the purposes of this draw, I’ll choose a Trayee. Thank you!!!
I loved her description of the smells from her childhood in India. What does jackfruit smell like, I wonder? So true about hot climates producing wonderful and terrible smells. Cities in summertime can be that way, especially on the coast — lovely sea air, blooming flowers, then rotting fish/garbage.
My pick would be Mohur
I enjoyed learning of Neela’s early memories of scent based on ceremonies in the home, as well as holidays and visits to various parts of India. The descriptions of flower markets, tea, fruit and food stalls, plus the smells of nature encountered give insight into what she wants to present in her perfume creations.
“I work on every aspect of the project and I am very hands on with the development of the fragrances.” shows that she wants to ensure her fragrances are exactly how she envisions they should be.
Thank you for such a generous drawing. My choice would be Trayee.
I was surprised she became qualified as a Solicitor in the UK – good news for us she followed her heart and created this line! That and new releases for 2013.
Quote is “I placed no restrictions for the prices of the very best raw materials. Quality, depth and complexity are the key and that is how we plan to continue on this journey. The first NVC trio is very true to the concept and most of the natural ingredients used have connection with the history of India because those were from my research while I developed the concept.” Stellar quote, recognizing the importance of the real and the material, and its history, in the art of scent.
I would choose Trayee.
I enjoyed reading about the fact that Neela is learning as she goes along, and her observation about hot climates producing wonderful and terrible odors.
I do love this quote: “I am not interested in creating perfume that is engineered to sell to the most people.”. I can tell she has true interest in bringing forth true art!
I like “creative Directors in Perfumery” on FB
I would live to try Trayee.
Two things that jumped out at me right away were the shout-out to Charles Rennie Mackintosh (I lived in Scotland, near his home base in Glasgow) and Perfumepaths, which I googled–it sounds lovely!
In terms of her creative direction, Neela Vermiere’s descriptions of her vivid scent-memories of India jumped out at me, and I started thinking about how as much as I can love the food and incense and spices and learn about perfumes and essences like mitti and kewda (with a thought-tangent about how essences distilled from a thing are a different experience than the thing itself but independent rather than inferior, and also loving testing the Maj), it isn’t really the same thing as firsthand experience. I would really like to travel to India someday and have my own set of references. Then later in the article she said she chose Bertrand Duchafour as her perfumer in part because he was one of a few who had traveled to India.
I liked the whole description of the creative and collaborative process but was especially impressed by this part discussing both the historical research and personal experience, as well as shared feedback, that went into developing these scents:
“Bertrand was different from other perfumers and we bonded because he understood so much of Indian culture. When we discussed the perfumes – we discussed the historic periods and the natural ingredients that were important during those times. We discussed and remembered our individual experiences. We met every couple of weeks to test the mods together and then I would keep testing the perfumes for a little while. I did not send lengthy briefs because it is also about sharing the reaction of a fragrance.”
That is so cool!
I think I would choose Trayee.
Neela allows herself to just work with an concept/ idea, without getting overly fixated with the result, opening up possibilities for exploration. The constant interactions between the Perfumer and the Creative Director also interesting, as opposed to just assigning briefs.
I like the quote “I placed no restrictions for the prices of the very best raw materials. Quality, depth and complexity are the key and that is how we plan to continue on this journey.” This shows her commitment to produce interesting scents ( for now and in the future)
I would chose Bombay Bling.
I learned that this is one very well-travelled and educated lady!
Her attitude is wonderful: “ I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture. I try to immerse myself in the music (all forms), the arts, architecture, history the literature, and of course the smells from the street and the unique scent of the people I meet.
Multiple art forms can and are often interwoven, and it’s where they meet that result in the magic of some truly outstanding fragrances. I am not interested in creating perfume that is engineered to sell to the most people. I hope NVC represents the beauty found in timeless fragrances and will be on my customers bureaus for many years to come” .
Should I be so lucky to win, Trainee would be my choice.
Darn auto correct, Trayee would be my choice, not “Trainee”!
I like that it all came together for Neela when she met Bertrand Duchaufour. That is so cool, and I respect those two so much as a team. My favorite quote about Neela learning the perfume industry is: “There was no road map; I am still learning.” That is true of all of us, in all walks of life. I would choose Mohur. Thanks so much for the generous draw.
It’s amazing how hands-on she is for the entire process. Clearly, for her, perfuming is an incredibly personal art and she pours her soul into creating these fragrances. My fav quote would have to be, “I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture. I try to immerse myself in the music (all forms), the arts, architecture, history the literature, and of course the smells from the street and the unique scent of the people I meet”. This line clearly mirrors her wonderfully in depth approach to perfuming. I would like to try Bombay Bling!
What a great article, I learned that she is a well educated person and also that she is behind every aspect of the process of each perfume, there is not a team behind, is just her.
My favorite quote is:
Each move around the world has also made me deeply aware of all our cultural differences, richness and preferences. I think of myself as a global villager – restless, curious and hopefully mindful. I love most forms of art and have a deep connection with many creative persons.
That attitude opens all the doors for you and you will gain many friends and conquer all your goals.
My choice is Trayee. Thanks
When I saw this article,the first thing I did was to express my delight at Facebook Creative Directors in Perfumery about the theme of this article and person in it.With the great pleasure and pride, I can say that I’ve had the privilege to try out Bombay Bling!, Mohur and Trayee. Which one is the best? Simply, all of them are the best for me.
I love that the article highlights the human virtues of Neela Vermeire. As a person who read everything I’ve found about Neela Vermeire and her perfumes (including Mark Behnke’s article) and who is also familiar with her website, I already know most of the facts I read here, so this time I would like to point out the part of the article that talks about work together with Bertrand Duchaufour.
Neela Vermeire has lived at many different places but I’m sure that her fragrances represent the most beautiful experiences and the deepest memories of India, an amazing country of her childhood.
I know that “each fragrance was created to evoke the emotions …” It is true, they evoke them! India has always been close to my heart, so I was very happy to accept particular cultural, historical, religious and philosophical elements of India as Neela’s invocation for creating her perfumes.
They are the best quality, they’re niche and they’re also reminiscence of India.The last is really important to me, so it makes personal, positive difference if I compare them with many other fragrances
There is a great detail in the article. Two new fragrances in the 2013.. This is large, new surprise for me.
Which one to choose here? I just don’t want to imply “this one is better than others” with my choice. Therefore, this time I’m using random.org and the winner is … Bombay Bling!
I just love creative people filled with passion. It’s clear she loves what she does and is passionate about vision for what NVC can become, simply wonderful.
I learned that she is very serious about grounding these perfumes in the history of her culture from India.
This was my favorite quote:
“Multiple art forms can and are often interwoven, and it’s where they meet that result in the magic of some truly outstanding fragrances. ”
I’d love a bottle of Trayee if I were lucky enough to win the draw, thank you.
I love that Neela was just a fragrance lover who decided to follow her dream. As a perfumista, she is living the dream that most of us have. My choice would be Bombay Bling if I am lucky enough to win.
Many thanks!!
It seems as though Neela Vermeire is a woman who wants to remain true to her vision, and she operates accordingly as a Creative Director. The quote that sums up her philosophy is, ” I am not interested in creating perfume that is engineered to sell to the most people.” I would love to win Trayee. Thank you for the draw.
“Creative Directors are the core individuals/conductors in any artistic project. We are the innovators, strategists, designers, troubleshooters and facilitators.”
I think this speaks to how multi-faceted these individuals are, especially in a small company. To me, it’s why the scents are on an entirely different level, sometimes regardless of the quality of materials used, versus something that’s formulated to the masses by a consortium and slapped with somebody’s designer label name on it at the end of the day. Even if the highest quality materials aren’t present, the heart is.
What I learned is probably evident in the above quote: she wears many hats! And as someone who has a vision, it takes good communication (and ultimately trust) in collaborating what is inside one’s own imagination and having another transport that into a bottle.
And Trayee sounds like something I would enjoy!
I like her life story how she became world traveller and lover of Arts and perfumes – but still holding to remember her birth place. Its amazing that she was able to start with new brand to bring us Indian smells… I like this quote:
“Family holidays and school trips to various parts of India made me realize and appreciate the vastness and variety of India … The smell of jasmine, tuberose worn by women, Indian flower markets, roadside food stalls – smell of Indian snacks, wood stoves, roasted peanuts, tea/chai stalls, fruit stalls – smell of green mango, guava, lychees, jack fruit (very strong smell), musty book stores, wet earth after monsoon rain, dry earth under the scorching sun, smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, stronger chai, spices etc.
… India (like most warm countries) can emit the most beautiful natural smells…
This can be considered as base for creating her scents and brand. I would like to try Mohur.
Neela would be one of my “four dream dinner guests”, you know that game, what four people would you invite for dinner if it could be anyone. She just seems so darn interesting and curious. We’ve shared two home cities, Bombay (Mumbai) and Aberdeen. I loved her quote ” I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture”. I also loved her description of smells of India. India was my first time to live out of the US, and I believe it is where my love of fragrance really took hold. There were so many scents, good and bad! I remember being three months pregnant and seeing the little old men cooking chapatis on their roadside grills. The smell brought on cravings so strong that I had my driver stop (don’t judge, traffic is chaotic!) and I squated with the locals and ate my chapatis straight off the grill. Delicious!
I have tried the fragrances and love them all. I would choose either Mohur or Bombay Bling, love them both.
I like the fact that she is not interested in appealing to the masses and that she immerses herself in the whole culture when she is traveling. My favorite quote is “I did not ever wish to rush in terms of time.” Maybe more companies should take note and perhaps we wouldn’t have so many forgettable new releases. This is a really hard choice, but if I were to be so lucky I would choose Bombay Bling.
I like the passion Neela shows when talking about her mother land:” The smell of jasmine, tuberose worn by women, Indian flower markets, roadside food stalls – smell of Indian snacks, wood stoves, roasted peanuts, tea/chai stalls, fruit stalls – smell of green mango, guava, lychees, jack fruit (very strong smell), musty book stores, wet earth after monsoon rain, dry earth under the scorching sun, smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, stronger chai, spices etc” If you have once visited this country , as I have, I know you must have been smiling when reading this part. My choice goes for the fragance from the Upanishad times: Trayee.
I loved learning how she had a completely different professional path but then gravitated to her passion for perfume! Love those kinds of stories! And this quote was awesome: Like all great art, great perfumes connect with our emotions without any force or effort. Totally agree with this. I’d love to be connected with Trayee!
Love reading about Neela. I have liked your Creative Directors series on Facebook. Probably my favorite series you do here!
I found it very interesting where Neela compares NVC to other small niche brands: where she does everything herself, many other small brands use a brand developer to guide the project. Honestly, the difference shows. NVC is clearly the product of Neela’s heart and her exquisite taste. Whereas other brands are often missing that personal touch that makes us truly connect with the brand. Anyway. Love NVC.
I’ll enter for Mohur.
I would choose Trayee!Neela has always struck me as a generous and warm personality. I like her smile!I like the fact she chose to represent India at various stages in its history, through perfume. And that she used her personal memories and emotions to help shape the fragrances in the form she wanted.I like soul in perfume that is what moves me the most,and Neela seems to have put a lot of it in her enterprise. Thank you for the draw!
I found this quote really striking. “Fragrances are truly the most invisible of art form except to the nose and our memories.” My love for fragrances stems in large part to its connection with memory, and I find some scents so evocative there’s a magical quality to them.
I enjoyed learning about how each of these creations are based on a specific time period and use ingredients representative of that time. I really appreciate this focused creative direction that fully explores the scents of a culture through history. I’m so curious to smell an interpretation of the Vedic era. So, Trayee would be my choice if I win.
Thanks so much for the draw
I really love all three fragrances by Neela, but if I had to choose I would say Mohur is my favorite. It was very interesting to read how much thought and detail went into the creation of each scent.
I enjoyed reading this passage: “Family holidays and school trips to various parts of India made me realize and appreciate the vastness and variety of India and the depth and differences in our Indian culture and history. The smell of jasmine, tuberose worn by women, Indian flower markets, roadside food stalls – smell of Indian snacks, wood stoves, roasted peanuts, tea/chai stalls, fruit stalls – smell of green mango, guava, lychees, jack fruit (very strong smell), musty book stores, wet earth after monsoon rain, dry earth under the scorching sun, smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling tea, stronger chai, spices etc.”
My best friends were born in India as well and their desciptions of the scents and smells are similar to Neela’s. Great article!
I’m so fascinated by this line, I really must order some samples.
I love how involved Neela is in the development of the scents and the fact that the key ingredients for these have distinct connections to the history of India.
I keep changing my mind about which scent I’d most like to have a bottle of (I really want to try them all!). At the moment, I think Mohur.
I like how Neela Vermeire says it all came together when she met Bertrand Duchaufour. He is one of my favorite noses and I would love to try Trayee. I have read wonderful reviews of all her fragrances but have not tried them, yet.
I really need to try this line. Pretty neat that Neela and Duchaufour shared an appreciation/love for India’s culture, and that’s how this creative project got off the ground.
I like the last sentence of her interview. “I hope NVC represents the beauty found in timeless fragrances and will be on my customers bureaus many for many years to come.”
All the scents sound amazing, but Trayee seems to get the most talk, so I’d like to try that one.
Mohur sounds fantastic! I learned that a deep passion for your culture can lead to some beautiful art. I think passion is at the heart of any great creative endeavor.
My favorite quote is “Each move around the world has also made me deeply aware of all our cultural differences, richness and preferences. I think of myself as a global villager – restless, curious and hopefully mindful. I love most forms of art and have a deep connection with many creative persons.”
I’d love to go to India! Since I can’t, I hope to get my nose on some of these.
“Each of the first India trio is from various periods of my life and are filled with olfactory emotions…” I love this quote. It’s great she used her own life and experience with Indian culture to create these fragrances, more perfumers should draw on something personal.
I also like that her briefs are somewhat open for the perfumer to work with.
Trayee would be my pick, sounds beautiful
Neela is one of the people in perfumery I read so much about
I have tried samples of all three fragrances and its really hard to make a choice but trayee
We look forward to 2013 and two new NVC perfumes
Fascinating riff on Scotland btw
I adore Neela and I adore this trio of perfumes….Mohur won my heart with the first sniff but Bombay Bling rather snuck up on me….I wore my sample several times before I realized that I was going to be devastated when it was empty!! I would never have guessed that Neela was an attorney! It seems so opposite from perfume, the pursuit of her heart. Maybe because law is so rule and fact based and perfume is so sensory and emotional….or maybe it’s because most attorneys I know can’t tell the difference between a rose and a petunia.
I like this quote: “I think of myself as a world citizen and wherever I travel, I soak up the local culture.” because it says a lot about who she is on the inside, not just as a perfumeur , but as a person.
This is a very generous prize she has offered, I’d love to be the squealing recipient of a bottle of Bombay Bling!
I learned that much like me Neela Vermeire feels she is a citizen of the world. I find her scents to be transcendent and would be incredibly honored to win one.
The one I would love is Trayee. It haunts me.
I look forward to smelling her new scents.
Thank you for this draw. I am a follower of Creative Directors in Perfumery on facebook (Lean Sa) and am most interested in a bottle of Mohur.
I enjoyed reading this article and found it interesting that Mrs. Vermeire’s education was in the social sciences and her interest in pursuing perfumery was due to her genuine fascination with scents and the passion for the scents of her culture and memories.
My favorite quote: “I placed no restrictions for the prices of the very best raw materials. Quality, depth and complexity are the key and that is how we plan to continue on this journey. The first NVC trio is very true to the concept and most of the natural ingredients used have connection with the history of India because those were from my research while I developed the concept.”
Oh, I missed the draw! I just want to say, then, that I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. Two things that stand out for me about Neela are her view of herself as a world citizen, and her emphasis on not rushing through any part of the creative process. I think these values really shine through in the finished products – all three are stunning!