Esxence  2022 Press badge by Karl

Although this was my first experience at Esxence whose theme this year was “Through The Mirror”, CaFleureBon has been a media partner since 2010. Unfortunately, our Editor in Chief Michelyn Camen could not be in attendance, but she was there in spirit and was missed.  I took the red eye flight out of Manchester and headed out to Milan full of excitement. I dropped off my luggage and dashed over to the Milano Convention Centre (MiCo). The entrance was buzzing as Exhibitors, Distributors and Press from around the world turned out in droves and mingled bright eyed and all smiling abounding, handshakes and hugs were shared and there was a collective positive air as people met for the first time since the last event in 2019.

Ermano Picco, Ida Meister, Karl Topham and Emmanuelle Varron

On arrival I spoke with Francois Henin of Jovoy Paris and Nathalie Feisthauer of LabScents.  Esxence 2022 was held June 15-19 and on day one my time was mainly spent with the CaFleureBon team consisting of Ermano Picco, Ida Meister and Emmanuelle Varron where we decided to take time to acclimatize and enjoy talking with many brands. I was hugely impressed with the organization by Equipe International, approximately over 270 brands presented and more than 6,000 people attended, that is a great responsibility. The venue had changed and now one floor was for the exhibitors and the second for the conference meetings. The legendary Italian footballer Paolo Maldini once said of his beloved Milan that it is not just a team but, “A part of my life.”  I think in the world of perfumery we can all attest this to be true of Esxence and its importance in our world. Esxence 2022 delivered a clear vision.  The slogan ‘Through the Mirror’ acted as an opportunity for reflection and a movement towards a brave new realm.  It was impossible for me to meet with each of the 270 brands, and my colleaugues will be showcassing many I missed.

Nishane Party TEMPOCAPSUL, Hiram Green and Coreterno with Nathalie Feisthauer, Rahul and Alexandre by Karl

 Trends: Sincerity, Slow Perfumery and Special Voices –   Special Voices in perfumery was highlighted. A recognition and acknowledgement of perfumers who were taking centre stage in the conference where the importance of originality and sustainability was to the fore.  Above all we are a community and sharing of ideas and connecting flowed from the Esxence centre to parties, to the dinner tables.  Our dedicated team had so much to discuss, and it was a pleasure to get to know one another at the Nishane TEMPOCAPSUL party at the Vapore 1928 club celebrating their new Time Capsule collection where we mingled with the great and good and it was a blast of convivial energy and a standout experience.  I spent time with people I have communicated with for some time across social media platforms such as former Contributor Cristian Marianciuc, Rahul of Eternal Scent Journey and  Contributor Alexandre Helwani and it was great to meet them finally in person.

 Esxence 2022 Best of Show Award

In terms of specific trends emerging there seemed to be a movement towards slow perfumery, away from the ultra-dense and loud nouveau riche; brands now embracing complex chypre creations with brighter openings.  Yes, the crowd pleasing tried and true were still evident.  However, after three years in the wilderness there is a sense of a collective movement towards new originality and no better was this displayed than at the Essential Parfums booth where Geraldine Archambault has created haute perfumery with simplicity and elegance where the perfumers take centre stage and sustainability is paramount.

Hima Jomo by Karl©

The most intriguing and original concept I stumbled across at Esxence was Hima Jomo, which means ‘Holy Mother’ in Tibetan.  A brand that pays homage to the natural beauty of the Himalayan landscape.  Founded by a group of friends in 2020 they have fused a trans-regional olfactory dialogue to great effect and their balance of primitive and modern aesthetics was truly eye-opening for me.  The nose behind their ‘Collection Seasons’ is Delphine Thierry who has expressed a deep appreciation of the Tibetan nature and culture, the scents are light, ethereal and uplifting.

Welton London Collage by Karl with Aline Periade©

Of the new collections on offer there were three which greatly impressed me.  Firstly, I wandered to the Welton London booth where I met with Director Aline Periade and discovered the Talisman collection of L’Amour Absolu, Lucky Charm and Narcotic Elixir. These scents have been created as an olfactory journey through emotions where each scent represents a lucky charm and consist of three parfum extracts which give a deep intensity and stunning elegant trail and all three use Kashmir Fusion, a blending of musk and amber tones. The perfumers behind the fragrances are Christian Provenzano, Julie Pluchet and Vincent Ricord in collaboration with John-Paul Welton.  The new range will be available in a month’s time and are not to be missed.

Plume Impression Collage by Karl (Mark Buxton, Sabine Schaffer, Karl and Gabriel  Chami

I was fortunate to spend time with Sabine Schaffer and Gabriel Chami Founders of Plume Impression Paris with whom I discovered their new perfumes Que Tal, Art Nouveau and Pop Heart. Plume really produces fragrances which are refined, romantic and light as a feather but also pack a punch. Que Tal became an instant love for me as the sensuality and aura of this woody, amber, floral perfume is simply blissful, the apricot opening is sumptuous and a delight.  We also liaised with Pop Heart perfumer Mark Buxton, known for making an impact, he didn’t disappoint with this new release, which is purest fun in a bottle, bursting with fruits and transforming into a creamy and voluptuous musk. The brand has developed their presentation deciding to produce a more tactile flacon with a pronounced feather and motif.

Bois 1920 Karl Topham

At the Bois 1920 booth I discovered their Prestige Collection where they have created four scents with distinctive olfactory profiles around oud as a central theme.  Sacro E Profano is a fiery blast of saffron, orange and pink pepper with a heart of rose and a refined oud.  Rebus a truly mysterious and complex perfume with a blue and animalic presence.  Fondentarancio smelled to me like the most delicious moist chocolate orange brownie, whilst Durocaffe was a blast of brewing coffee, chocolate and brown sugar.  Really mind-blowing and exhilarating scents.

With Michel Gutsatz and Clara Feder of Le Jardin Retrouve

We also had the pleasure of meeting Clara Feder and Michel Gutsatz of Le Jardin Retrouve who were kind enough to invite us over dinner, their brand has a history like no other and their scents are a connoisseurs olfactive treat.  Discussion centred around originality and transparency recreating classic French haute perfumery for a modern audience.

Parfumeurs du Monde at Esxence 2022 Thierry Bernard and Gwenaelle Chauvin photo by Emmanuelle

In terms of the best naturals I encountered, Parfumeurs Du Monde was a huge standout where slow perfumery is their signature and the quality of the highest of standards.   The blend of raw materials from both brands are truly outstanding.

Coreterno by Karl©

The busiest booth by far was edgy Italian brand Coreterno where I met with co-founder Francilla Ronchi, translated from Italian, Coreterno means “eternal heart”.  The brand draws inspiration from poetry and engravers long forgotten.  The mix of candles, prints, jewelry and scarves intrigued many and the perfumes created in collaboration with Luca Maffei were impactful.

Top five to try and five to revisit: Of the plethora of new releases for 2022 which I smelled here are my top five you must try. The new Puredistance M V2Q which will launch in September, Elementals Tong Ren by Alexandre Helwani due to unveil later this year, the recently released Hiram Green Arcadia, Masque Milano White Whale and Essential Parfums Fig Infusion.  

Five perfumes you should revisit as soon as possible, Naomi Goodsir Cuir Velours (Julien Rasquinet), just how good is this fragrance! Eris Parfums Belle De Jour, which works magic on my skin, Le Jardin Retrouve Cuir De Russie, Musicology ‘Cause I’m Happy and Christele Jacquemin Underworld.

Other notable experiences included meeting Franck Salzwedel of Elisire for the first time.  He was an absolute gentleman and his passion for perfume continues to shine through. I also spoke with Alessandro Brun of Milano Fragranze and had the opportunity to experience his new release Affari, a beautiful aromatic fragrance created by Cecile Matton. Barbara Herman Founder of Eris Perfumes was kind enough to discuss her latest release Scorpio Rising by Antoine Lie and we had a wonderful conversation about the importance of quality editorial work in perfumery.  It was also great to share some time with Husen Baba of Azman who I bumped into, stay tuned for a big announcement from the brand soon. Marie Le Febvre of Urban Scents was in attendance, and I had the pleasure of trying her recent release Ber Cavok, an aldehydic joy.

Top: Karl, Bertrand Duchaufour and Naomi Goodsir

Bottom Left: Ermano, Isabelle Doyen and Karl; Emmanuelle and Isabelle Doyen

Here and There: Outside of the conference we had the pleasure of visiting the magnificent Magna Pars L’Hotel a Parfum where we met with Artist/Designer Naomi Goodsir, Creative Director Renaud Coutaudier and Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. This was a most unique experience where we reflected on Naomi’s very personal olfactory universe.  Her work is pure artistry, and her perfumes are extremely evocative.  After a wonderful discussion we moved on to meet with Isabelle Doyen of Voyages Imaginaires on a sunny terrace blooming with gardenias, to discuss her creations in collaboration with Camille Goutal. Isabelle is such a talent and an incredible person with the utmost humility.  Her perfumes speak a thousand words.  Evenings were spent attending parties and soaking up the fine cuisine Milan had to offer.

Other things I noticed whilst at Esxence 2022 was that simplicity is key. Stories were more direct and paired back.  Whilst there remains an opulence and grandeur across the community brand focus is now more directed towards the perfumers and notes as opposed to verbose dialogue, complex presentation and over the top marketing.  Finally, a thank you to the perfumers, so many were in attendance and on hand to discuss new creations and projects.  Stay tuned you’ll be hearing more. I am sure I missed many of the booths. However, the experience can be quite overwhelming with so much on offer.

Duomo in Milan by Karl

Milan is a wonderful city, and it was my first time there. The architecture and ambience are the perfect setting for the largest global perfumery event.  It was an absolute delight to saunter the city in the scorching heat and take in the sights, sounds and rich culture Milan has to offer. Spending time with the CaFleureBon Team was a revelation but we deeply missed our leader Michelyn Camen and hope to see her there in 2023. Till next year I will take these special memories and keep them close to my heart.

Karl Topham, Senior Editor and UK Ambassador

Thanks to the generosity of Welton London and Hima Jomo we have samples for one registered reader in the EU, USA, UK, UAE You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you find most interesting based on Karl’s Esxence 2022 report and where you live. Draw closes 6/25/22 

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