The Past Meets the Future

Home away from home is a comfortable location where one does not reside, but one feels as comfortable as one would in their own abode. For David Bowie, his home away from home was Berlin. A place to escape from the reality of his fame; the beauty of daring to be his authentic self, without the public badgering him. Berlin 1976, the city burst with influence for the artist, with his works became known as his ‘Berlin Trilogy Era’. A new scent Embodying the ‘Berlin Trilogy’ Era ‘Visionary Eye’, by Jusbox explores via scent David Bowie in his Berlin Era. Find out more about The Past Meets the Future here. 

The Proust effect driven by David Bowie from his Berlin Era into the perfume ‘Visionary Eye’ EDP triggers space, time, and memories caused by the period of time Bowie spent living in Berlin.

“Poor but sexy.”  

This line was famously made first by Berlin’s “party mayor” Klaus Wowereit. Back in 2003, Wowereit was talking to a group of investors in London. And it seemed true, back then. Berlin was in debt, unemployment was high, and the rent was cheap; but it was also a place famous for its creativity, culture, and nightlife. But how did Bowie fit into this lifestyle? Bowie used the location to clean himself by strangely coming into a place of darkness and dirt.

Yet it was his brightness, his genius, his lightning strike of creativity that ultimately inspired this scent. The light of a genius, revolutionary, and bright artist opening ways forward. Maybe it took a dirty place to find his own bright white light? This was the starting point of the fragrance that inspired the perfumers Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo.

Packaged into a bottle this essence of beauty has a total absence of colour in; the perfume pure white. For a perfume to mirror Bowie’s visionary, complex, and creative soul based on the time period he lived in Berlin, it might not have seemed so obvious to have a perfume that has been created into such a precious, fluffy, bright-white -light of a scent.

‘Visionary Eye’ by Jusbox

This perfume is an exploration of the artist via the powdery lightness of Iris. The most precious ingredient in the perfume industry but to create a perfume for the modern day, there was a need to reinvent the use of the ingredient. The ‘Visionary Eye’ perfume introduced a newer take on Iris.

Bowie was after all named the ‘White Duke’ in this period, was this part of the reasoning for the explosive use of Iris? This ingredient can sometimes be dank, powdery, and dirty although this isn’t the case with ‘Visionary Eye’.

Bowie was such a distinct artist for his musical genre-hopping and changing fashion sensibilities and, most of all, his startling eyes. The results of his irises; are two distinctly different colours. 

The quality of Iris and the ingredients used, balance a powerful scent; one that explodes with light, bright, and almost explosive top notes that carry through the scent.

The idea of a powdery, woody, and musky perfume has been diminished with ‘Visionary Eye’ Berlin with Iris having been reinvented and revisited here.  

This is the most expensive, most complex, most incredible ingredient, Iris, the perfume’s main ingredient to honour this genius musician. A revolutionary perfume in extraordinary experimentation between innovation and tradition in regard to music and fragrance. The similarities between the concepts of the Iris solidify a beautiful meeting of fragrance and music.

‘Visionary Eye’ by Jusbox

‘Visionary Eye’ is a perfume with impressions of traditional compositions and original accords. An innovative classic scent with a flowery Iris alongside avant-garde notes of Absinthe. With a spicy note of Ceylon LMR Cinnamon bursts into the mature Lavender. The scent of lavender allows itself to be taken back slightly, to complete, an electric and innovative scent.

Vanilla accord seduces the aromatic Sandalwood, which in the base binds to the Musk, giving life to evanescent, powerful, and unforgettable sounds.

The nose behind this fragrance is Dominique Ropion. Ropion is a true hero of perfumery. All in all, he is known for producing relentless exact balances and flawless compositions in regard to his fragrances. Ropion often balances excessive doses of powerful ingredients such as Wormwood with meticulously-measured, subtler accords including Musk. Ropion says

“A good perfume must always appear obvious.”

To create a perfume around Bowie, the incredible music he created, his life, and his character bring the creators of Jusbox Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo back to 2016. An exhibition surrounding the life of the incredible musician held in Italy their home.

How to describe Bowie as a fragrance? A journey whereby Bowie removed himself from the height of the limelight to Berlin. A time for Bowie to find a way to recreate himself and his music in a new environment. Coming forth, Bowie released the Berlin Trilogy, Low “Heroes” Lodger. The Berlin Trilogy consists of three studio albums. Inspired by Bowie’s move from Los Angeles, California, to Europe to get lost to find himself.

‘Visionary Eye’ by Jusbox

In a conversation with Jusbox CEO Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo, asked how can one create and service a perfume in honour of such a beautiful and complex artist.

“With the most expensive, most complex, most incredible ingredient, Iris. But used not in the way we are used to, we asked Ropion to do what David Bowie did when he went to Berlin. Reinvent himself. So we reinvented the idea of Iris into a perfume.”

Experimenting with new music, new sound, and new flavour combinations. Iris has been a visionary ingredient courtesy of Ropion compared to the usual version of the Iris in perfume. To heighten it is full of molecules of irons, the more irons added to the oil create a more precious and powerful smell. 

“Fluffy, light, airy, and precious”

The vision Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo wanted was a fragrance that is very present, dabbling with ‘Visionary Eye’ to embark on a spiritual creative experience. 

Asides from some of the scents inspired by classical movement, Jusbox fragrances also explore other genres of music such as alternative, blues, soul, rap, electronic, and rock. Under the influence of rock music, Jusbox released a perfume called ’14 Hour Dream’.

This scent is yet another perfume in their portfolio of fragrances that brings scent together with music. One of the earliest is; under the influence of rock music, ’14 Hour Dream’ inspired by a little-known musical story.

14 Hour Dream

Created by perfumer Antoine Lie for a specific event in 1967; the psychedelic dream of rock for an underground movement event. The first-ever festival for music took place in London at Alexander Palace. For 14 hours bands and singers such as Pink Floyd were playing up on stage, the sound was rising, and lights were through the windows. Guitars reflected psychedelic and experimental music in a new way. So on comes for 14-Hour Dream, part of their exploration into sound and perfume. 

’14 Hour Dream’ by Jusbox

The fragrance is led by two ingredients from the ’60s and ’70s. Patchouli and vanilla, really balance each other creating a very bright and joyful scent. The perfumer’s mastery went straight to the point of the concentration of the essential oils of Patchouli and Vanilla. The Vanilla isn’t overly sweet allowing the intense scent of Patchouli to balance out. Allowing a fragrance of 

“Powerful harmony that goes straight to the heart.”

Antoine Lie.

’14 Hour Dream’ by Jusbox

For Chiara and Andrea, it was important to envelope everything and everyone, evoking visions of ecstatic crowds dancing in harmony at the event. The harmony from Pink Floyd at the underground movement event was expressed as the mother of all kinds of music. A very intimate movement that really becomes a part of yourself. The idea behind the perfume was to present the music to some perfumes that can give the same transitions of well-being. 

A burst of green that fresher coolness from the Amber and Musk. Creating a quite comforting and aromatic as the perfume is bright but too not warm. 

Good Morning 

Part of the classical music genre was inspired by composer Edward Greig. ‘Good Morning’ celebrates emotion and the wonder of nature. With the canon of the perfume full of watery notes of sea breeze. Heightening a desire for peace and balance for that ‘good morning’ feeling.

‘Good Morning’ by Jusbox

It was Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo’s mother who was very passionate and connected to classical music. This is how ‘Good Morning’ perfume was inspired.

Incredible nature of the sun rising and the beauty of nature. To give the idea of freshness awakened from the early morning. The sun on a very cold day with a lightness that brightens from the Tangerine but the fragrance still remains cool freshness. Before the mind kicks in when waking up to give the idea of freshness that can be gotten from an early morning start.

The perfect way to start the day is a contemporary and innovative technique, with great persistence to follow the scent throughout the day.

‘Good Morning’ by Jusbox

Cold musk gives harmony from Mandarin and Magnolia. Violet leaves and Cashmere dries down the warmth. However, the warming ingredients that combine with cold ingredients create harmony.

The idea of a classical perfume has now moved in a different direction. To think of classic musical music as the base of music, the perfume creates the idea of freshness. All of the fragrances made are complex but on the surface have a clean simplicity.

Spring Dance

Another perfume that is part of the classical collection is ‘Spring Dance’. Dedicated to Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo’s mother’s love of classical music.

‘Spring Dance’ by Jusbox

‘Spring Dance‘ is an olfactory concert that celebrates life as an expression of beauty and power. The composition of flavours saturates power and is gentle at the heart, mind, and body.

This perfume on the other hand compared to ‘Good Morning‘, this fragrance does follow top notes of Grapefruit and LMR Tunisian Rosemary. An exciting welcome of a new season, one that ‘Spring Dance’ opens with homely warming.

LMR works with IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances) molecule art distillation. Is an especially type of extraction to enhance the scent of specific ingredients for fragrances. Like in the ‘Visionary Eye’ perfume, the Iris is full of molecules concentrated in the irons that enhance the smell of the Iris. So the more irons are added to the scent, the more the scent will intensify. 

Where does freshness come in with classical? We asked Chiara Valdo and Andrea Valdo

“Working with Eau du Parfum you can wear it all day long and make you feel good, inspired by the music we were able to create a bright, joyful, and amazing clear fragrance. With green, floral wanted the get the feeling of sound of a much brighter and colourful blooming of nature and flowers.“

Saturating the scent with these blossoming flowers, waves goodbye to the bitter winter months and bloom into a softer season.

For the second time, Ropion was the perfumer for this fragrance. Hitting the notes of a powerful beauty of a perfume. Creating a triumph of joy, happiness, and lightness for nature is reborn into body and soul from the beauty and power of every scent Ropion brings forth.

‘Spring Dance’ by Jusbox

While ‘Spring Dance‘ doesn’t flavour any watery notes, the results of top notes of Allegro. Balances with the elegant baseline notes of dry Amber and Musk create a clean, fresh, soft, and discreet scent.

Fitted with each perfume, Jusbox has generated playlists that correspond with the rhythms of each fragrance. For light note perfumes such as ‘Good Morning’ there are songs of a gentle melody.

‘Good Morning’ by Jusbox inspired playlist, Spotify

Echoing history from the heart of Berlin of classical, electronic, and ambit music in honour of David Bowie. Presents a perfume that breaks the boundary of the cliche images known to Berlin. As well as the boundaries exceeded with flavouring all into a scent that honours the extraordinary artist. ‘Visionary Eye’, ‘Good Morning’, ‘Spring Dance’, and ‘14 Hour Dream’ are perfumes that enlighten a triumph for music and those who admire the triumph in revolutionary music and fragrance.

To find out more about Jusbox perfumes please visit www.jusboxperfumes.com here.

If you enjoyed reading The Past Meets the Future why not try reading Elephants and Gorillaz here.

.Cent Magazine, London. Be Inspired; Get Involved.