The Scent of YMC

The Scent of YMC looks at how the clothing brand explored how it would smell in a fragrance, and how we use our sense of smell.

It was a quiet night, nothing going on and barely any people on the streets. As I walked the pavements of London, I suddenly became intrigued or I should say dumbstruck. Something caught my attention, so I looked around in all directions, but there was nothing. 

I tried to see if my ears caught any noises, but they could only hear the whispered sound of papers rustling on the ground and cars speeding through the street.

After some time, I then turned my nose around and I finally found what intrigued me: a small market at the corner of the street, which had various citrus fruits for sale on its stalls.

I wandered towards it and was immediately overwhelmed by all the different types of citrus fruits and their respective smells. I started to ponder on what had happened and it was at that moment, that I realised how biased our senses are. How I had prioritised my eyes first, then my ears and finally my smell.

This reflects not a deficiency I personally possess, but what is very well known – our totally underrated sense of smell. We don’t wonder how an apartment tastes, or how a perfume looks, or even how a shop sounds. What I am trying to say here, is that we have trained our senses to a single function according to a situation. We don’t have that “integral feeling” of something, because our basic senses do not work all at once. Well, they do, but we tend to ignore the multi-faceted ability we all share.

This may sound slightly alarming, but maybe we only notice this when prompted? When we take a moment to really focus on all of our senses at once?

Should we all concentrate in order to freely experiment with different situations, to then broaden the spectrum of our multiple senses? To really appreciate things and to understand them better and fully engage with what each and every situation smells, tastes, looks, feels and sounds like…

But it’s not that straight forward, is it? For example, how does a clothing brand smell?? This is something Bon Parfumeur with YMC had in mind when creating its new perfume collaboration Dirty Rose – a fragrance for both artists and urbanites, who know no boundaries.

These values have been translated into a fragrance that is unisex, truly genderless and ultra-contemporary. An exploration of a clothing brand (something we usually see and feel) through our sense of smell.

With citrus, bitter orange and mandarin opening, its addictive scent gives off an initial impression of coolness, vitality, and freshness. Then, the heart of the fragrance intrigues you with a surprising blend of cinnamon, geranium and spicy rose – this facet gives it a bold style with warm and impertinent tones that binds to the woody base notes.

Overall, it is a soft, warm and thrilling sandalwood, cedar and papyrus scent. It is an assertive fragrance that breaks the rules.

Dirty Rose by Bon Parfumeur x YMC avaialble now at YMC and Bon Parfumeur.

If you enjoyed The Scent of YMC, why not have a look at Venice with Love Here?