I bought my wife a bottle of Luten's "La Fille de Berlin" at the Shiseido duty free in Tokyo. It's quite nice. The rose itself is deep, rich and sweet. However, this is not a gentle, friendly rose. Along with it, I get amber, a hint of violet, and a musk that reminds me of Tom Ford's "Black Orchid." Still, the rose is the centerpiece of the fragrance, so you shouldn't expect amazing revelations as it develops. A modest application still gives you good projection and my wife tells me that it has excellent longevity too.
Several of the on-line reviews I've read make the connection between Lutens' Berlin and the image of Dietrich. I suppose that might be an interesting way to think of the fragrance, but it's such an easy move. After all, Dietrich gets summoned to describe everything from the venerable Knize Ten to the violet from Frau Tonis Berlin boutique. I think that the time is right, but I'd go for something more everyday--but not more ordinary. This is the Christopher Isherwood's Berlin. Modern, conflicted, uncertain. Rather than the legendary Dietrich, I see a young woman making her way in a changing world. Dressed conservatively, busy typing and filing in a large corporate office, dreaming about the daring dress that her own paycheck can buy, the Jazz club where she can wear it on the weekend. Taking something conventional and pushing it to the edge of respectability. It's a modern fragrance, but modern as it was defined eighty years ago. I think Lutens does a very good job of capturing this moment--something that is both nostalgic and unsettling.
Has anyone else given it a try? Any other new roses to look for?
Several of the on-line reviews I've read make the connection between Lutens' Berlin and the image of Dietrich. I suppose that might be an interesting way to think of the fragrance, but it's such an easy move. After all, Dietrich gets summoned to describe everything from the venerable Knize Ten to the violet from Frau Tonis Berlin boutique. I think that the time is right, but I'd go for something more everyday--but not more ordinary. This is the Christopher Isherwood's Berlin. Modern, conflicted, uncertain. Rather than the legendary Dietrich, I see a young woman making her way in a changing world. Dressed conservatively, busy typing and filing in a large corporate office, dreaming about the daring dress that her own paycheck can buy, the Jazz club where she can wear it on the weekend. Taking something conventional and pushing it to the edge of respectability. It's a modern fragrance, but modern as it was defined eighty years ago. I think Lutens does a very good job of capturing this moment--something that is both nostalgic and unsettling.
Has anyone else given it a try? Any other new roses to look for?
