CaFleureBon Creative Directors in Perfumery: Dominic (Dom) De Vetta of Shay & Blue + Richly Decadent Fragrance Draw

  Dom Devetta creative Director of shay and bluee

Dom De Vetta, Creative Director of Shay & Blue

Born and raised in London,  I grew up in a bilingual British-French family surrounded by rich cultural references and classic fragrances. As a child I was surrounded by the great French fragrances in my grandparents' Kensington flat.  I remember my grandmother and grandfather wearing Mitsouko, Apres L'Ondée, Jicky, Cristalle, Pour Monsieur, Eau Sauvage and Caron Pour Un Homme, to name but a few. I majored in English and French literature at Oxford University, and then spent my twenties living in Paris, creating for Lancome.  I moved on to work at Chanel for many years, in London, Paris and later, New York City.  I was one of two people behind the concept for "Les Exclusifs de Chanel", and worked on the creation of the line with Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake.  I worked for Jo Malone London for several years, replacing the founder Jo Malone and her husband. I set about reinvigorating the brand by setting a fresh new creative vision and employing talented nose, Christine Nagel to create fragrances like Cologne Intense for the house.

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Dom named the Company after his Grandmother Grace Shay and his favorite color-blue

 One day I woke up and, as if from nowhere, all the elements of my past came together as he had an overwhelmingly strong vision to create a new perfume house that would marry great classic fragrance constructions with a contemporary modernity. Everything that is old and beautiful is new again. Turner, Picasso and Matisse understood this. That in order to do something that is new, and great, first you must understand what came before you. For them, that meant understanding the masterly way that Dutch art masters used paint to create stunning effects of light and dark. For me, as Creative Director of Shay & Blue it means understanding the achievements of the great perfume masterpieces of the past – so that you can then reinvent them for the future, for the modern world.That is why I believe that great fragrances today must stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before them. I believe that this is true when you are creating anything. Great artists and writers have always known this… you must understand the genius in past achievements before you can move forward.

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 Julie Massé studied under Master Perfumers Christine Nagel and Pierre Bourdon 

It means that a large part of the way I work is through conversation, dialogue or “an exchange” as the French like to say. So Julie Massé, the Shay & Blue perfumer, and I are constantly engaged in an exchange of thoughts and ideas. A really rich creative process is a dialogue between people with something interesting to say. Backwards-forwards as a kind-of rhythm is our unique way of creating.

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Dom DeVetta and Julie Massé

Literally, Julie and I are constantly travelling backwards and forwards on the Eurostar, between London (where I live) and Paris (where she lives). But there is also a back-and-forth duality in what we say and the ideas we exchange – man/ woman, experience/ youth, old/ new, classic/ modern. Exchanging viewpoints and ideas with Julie is essential.

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 As a team, we talk in depth about the great fragrance classics and how to modernise them. We unpick their greatness, we deconstruct them, admire their constructions, but then we flip them over into reimagining how to modernise some of those principles and ideas. Many of the old masterpieces from the 1920’s, 30’s, 50’s are  unwearable today, too old-fashioned. But still incredibly beautiful… so the question for us becomes can you reinvent and reimagine them… refashion their extraordinary beauty in a modern, interesting way?  What we are not about is “Shock”, that whole vogue for saying “I am going to shock you by offering you the smell of bodily fluids and cigarette ash”, it seems so gimmicky to us, so hollow and empty… we are interested in looking at what makes something an extraordinary beauty, a real masterpiece.

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Shay & Blue Sicilian Limes

 The other thing that is instinctive for me in the way that I work is a sense of the visual. I am guided by a richly decadent aesthetic.  I am interested in talking about construction. Layers. But mostly I talk in the language of the visual, of light and dark – I am a very visual person. I paint.

 

Shay & Blue London Boutique located 80 York Street, Old Marylebone London

While my language is visual, Julie’s is smell – and the marriage of the two works well. For some time I’ve had enough of minimalism… you know, that minimal open-plan loft-type aesthetic, it is so over for me. I think the next generation wants richness, depth of colour and texture – this strong, personal view or impulse is something then that Julie and I try to translate into scent, it’s something she and I talk about a lot.

 Blood Oranges Concept

Concept Board for Blood Oranges

What does that mean, concretely? It means employing concepts and words like “visual”, “painterly”, “texture”, “light” and “dark” when talking with Julie. It also means I bring a lot of pictures, imagery to our working sessions together. Big influences include the painter Turner, Dutch masters and their use of light and dark, 18th and 19th century visual influences. I think you can see this in our work. Blood Oranges has a colour, obviously, but also a sense of duality, both visually in its imagery, but also in the fragrance itself where you can smell the light and the dark.

Atropa Belladonna Concept

Concept Board for Atropa Belladonna

Similarly Atropa Belladonna is purple-black dark, with the merest flash of light like a dark Dutch canvas from the 18th century. I started painting in oils when I was eight years old, it is a big part of who I am.

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Dom and Julie in Grasse

I think a few strong things come out of our collaborative creative process. One is a respect for traditional skills. We champion handcrafted methods, both in Grasse and in England. If your entire philosophy is that you want “to stand on the shoulders of giants” then it’s hard to do this without high-quality ingredients and production methods. So wherever we can we use the best naturals, the same May Rose from Grasse that has been used in fragrances like Chanel No .5, Grasse jasmine, white narcissus, finest citrus oils from Italy. And, back in England, mixing and macerating by hand, maturing the scents in vats for over three months, and then pouring and filling by hand. This is the kind of stuff that just doesn’t happen any more in the hyper-industrialised world of mass-production.

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Shay & Blue Amber Rose

Another result of this creative way of working is that the notion of duality, or contrast, comes through strongly in everything we do. For example, Blood Oranges is both dark and fresh… Almond Cucumber both refined powdery and aquatic… Amber Rose both majestically floral and gently milky. The duality comes out in the look of the brand, too.

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Julia Sarr-Jamois

Julia Sarr-Jamois is my creative muse for everything visual at Shay & Blue. She is an invaluable sounding board, just as when I was at Chanel I was used to Karl Lagerfeld's way of working by bouncing ideas off Amanda Harlech, the Chanel muse. Julia is so inspiring, she’s 23, she’s out and about in East London every night, she knows where it’s at and so she helps me to sense what’s coming next.

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Shay & Blue Signature packaging

She has helped me refine the look of the brand, the boutique, the boxes, the ribbon.. and I think the result reflects some of her exquisite style, a sense of the old and classical being new and exciting again.

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What has finally become clear for me with experience is that your way of working is everything. In a world of mass-produced, tacky, samey “stuff” you have to work with your heart and your soul if you want to create something beautiful and worthwhile.

 Shay & Blue Photos copyright

Dom De Vetta, Creative Director and Founder of Shay & Blue London

shay and blue  80 york street old marylebone london

 Editor's Note: CaFleureBon announced Shay & Blue's new fragrances and candle line the day Dom opened their Boutique in Harvey Nichols, February 25, 2013.  Dom DeVetta is working 24/7 establishing the brand with minimum staff. After his tenure with global companies such as Lancome, Chanel and Estee Lauder (parent company of Jo Malone London) this is an enormous endeavor. With his vision and drive, there is no doubt that one day ,in the not so distant future, Shay & Blue will be an internationally lauded brand. Michelyn Camen, Editor In Chief

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Thanks to Dom we have a reader's choice draw for a 100 ML of one of the six natural spray fragrances, all are hand crafted and made in England with real flowers, fruits and spices and are offered on www.shayandblue.com: Attropa Belladonna, Blood Oranges, Amber Rose, Sicilian Limes, Suffolk Lavender or Almond Cucumber. To be eligible please leave a quality comment about what you learned and  found fascinating about Dom DeVetta as Creative Director and be sure to include your choice of one Shay & Blue perfume should you win. 

Please LIKE CaFleureBon Creative Directors in Perfumery on Facebook and your comment/entry will count twice.

The draw closes April 4, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

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56 comments

  • I certainly hope Shay & Blue does well. It seems Dom has been preparing for this his whole career. Such great experience and with Julie they make a stellar pair. I would like to win Almond & Cucumber.
    Thanks for the draw.

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    In order to create something new, you have to understand what came before. I think that is very important and I’d love to try the entire line but if I win my choice is Suffolk Lavender.

  • SisterSpecies says:

    Dom has got it right. I am so tired of the hollow, minimalist frag. I want plushness and depth in a frag I’m going to enjoy for more than one sniff, sounds like Shay & Blue may well be working in that direction. Kudos! It’s quite hard to pick- both Amber Rose and Blood Oranges sound perfect for me… okay I’d love to win Amber Rose. Many thanks!

  • Janet in California says:

    I love the concept of the duality of fragrance and their partnership. The classical fragrances blended with the modern.

    I would love to try Atropa Belladonna.

  • That was really delightful and inspiring to read. I particularly enjoyed the partnership, the sense of collaboration and the creative process between Dom and Julie. I like the idea of conversation as creativity and love that he brings his painting background and visual eye to perfume. And going on the website – I really liked one of their tag lines – “Made by hand. By many hands.” I like the inclusiveness and generosity that implies. I would love to try Sicilian Lime if selected.

    Thank you!

  • Sarah Lathrop says:

    This brand seems top notch. Dom DeVetta has an amazing curriculum vitae! I am impressed that he was so instrumental in developing the exclusive Chanel fragrance line.
    Although I appreciate his insistence on classiness, I did chuckle at his slam against Etat Libre d’Orange, because while that company obviously favors a completely different approach, it is a brand I value in its own right. At least I assume he was talking about ELd’O when he mentioned his distain for brands that rely on “shock” value and market scents that replicate the “smell of bodily fluids and cigarette ash.”
    It does seem that Shay and Blue has an impeccable aesthetic, from the concepts behind the fragrances straight through the marketing and packaging. Sounds like they will become a force!
    I live in the U.S. and would love to smell Blood Oranges. Thank you for the chance!

  • This is a great brand. After trying Attropa Belladonna I must agree that these fragrances are special. I like that Dom follows the path of using a creative muse like Julia Sarr -Jamois a young woman that can keep him updated on the current trends and make this brand so appealing. Exactly like when he was at Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld was bouncing his ideas of Amanda Harlech, the Chanel muse. Obviously it worked for Lagerfeld. I love the packaging, everything about this brand calls out to curious perfumistas. I would love to try the Almond Cucumber. It would be great for the warmer weather ahead. Thank you for the fabulous draw

  • Mr. DeVetta’s experience working with big companies provides a good foundation to the “building on the shoulders of giants” aesthetic. A solid first layer. His artistic background and early love of painting bring in the conceptual layering process, and I really enjoyed his description of working with Julie and how their different creative processes – the backward/forward – mesh to create modern perfume classics. My choice would be Attropa Belladonna. Thank you!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    i have been impressed by Dom’s resume including stints at Jo Malone and Chanel..he has kind of taken the same role as Serge Lutens…when you first wrote about Shay and Blue and how they use high quality material, i expected these fragrances to have high prices and was impressed that they have gone for very reasonable prices given the quality of materials..this is really a dream team. BTW, my choice is Amber Rose.

  • lumpkinluv says:

    I love the attention to quality and the respect they show to classic perfumery. I would love to try Amber Rose.

  • What really resonated for me was the duality and dichotomy that exists between Dom and Julie (as is in the case of life, right?). I love when he says “there is a back and forth duality in what we say and the ideas we exchange: man/woman, young/old, classic/modern…”

    As a lover of classic scents I am already impressed by this line. And the fact that they source the highest quality naturals is icing on the cake.

    To choose one to win seems impossible but since i must it would be Suffolk Lavender as spring weather is slowly encroaching upon us and i see this as a lovely spring scent.

    Thank you CfB for introducing me to another fantastic perfume house that I must explore further and for this wonderful draw!

  • I don’t spend so much time on perfume these days as springtime has gotten the best of me. I had however to read this article.

    Some random rant first: I was smitten with this line the first time I saw it on CaFleureBon! Everything about it speaks of quality. Love the photographic compositions that highlight the materials and atmosphere of each perfume. No need for models and celebs, just plain natural beauty with a heavy touch of the dramatic. Natura morta with a hint of something going on around it (very fetching!). Quality and solid aesthetics are reflected in the bottle design and craftsmanship (best coloured glass I’ve seen in years) and also in their London boutique. I love it when a brand appears so coherent.
    That impression of coherence is validated by what I read here today. It seems to me that this is not an attempt of someone to barge into the fragrance market for a cut but instead the end result of a maturation process, similar to the maturation process in a perfume vat. I would be very much interested to see how Jo Malone, Chanel and the classic Guerlains have influenced this new line.
    I am absolutely thrilled by the prospect of trying their creations and wish all the best to Shay & Blue.

    I am very torn as to what to choose but I would probably say Blood Orange. There is still time for some leathery goodness before summer.

    Ok, that’s it. Now off to the sunshine!

  • I didn’t know that Dom De Vetta worked for such brands as Lancome, Chanel and that he replaced Jo Malone when she decided to drop from her brand taken by Estee Lauder. I thought Polge was the only one responsible for Les Exclusifs de Chanel, looks like I’ve been mistaken.

    If I win I chose Suffolk Lavender.

  • Amber Rose! Amber Rose!

    Oh yes, a quality comment…um, well, I’m all for oils rather than water-colours. I like things saturated and dense, though preferably not so heavy they sink to the bottom of the pond (Serges sometimes do this on me).

    And, how exactly does one become a muse – is there a way to apply for the position?

  • I’ve been curious about this line since i read about them a couple of months ago! Excited to try all of their fragrances. Interesting that Dom is a painter – and as he and Julie collaborate, they speak of concepts in art. It makes sense to me, as perfumery is definitely an art! Love that they use top quality materials.

    Dom mentions wanting to update the classics. I’d be curious to hear which classics they appreciate and admire.

    I would love to win Atropa Belladonna!

  • I’m very curious about this line and it’s hard to choose just one from it! I enjoyed reading about Dom’s considerable experience. I’m curious about the interplay between classic and modern. I dislike modern perfumes that go for either shock value (as mentioned) or simply smell “interesting” but too odd to wear. So the idea of maintaining strong ties to classical perfumery appeals to me.

    I would love to try all of them, but my choice is Atropa Belladonna.

  • It’s a great concept to look at big classic fragrances and to see if you can modernize them into nowadays fragrances. Also adore the fact that Dom uses real flowers, fruits and spices instead of synthetics. Nothing beats the traditional skills. I also admire the bottles and packaging.

    I would love to try the Suffolk Lavender.

  • In general, I appreciate his writing style. It is logical and easy to read and therefore, easy to understand. Also, I appreciate Mr. DeVetta’s respect for the classics and tradition and how they inform his approach to perfumery. Mostly, it is the intent to create beautiful perfume that will bridge the past with the presents and will go forward as classic fragrance that interests me. I enjoy the inclusion of the concept boards. I would like to try Amber Rose. Thanks for the draw.

  • I must say I love Shay & Blue! I had the chance to learn abou the creation of this brand by Dom de Vetta from the beginning and will be visiting thei truly magnificent boutique in Marylebone soon. I love Attropa Belladona, I had an opportunity to sniff it from a friend who already bought a couple of his perfumes and I was amazed!! They truly reflect his saying:”you have to work with your heart and your soul if you want to create something beautiful and worthwhile”, I couldn’t agree more!!!

  • Sounds like an amazing brand and I would love to smell all of these fragrances. Julia Starr-Jamois seems like a chic, hip, exuberant muse and this must come through in the scents as well! My choice would be Sicilian Limes.

  • Dom mentions that in the creative process he employs the study of contrasts. This appeals to me as I think of foods I crave–sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy, even hot and cold. It was also interesting to read his impressive resume and hear about his collaboration with his creative muse. Thanks for bringing this line to my attention. It was a difficult choice, but I think I would pick Attropa Belladonna.

  • wefadetogray says:

    What I like about Dom is that he is not afraid of “standing in the shoulders of the giants.” To take up the past again both as an emotional reference and as a craft allows him to see the past as a support and an emblem of his creative vision, yet he does not rely in the mere recreation of the past but in its re-invention. The past serves for him as inspiration to set the foundation of elegance and luxury but also as the foundation of duality and contrast: the past merging into modernity is constitutive of his scents.
    I’d love to try Atropa Belladona.

  • Daniela Schuch says:

    I think the approach of understanding the classics to be able to come up with something modern is very important for perfumery. Also, he mentioned a lot the communication and exchange he has with his perfumer and it seems the perfect relationship as it should be in any company that wants to innovate in this industry.

    I would try Almond Cucumber.

  • valerie mc says:

    I would dearly like to try Atropa Belladonna – Dom has an impeccable pedigree, doesn’t he – everything French, fragrant and fine. So allez-y, away with minimalism and dreary celeb fragrance – reinvest in the finesse and artistry of bygone perfume eras along with a vibrant modern longing for a new twist, excellence of structure and real depth. Bonne chance Dom

  • I love knowing that there are perfumers who are trying to create the perfect combination of interesting and beautiful. I would choose Almond Cucumber.

  • This sounds fantastic! Reinventing the wheel. Taking grand old classics to the next level. If only everyone could see and appreciate treasures from the past. If I get the chance, I’d love to try Suffolk Lavender.

  • GregorySop says:

    I find it interesting both that he worked at 2 great houses in Chanel and Joe Malone and actually succeeded the founders at the second. Also the creative process with Julia where she represents smell and he a visual concept of the creative process and they can communicate in different ways to create such divine scents. The problem is choosing one…I guess I would try blood oranges. Thank You.

  • The thing I liked most about Mr DeVetta was the great importance he takes in understanding the past of fragrance in order to create exquisite fragrance for the present. It goes so well with the whole “old and classic becoming new and exciting again” theme that I think applies to the entire company. I like the fact that he gives great attention to everything, from ingredients to packaging and presentation and cuts no corners in the whole process of making a fragrance (from notes to the final ribbon that seals the box).
    With an extensive experience like his and the team he has beside him I am sure we shall hear of Shay and Blue for years to come. My pick is definitely Atropa Belladonna, decadent and mesmerising, how could I say no to that?
    Thank you.

  • This is a feast for the eyes and for the soul. I see so much of Dom’s background in Shay & Blue… from the connection to French and English perfumery to the collabaration with Julie Masse.
    The boxes are as iconic as Jo Malone’s creamy yellow and black ribbon. Maybe this is an answer to what Jo Malone has become..so watered down. Did any one else pick up Liz Taylor in the Atropa Belladona concept board?
    My choice is Suffolk lavender…

  • Honestly I was sold after I read this line:

    I was one of two people behind the concept for “Les Exclusifs de Chanel”, and worked on the creation of the line with Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake. Sign me up. I want to try all of the creations.

    Also agree with this sentiment:

    “What we are not about is “Shock”, that whole vogue for saying “I am going to shock you by offering you the smell of bodily fluids and cigarette ash”, it seems so gimmicky to us, so hollow and empty… we are interested in looking at what makes something an extraordinary beauty, a real masterpiece.”

    Again, totally agree, so gimmicky…like they are trying to hard or something–or not enough, lol. Give me true masterpiece!

    Also like that the collaboration is one of both vision and smell, very good combo, imo..I really just wanna try this stuff, now!:)

    Also, would like to see some of these oil paints. I love oil painting as well and would love to see his works. Like what I am hearing about the production process as well.
    Basically, I love everything I am hearing about this line and I love, love, love amber.
    Therefore, would LOVE to get my hands on Amber Rose. Love the bottle design too.

    Thanks so much for the draw!

  • just breathe says:

    What I really enjoyed reading was the relationship between Dom and Julie. It kind of reminds me of my perfume relationship with my mother, who in many ways is my perfume mentor: she is old, I am young, she loves classics and I go for modern, she has experience and I have youth. I would love to win for her the Almond Cucumber as it sounds like an unusual scent- one that she would not normally have in her collection.

  • I respect Dom’s approach: to “marry great classic fragrance constructions with a contemporary modernity.” Elegance is born.

    Hmmm… the choice is challenging. I would love to try Almond Cucumber.

  • Love the article! Dom and Julie seem like a great team … love the concept boards and the quote that “you have to work with your heart and your soul if you want to create something beautiful and worthwhile.”

    I must try all of these scents! I love the name, the bottles, the packaging … It’s a very tough choice, but I would choose Blood Oranges. I am in the US.

    Thank you for the draw!

  • I had never heard of Mr. DeVetta before this article and was intrigued by the fact that he was one of the people behind the concept of Les Exclusifs de Chanel. I had heard of Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake . Impressed that he hired Christine Nagel for Jo Malone. What a resume!! His line must be wonderful. My choice is Atropa Belladonna.

  • Datura5750 says:

    I have been fascinated by this brand since I discovered their website by accident a few months ago. I love the fact that they have a muse!
    Would love to try Atropa Belladonna…

  • Dom and Julie are a great pair and I hope the line does exceeding well! I agree with him in “if you don’t know your past, you won’t know where to go in your future.” I love the way he pays homage to the classics the same way the great artists did and the way he draws comparisons of the two. My choice is the Amber Rose! This was a fascinating article and thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • I think it’s very interesting that this line is a collaboration between a perfumer, creative director, and a separate muse… very interesting and not exactly the norm. Also applaud him on his distaste for minimalism! With a background like his, I now have high hopes for this line.

    I’d like to be entered for Atropa Belladonna. Thank you for the draw. 🙂

  • Oil painting, color, texture and scent … I remember reading something about Robert Plant meeting Jimi Page for the first time. They talked about making music with “texture,” and Page played Anne Bredon’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” with a very Spanish feel. That song always brings me back to the late sixties, when I was little, and my mother painted in oils. Her “going out” clothes had the scent of Cabochard, silk, lipstick, and leather (from her gloves, kept in the drawer with her scarves). Her “stay at home clothes smelled of baking, Constant Comment tea, oranges, turpentine and paint. This is scent texture to me. There’s on old still life that she painted, with a chinese blue and white teapot and oranges. I look at it and smell the Constant Comment, the old, dusty wood and plaster of our house, the turpentine and oil.
    And that was the sixties to me — a mix of sophistication, of Saks 5th Avenue thai silk mini dresses, sultry perfume, fresh oranges and bohemian spice. So it seems Blood Oranges would be the natural choice.

  • Igor Kipnis says:

    Very nice article that surprised me in their vision towards creating perfume. Instead of creating something “wild” like was mentioned, they elect in choosing to build up on the foundation laid before them and improving upon it. I believe this concept of linking the past with the future connects with the buyer. As humans, we are always seeking to improve/build and learn from the past to better ourselves. Knowing this about the vision of the creators behind Shay & Blue brings increased appreciation behind the label.

    Thank you for the generosity and the draw. My choice is Blood Oranges.

  • I found Dom DeVetta’s resume fascinating/impressive – he worked on the Chanel Exclusifs! and employed Christine Nagel at Jo Malone! – and liked hearing about his perfume memories from childhood, especially the Guerlains 😉 I also liked his concept of bringing the classics into the contemporary moment.

    I would like to win Attropa Belladonna.

    I have been looking forward to sampling this line since I heard about its launch and hope they will have distribution in the US as well 🙂

  • Wow. Les Exclusifs is one of my favorite collections of fragrances — I own five large bottles (in various stages of emptiness). He talks of his grandparents wearing many fragrances I still know and love today! (I just bought a bottle of vintage Cristalle to take me back to my early 20s.) But I have to say, what really fascinated me in the article was the use of the concept boards. Based upon what I saw there alone makes me want most to try Atropa Belladonna. I live in the U.S. and thanks for the draw! (Oh, and if I die and am reincarnated, I really, really want to come back as Dom — what a wonderful, wonderful life–and incredible resume!)

  • I was pulled into this article from the get-go, and envious of his memories of growing in a family that Guerlain. I also related to his sense that colours echoed scents. And I agree, as a painter and musician, that “you have to work with your heart and your soul if you want to create something beautiful and worthwhile.” Or it’s just not worth doing!! Thanks for the article and draw. I would love to try Attropa Belladonna.

  • This is a wonderful profile of a man deserving to be profiled. It is clear his standards are the highest. And yet with all of his pedigrees (I love the Exclusifs – especially Coromandel) he is not so egocentric that he has become a know-it-all. I am so impressed that he has chosen to surround himself with youthful counterparts (Julie & Julia) to fill out out areas in his vast sphere of knowledge. I loved reading about his conversations with Julie on the Eurostar.
    I love their use of high-quality ingredients and their laborious “by hand” production methods. I agree with his idea that the next generation wants richness, depth of colour and texture. Enough of cold minimalism! I am also tired of the choice of shock value marketing vs quality products that would sell themselves because they are made with such care. This is definitely a line I want to try and follow. Thank you CFB for always keeping us up on the latest and greatest!
    I liked the fb page. I live in the US. 
    Blood Oranges would be my first choice (with Attropa Belladonna a close second!)

  • I really enjoyed reading about the back and forth process of a collaboration. My work is creatively and looks like it is done alone – I write – but is quite collaborative in the sense I am aware of other writers and their writing. But would be different to actually collaborate with a very specific person – back and forth.

    Please enter me in the draw. I live in the US and would like to be entered for Blood Oranges

  • I really enjoyed this article. I found it encouraging that he states that “you must understand the genius in past achievements before you can move forward”. It makes me even more curious about the line. I too have become tired of the gimmicky type fragrances. At times it seems like some companies come up with a hollow concept solely for shock value. I have found the majority of those that would be considered avant-garde to be lackluster attempts and disappointing to my nose. It is also exciting that they employ more than just the sense of smell when constructing their fragrances. I for one feel as though you have to really live with a fragrance, or have a love affair with it, to determine if it is for you. This employs more than just a quick sniff. A really good fragrance is even tangible. I for one am curious as to what the concept board for Sicilian Limes looked like… If I were to select one to try, it would be Sicilian Limes. Wonderful article. Kudos

  • What I loved about this article was that Dom DeVetta has a real respect for the masterpieces of the past. He compares them with the great painters , specially the Dutch painters I love (Vermeer on the top) . It’s not possible to create anything with no Knowledge about what was created before we were born…. Shocking names, shocking fragances, will disappear , as well as all those nonsense art pieces ….only Beauty remains.
    If I win , I would like to try Suffolk Lavender.
    Thanks.

  • It’s truly so important to understand the past to move forward with the future! I really enjoyed this aspect of the article in relation to Dom DeVetta’s business and the art of perfume. I would love to win Attropa Belladonna, thanks!

  • Great article.

    I really enjoyed Dom’s point about gimmicky perfumes. I tend to look at them as objects of interest so his comment grated on me, but I understand now how it looks when a company wants to stand for something else, classic and refined collaboration in scent.

    again, great article.

    Blood Oranges sounds really nice.

  • Mary Ellen says:

    What i loved about the article was the creative process that occurred between visual and olfactive artists. the back and forth collaboration is impressive and I am eager to see the results.

    Blood Orange would be my choice.

  • What strikes me as interesting especially is the contrast between the elaborate visuals and verbal descriptions versus the cool blue / golden coloured chic bottles with their very classic and simple shape and etiquettes.

    Very diffcult to pick just one of these, but I should choose Atropa Belladonna for the biggest contrast as to explanation above.

  • Dom DeVetta sounds like an incredible artistic director: The way he translates his love for painting to help create the fragrance is nothing short of fascinating. I also love his approach to reinventing the classics modernizing them.

    All the fragrances sound so lovely but if I had to pick one it would be Atropa Belladona. thanks for the draw!

  • Patty Pong says:

    What’s fascinating about Dom De Vetta is the list of perfumers he has personally worked with. That makes me want to try this creation even more.

    Being forced to choose one for the draw, I choose Sicilian Limes.

  • Brenda Patrickson says:

    I loved hearing how they looked at the past before looking forward in establishing a new icon.

    I really enjoyed this. Thanks for the drawing.

    Blood Oranges if chosen. 🙂

  • US resident here.

    In particular, I liked how he talked about Julia’s involvement in the process. As a package designer I thought it was interesting how involved she was in creating the visual vocabulary for the brand.

    The packaging looks great.

    Blood Oranges would be my choice.