Anat Fritz of Anat Fritz Perfumes courtesy of Anat Fritz ©

Knitwear and fragrance designer Anat Fritz knows what matters and lives her life accordingly – be it exquisite detail in her clothing, lovingly prepared cuisine for family and community or painstaking attention to naturalistic elements in her perfumes. To remain faithful to one’s tenets is a constant challenge these days; we are encouraged to conform on many levels. In 2005 Anat created her first fragrance while living in Berlin, collaboration with perfumer Harry Lehmann entitled Anat Fritz Classical. She refreshed the formula in 2013 and those who were familiar with the original release were thrilled that it smelt as energetic and vital as its predecessor. One defining element of a classic is that it continues to delight despite the passage of time. True classicism is ageless, and if it’s at the top of its game a classic retains its fascination. Anat Fritz Classical satisfies on each level: elegant, unfussy, intriguingly piquant and perfectly suited to any and all occasions, seasons. You feel yourself impeccably attired in it, with or without clothing. It’s that sort of magic cloak.

Jurgen Teller ©

Anat craved a signature fragrance of her own. The Ysatis and Rive Gauche she’d adored had undergone reformulation (what mainstream perfume has not?) and lost their former appeal. As simple as her composition appeared, it worked: Classical wed fond childhood recollection of hours spent en plein air to a distinctly textural aesthetic which – though comforting – possessed a personality all its own and was undeniably chic.

Jurgen Teller for Sonia Rykiel ©

Lavender is a great personal favorite and may play out in multiple guises: floral, herbal, earthy, green, dry, spicy, terpenic, medicinal, agrestic, sophisticated. It can be a polarizing note for many despite its documented therapeutic effects. In Anat Fritz Classical it initially smells verdant, sprightly herbal but tones down over time, displaying itself as a floral murmur with a smattering of terpenes. Its collusion with softly arid cedarwood and balsamic, faintly singed vetiver creates a pronounced sylvan effect.

Jurgen Teller©

The gentling addition of sandalwood and a soupçon of Cambodian oud complete this olfactory image. The forest, the meadow teeming with herb and blossom underfoot spring to life right under your very nose. Somehow these elements fuse, and in so doing generate a universal bucolic experience – dry, green, airy and earthy. The earth breathes, and we in concert with it. An umami twang – aromatic plucking of the bowstring – piques our interest, providing the unexpected twist which sets Classical apart from other woody fragrances. This savory characteristic, I think – is what gives Anat Fritz Classical a leading edge. Appearances are deceiving: don’t trust the list of notes on face value alone. In Classical, the sum is much greater than any of its parts; to wear it is to love it. Small wonder that it is the perfume which Anat wears most frequently for her own pleasure. In describing Classical, one word immediately sprang to mind: veracity. Notes: lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, sandalwood, Cambodian oud

Samples kindly provided by Anat Fritz – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

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Thanks to the generosity of Anat Fritz we have a 100 ml bottle of Anat Fritz Classical ($179) for one registered reader in the EU or USA. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Anat Fritz Classical based upon Ida’s review, where you live. Draw closes 4/6/2019

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