The Devil Wears Snow: Interview With Founder of Ephemeral Scent

One year ago, I found CB I Hate Perfume during a Brooklyn stroll. I’ve long had snow on the brain not knowing I could hit it with a stone. Partly bred in Brooklyn, this siren was delighted to discover the mastermind of an award-winningfamous fragrance in her backyard. Now doubly delighted at the chance to meet Christopher Brosius in December–the month to discuss scent, semblance, sanity and a four letter ‘s’ word.

Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons. “Schneekristalle” Source: German Wikipedia, original upload 23. Okt 2004 by MatthiasKabel (selfmade) (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schneekristalle.jpg)

“Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same, unnatural shape…An opaque shell concealing everything–revealing nothing…An arrogant slap in the face from across the room…People who smell like everyone else disgust me.” ~ CB

 

December–the month to discuss scent, semblance, sanity and a four letter ‘s’ word.
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Me: The sense of smell? How? Why?

CB: Those especially fascinated by the psychology of smell: read Rachel Herz.

Me: How does smell effect us?

CB: While we’re constantly using our sense of smell, we very seldom–if at all–notice the impact smell has on our lives. I know of an individual who lost his ability to smell and suffered emotional trauma and depression. I know of an adult who was born without the ability to smell and through a surgical operation acquired the sense of smell. He couldn’t leave his house–the smell of everything, everywhere, was overwhelming. He hadn’t had the chance to assign qualifiers like “good” or “bad” to scents, so everything he smelled seemed overpowering and repulsive, including food.

“…we very seldom–if at all–notice the impact smell has on our lives.”
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“I know of an individual who lost his ability to smell and suffered emotional trauma and depression.”

Me: Demeter.

CB: Mmm.

Me: You’re moving.

CB: We intend to bring more art through our new space. We’ve got ideas.

Mihail Simonidi (1870 – 1933) – Winter perfume. Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons. This work is in the public domain (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Copyright_tags#United_States)

Me: New flowers in the house.

CB: Some florals are nearly impossible to replicate due to their depth. Take tuberose, for example. I’m very pleased with this line. Granted, they’re not inexpensive due to the high cost of materials needed to produce these fragrances. Nor are they for the faint of heart due to how they differ from their commonly conjured synthetic counterparts.

Me: Winter 1972. A signature snow scent.

CB: Each fragrance conjures up different emotional reactions that may be tied to an individual’s memory. “My Birthday Cake” once brought to mind chocolate cake with pink frosted flowers and a hint of candle wax for someone who came through my store. Nothing to do with the plain, simple, unfrosted angel food cake that was my birthday cake. It’s great when someone hones into a scent and owns it.

“Each fragrance conjures up different emotional reactions that may be tied to an individual’s memory.”
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Me: Your fragrance titles lead with a notion. A simple suggestion can lead far and away from your original intention.

CB: Yes, and that’s wonderful.

Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.

Me: Do you have a protégée?

CB: I work with many talented people, but I can’t teach anyone what is in my head nor the way I work. When I attempt to convey what I want, my hands may wind up above my head while I’m saying “No, this way!”

Me: The devil wears snow?

CB: Yes, sometimes.

Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.

Love CB I Hate Perfume? Here’s your chance to show your support.

This interview is not a direct transcript and has been edited for brevity and creativity. 

Snow kings and queens: share your comments.

 

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Body of Work: Interview with Photographer Liora K

Bullying is showing up on social media in the form of “fat shaming,” a term used to describe biases against individuals whose body weight is considered ‘above the norm.’ It’s a disturbing trend smacking of unfair hierarchy regarding what is considered beautiful, acceptable and cool. Enough of the shame game. Agreed?

Image courtesy of Vecteezy

This past May, blogger Jes Baker of The Militant Baker unleashed a backlash of “ads” in response to Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO’s anti-fat comments. Five days after the aforementioned “ads” ran, A&F’s U.S. sales plummeted by 17% as reported in The Huffington Post. In homage to one of the most visible anti-bullying messages in recent months, we interviewed Liora K, Jes’s collaborator and the photographer behind this now-iconic and groundbreaking campaign.

Liora K.
Photo credit: Impulse Nine Media http://impulsenine.com/

U.S: What inspired you to direct and shoot the “A&F” photo session with Jes Baker?

L.K.: Jes and I collaborate frequently on projects and portraits, and I’m always excited when she approaches me about a new idea that we can develop together.  When the comments made by Mike Jeffries resurfaced, she thought that photographing her as a non-typical “uncool” body in a shoot styled like an A&F advertisement would be a great way to respond, and I agreed!  We are both passionate about showing real and un-photoshopped bodies by putting them into a fashion spotlight as a way to empower our friends in our local and online communities.  We discussed a variety of different ways to style the shoot, and decided on keeping it simple and clean in a studio setting so that we would have privacy to take some of the more risqué shots.  We put on some upbeat music, started with a few warm up shots, and laughed and played our way through the rest of the shoot.

Jes Baker of The Militant Baker
Photo credit: Liora K Photography

U.S.: How can photographers impact positive social change?

L.K.: All artists have the power to drive positive social change across the board, but I think that portrait and fashion photographers have a very specific role to play in expanding the types of people who are represented in our every day media. I think that by choosing subjects who have body shapes of all kinds, a broad range of skin colors and ethnic backgrounds, as well as a diversity of sexual and gender orientations, photographers can seek to normalize what is currently under represented and in some cases ostracized.

“All artists have the power to drive positive social change across the board….”
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U.S.: Do you have suggestions for aspiring photographers who wish to enact positive social change?

L.K.: My advice would be to learn your passions, and then open yourself up to sharing them through your artwork. Translating your activism to artwork can be a challenge, as can placing it out in the world to see, but debate and conversation are what drives social change. Be brave and go for it!

Photo credit: Liora K Photography

“…debate and conversation are what drives social change. Be brave and go for it!”
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U.S.: What other examples of your work do you feel speak to advancing positive social change?

L.K.: I have been working on a series of Feminist Photographs for a little over a year, which seek to create discussions around social and reproductive justice for women and men.  It’s been an incredible experience, and each shoot is a little bit different, and I learn so much from each participant.

Photo credit: Liora K Photography

U.S.: What can we expect to see next from Liora K. Photography?

L.K.: Whatever next sits in front of my lens, whether it be activism, fashion, beauty, or the randomness that sometimes pops into my head!

 

More about Liora K: Her adventures in photography began when she became obsessed with learning how to manipulate her first point and shoot so that she could avoid using the flash. Ever. Today, she still loves using ambient light in her photo shoots. She learns about people, places, and objects through her lens.

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