Spain; The Alternative Home Of Sparkling Perfume

When most of us think of scent, of lingering fragrances that waft, capture, and enthrall us we are driven to the ideals of French perfumery. This is of course fair because in Grasse, the south of France many perfume ingredients are grown and many of these bottled elixirs are produced there and there even are perfume schools in the area. But there are other countries too that have deep scent histories, from the ancient East to the Red and Yellow of the Spanish Flag.

Yes, most of us are aware that perfume has its roots in the Middle East, in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley civilization, and also possibly Ancient China. But much of this modern business is driven by France and its perfumed centre Grasse.

Yet Spain had for many years a very distinct perfume history from the earliest of times and unusually it carried on under a political cloud of the 20th century. This very Mediterranean land had a long connection with the Middle East having been invaded by Islamic countries, bringing its first big perfume connection.

The Islamic-controlled cities of Spain (Al-Andalus) became major producers of perfumes that were traded throughout the Old World. Like in the ancient world, Andalusians used fragrance in devotion to God. Perfumes added a layer of cleanliness that was needed for their devotion.

Alhambra,  Islamic architecture, Spanish Renaissance  Granada 

But under their Dictator Military General Francisco Franco Bahamonde who ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975, everything changed. During Franoc’s forced rule there was the Introduction of an economic policy based on national self-sufficiency or Autarky.

Under Autarky, (economic independence ) the State sought to exert an iron-fisted control over production and trade looking to turn Spain into a strong imperial power. The regime aimed to create a balance of payment surplus by stepping up domestic industrial and agricultural production, regardless of their opportunity costs, and very importantly, renouncing imports.

So simply put this meant things like raw materials used in perfumery which until that point had been imported, could no longer be bought into the country. For the perfume industry, this meant using only products that were available in Spain, not just for the juices to be included in the elixirs but also bottles, tops, labels, boxes, and all parts involved in the making and selling of perfume.

But strangely this brought about their very unique take on bright, sunny, shiny perfumes because citrus ingredients were so plentiful. These homegrown fruits enabled the Spanish to build an entirely self-sustaining industry, and an ability to translate longevity rarely seen in this fragrance family because citrus notes are the most ‘volatile’ and so ‘burn off the quickest’. They went on to create amazing fragrances at a lower cost than international names.

Some names in Spanish perfumery date from way before the Franco period. Houses such as Alvarez Gómez, which is over 100 years old still produce  Agua de Colonia Spain’s most traditional and familiar concentrated Eau de Cologne. Santa Eulalia is another perfume producer dating back to 1843, with its own luxury boutique that first opened in the heart of Las Ramblas in Barcelona. The leather experts Loewe opened in Madrid in 1846 but it was not until the end of the Franco Era that they started out in the world of perfumery in 1972

And then of course there were the producers of the perfumes, Myrurgia is an old perfume house, who were official suppliers to the Spanish Royal House. The earliest edition was created in 1916 and the newest is from 2007. The nose who worked on the fragrances is the rather renowned and genius nose, Ramon Monegal who is actually 4th generation of the founding family.

The company was bought by one of the other Spanish makers, Puig and Ramon has gone on to create a divine selection of fragrances under his name.

Puig origins date back to 1914 when Antonio Puig Castelló founded the company that is international but still 100% family-owned. From the beginning, the company oriented its business towards cosmetics producing the first lipstick in Spain in 1922, and the fragrance sectors.

The company started marketing the fragrance Agua Lavanda Puig, which became one of its flagship products. Step by step and whilst building its own fragrance collection, they created 80’s heroes such as men’s fragrance Quorum, and the company became collaborators with such names as Spanish designer  Paco Rabanne and Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera. Initially, it was to work with their fragrances but eventually, it came to own the fashion houses too.

Over the years the brand has partnered on scents with Prestige brands like Nina Ricci, and Jean Paul Gaultier. But interestingly as the boom in niche fragrances began in the late 1980s to the 1990s they began to buy up small perfume houses, such as Byredo, Penhaligons, Dries Van Noten, and L’artisanl Perfumer.

In many ways, this brought the world of perfumery back and reminded it that Spain did indeed have a wonderful history not just with highly popularist brands but also as producers of niche and excellence. And, it is because of this story that why we must look to Spain when we discuss not just big perfume brands but new and niche brands.

27 87 is a perfume house from Barcelona, which is taking on the mantle of top-notch Spanish perfumery. Born on the 27th of a month in the year 1987, Romy Kowalewski founded her company in 2006.

Driven to redefine luxury in the simplest terms, with unique, top-quality ingredients, meticulous research, and expert traditional craftsmanship by local Spanish artisans. On top of this, she wants to produce fragrances that reflect the contemporary spirit of our new world

Part of the cleverness of her brand is that she partners with some of the world’s finest noses to create her fragrances such as Mark Buxton and Jordi Fernández so that her elixirs are modern, progressive, and inquisitive.

Her journey with scent began with her parents who were bakers so her sense of smell became attuned at an early age, as well as that, she started whilst at school to create her own homemade signature scents.

And so began her fragrance journey and at just 26 years of age she went to Paris looking for investors for her line 2787. It took two years but she found backing and commenced with development into production launching in 2016.

The brand now consists of 10 scents, housed in elegant minimal, clear, white, and black bottles, as clean slates, with fine understated graphics for each scent to be explored personally. As a millennial herself she very much ‘talks’ to others in her group, so find her bestseller perfume #Hashtag, which takes its inspiration from the current digital age.

Incense from Somalia, Cedarwood from Morocco, Iris from Lades and Violet leaves from Egypt combined with fresh aldehydes giving #hashtag its uniqueness with its metallic touch.

Opening with ‘clean yet metallic’ Aldehydes, Violet leaves meet in the heart with earthy powdery Iris, and resinous Frankincense finalising in soft Cedarwood, and comforting Musk.

Whilst the molecular perfume Genetic Bliss, defines our DNA and the very essence of who each of us is. The scent melds with the very self to create a unique elixir, infused with woody notes like Akigalawood, Belambre, and creamy Sandalwood for a fragrance as singular as your genetic code

Others include Mosaique, a cold smoky vibe infused with the mystical sweetness of Honey, Plum, and Ylang-ylang juxtaposed with clean roasted Cocoa, Leather, and Oakmoss. Sonar, took inspiration from the Sónar’ electronic music festival in Barcelona. It is a complete immersion, an ecstatic presence that delves deep into the scent of community and sound, combining metallic wood and Amber with bright Mediterranean Bergamot. Subtle beer and burnt rubber accords add a unique bend to a note of Tuberose. Rule Of 72 is guided by the sharpness of its namesake mathematical formula, rule of 72 combines the muted elegance of Saffron and Geranium with vigorous natural Thai Oud and creamy Guaiac wood. Leather notes, along with Vetiver and Pachouli, whisper confidence rather than scream it.

The newest Scent to the collection is Per Se, a name that comes from the Latin per sē “by itself” and is presented by the brand as not a scent as such but as a ‘sensory experience’. An avant-garde composition:-

“In creating Per sē, we aimed to capture the very essence of the present moment. This fragrance is unparalleled; it ebbs and flows with the dynamism of change, yet its core remains strikingly constant. Just as time never stops, neither does ‘Per sē’. It serves as evidence of the enduring within the ever-changing.”

It is composed of a floral bouquet, with delicious Orris butter (iris) and BViolet leaves. Siting as is yin-yang is the cleanness of Aldehydes, find Bamboo, and a pinch of spicy Pepper, a subtle facet of Ambrette seeds, Angelica roots, and encasing Musk. This modern scent is all about encapsulating the essence of the now.

Her ideas for her fragrances come from her own life, her travels, and the many different people she encounters, alongside her journey is her home town the magnificent city of Barcelona.

As for the rather cyptique name? It alludes to the unusual sizes of the two bottle sizes in 27 ml and 87 ml, which is not standard sizing and ultimately is her date of birth. All the fragrances are cruelty-free, and a member of the EPAA (European Partnership for the Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing), meaning no animals were used for testing in any of the manufacturing processes.

Maybe it took a millennial perfumer to create new takes on perfumes that speak to other contemporaries of her other Y and Z generations. those who want to break with convention and strike out on new paths. How interesting that a new path for perfume has come out of Spain, highlight the country is no flash in the pan when it comes to amazing elixirs but an absolute staple.

To find all the perfumes in the collection and more information on the brand please visit 2787perfumes.com

If you enjoyed reading Spain; The Alternative Home Of Sparkling Perfume then why not read Colourful Alchemy Here

.Cent magazine London, Be Inspired; Get Involved

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