would YOU?

What does fashion have to do with perfume? Quite a lot. In this episode, I look at the strange world of fashion imagery — clothes that are spectacular, artistic and fascinating, but not necessarily made to be worn — and ask whether the same thing is happening in perfumery. Perfume fairs and stores are full of beautiful bottles, elaborate presentations and carefully constructed worlds. But sometimes the shell becomes more important than what is inside. A perfume may be impressive, artistic and attention-grabbing — and still not be something you actually want to live with. I also tell the story of a woman I once worked with whose perfume announced her arrival before she even entered the room. The fragrance was beautiful, but there was simply too much of it: instead of her wearing the perfume, the perfume was wearing her. So the take-home question is very simple: Will I wear this perfume — or will this perfume wear me?