FRAGRANCE IN SEATTLE

This report is very late, but that’s what happens when you try to juggle four or five jobs at once.

The day of the Second Annual Seattle Artisan Fragrance Salon on May 4 wasn’t especially promising as everyone braved the cold and pouring rain to load in their exhibits. Once inside, though, the perfumers had a cozy spot in the space that everyone had to walk through on their way to and from the chocolate salon, which was concurrent with the fragrance salon, making for a lively day.

Traffic was nearly constant from opening to closing, with a mix of familiar and new faces from the perfumista community, familiar customers that I had an opportunity to meet in person for the first time, and many chocolate fans, most of whom were open to experiencing and learning about perfume. Just as I expected, Sakura was a hands-down favorite among the entry-level crowd, so I sold out before the day was over.

Stacey Gilbert provided expert help at my table, so I actually got to take a few minutes and check out some of the other exhibitors and trade samples with them. Here are a few photos I managed to snap on my phone.

Jen Siems of Sweet Tea Apothecary.

Karyn Gold-Reineke of Pirouette 

Kenneth Cory of On the Nose Fragrances

Rosarium Blends

The fact that we now have an annual fragrance event in Seattle underscores the emergence of the Pacific Northwest as a center for innovation in perfume.  I look forward to many more such events in future.

[All photos are mine except for the beautiful photo of Sakura, which was taken by Virginia Blanco for her blog Té de Violetas].