The Science behind STORIES

We’ve all been there: the smell of freshly cut grass takes us back to the long days of Summer; an open fire triggers a recollection of colder days; boiled sweets on someone’s breath brings reminiscences of a loved one lost. Our sense of smell reminds us who we are and from where we came.

Several behavioural and scientific studies have confirmed this connection between scent and memory. When we inhale, the olfactory bulb processes the smell. This bulb starts inside the nose and runs along the bottom of the brain. It is directly connected to parts of the brain suggested to process emotion and memory. The studies demonstrate that smell creates a stronger reminiscence than images or sound.

Grasse, on the French Riviera, has a long-established fragrance history dating back to the seventeenth century. It was here that I developed my scents, under the guidance of a perfumer, using only the finest raw materials sourced from all over the world. It became clear to me that as a Fragrance Designer, balancing the notes of a perfume would be my way of telling a story. It is my intention to allow the complex narrative of my own story to speak through my range of fragrances. It is a story to which the wearer can relate, in the hope of empowering them to connect with their fragrance and share their own stories and experiences that may emerge.

References

Arshamian A, Iannilli E, Gerber JC, Willander J, Persson J, Seo H-S, Hummel T, & Larsson M. The functional neuroanatomy of odor evoked autobiographical memories cued by odors and words. Neuropsychologia 51 (2013), 123-131.

Herz RS, Eliassen J, Beland S, & Souza T. Neuroimaging evidence for the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory. Neuropsychologia 42 (2004), 371-378.