After months of planning, last-minute changes, cancellations and a bit of creative improvisation, the first illatos Scent Gathering finally happened last Friday!
I brought together four independent perfume houses: Domestica (Chicago, USA), Élixir Privé (Paris, France), Mabelle O’Rama (London, UK) and Zanini (Prato, Italy). For Domestica, it was also their very first European appearance!
My favourite feedback came from a guest who admitted afterwards that when they arrived a little late, they thought everyone else already knew each other and they were the only stranger in the room. But almost nobody knew anyone. :)
As I got to know Oslo's creative scene better during the planning process, I deliberately looked for inspiring people from different creative fields. Perfume can be approached and interpreted from so many different perspectives, and I wanted that diversity to be reflected in the guest list too. I genuinely believe perfume deserves a place in cultural and artistic conversations, well beyond the usual fragrance bubble.
During the evening, I introduced the first limited edition of the illatos Scent Journal (coming to the webshop soon!). We then explored three fragrances I'd selected beforehand in a guided smelling session, before everyone had the chance to discover all 11 fragrances from the four houses at their own pace.
Since this was my first time organising an event like this, I was pretty nervous both before and during the evening. Not to mention that speaking in front of people doesn't exactly come naturally to me as an introvert. Luckily, the guests made it much easier with their curiosity and questions. I couldn't be happier with how the evening turned out!
What I particularly loved was seeing how scents brought people together, watching them get to know each other, chat and share the memories and associations that came to mind.
A big thank you to everyone who came, to the four perfume houses for trusting me with their work, and to Empress, T&T Wine and Villbrygg for keeping everyone hydrated throughout the evening!
And a special thanks to Ida Nyborg for the art direction, IM|VISUALS for the photography, Trond og Tjommiene and Andrea for the venue, and to everyone who helped behind the scenes. I'm also grateful to Oslo kommune for supporting the event.
Tusen hjertelig takk, and hope to see you soon!
