Povodom Dana žena bila sam u podgoričkom vinskom butiku Salon vina u Njegoševoj. Održavao se masterclass o uparivanju niche parfema sa vinima. Bilo je to malo žensko okupljanje za 8. mart. Na stanja ženskih prava tad sam se već osvrnula i naglasila koliko je taj problem svakodnevne naravi, a ne prigodne jednodnevne.
Usputna digresija; evo danas na društvenim mrežama ni glasa o važnosti žena i ravnopravosti, plaće i dalje nejednake, zdravstvena zaštita i dalje nepravedna, obiteljsko nasilje i dalje nesankcionirano, seksizam i dalje predmet diskusije – npr. svježi Rambo Amadeus slučaj. Di smo sad, karanfili? No, to je tema za drugi put. Da se vratim današnjoj…
U ovom tekstu donosim razgovor s Yanom Zubtsovom, bjuti eksperticom za niche parfeme s karijerom u Vogue Russia, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure Russia. Prije nekoliko mjeseci došla je u Crnu Goru i pokrenula Mont Esthete. Mont Esthete je društveni klub ljubitelja Lijepoga, a bavi se organizacijom raznih druženja i well-minded radionica, te je otvoren za svakoga bez obzira na porijeklo, rasu, spol, dob, vjeru, nacionalnost, društveni ili ekonomski status. Zasad okuplja većinom Ruskinje i Ukrajinke. Pogađate, dosta ih je u Crnu Goru doselilo relativno nedavno, makar što se trajnosti boravka tiče. A, osim estetike i ukusa, međusobno dijele i mišljenje – k vragu sa sukobima.
Yana je s mojom prijateljicom Bojanom, inače suosnivačicom Salona vina, održala masterclass o unikatnim niche mirisima uz degustaciju selekcije vrhunskih vina. U nastavku pričamo o parfemima. I, to ne bilo kakvima već o niche parfemima.
U tekstu je nekoliko članaka referenci koji pobliže govore o procesu proizvodnje Chanela N5 i peterburškoj parfemsko-gastro večeri koju je organizirao Roja Dove, na ruskom jeziku. No, čak i ako ga ne govorite ili ne čitate, bacite oko na fotografije. Cijeli intervju je, pak, na engleskom kao svojevrsnom esperantu našeg doba, a na dnu je mini galerija s eventa Smell&Drink te info o lokacijama gdje možete probati i kupiti niche parfeme kod nas.
Hi Yana, you are an expert for the niche perfumes with astonishing career in beauty and fashion. Can you shortly introduce yourself?
Hi, Val! Long story short – I have been in Beauty/Fashion Business for 25 years. Used to work as Feature Director of Vogue Russia, Beauty Director of Harper’s Bazaar Russia, Beauty Director of Allure Russia. After all this jazz I quit Conde Nast to run our own independent beauty web site – http://www.beautyinsider.ru (~700 000 readers per month in 2021). I also translated some books into Russian: Colors by Lisa Eldrige, The Essense of Perfume by Poja Dove, On Perfume Making by Frederic Malle. And I am co-author of book on skin care – 50 Beauty Myths, which was published not only in Russia, but also in France, Poland and some other countries.
Since the 3rd of September 2023 I live in Montenegro (because of War, yes, because I find it a tragedy for Ukraine, Russia and the world in general).
When you came, you started Mont Esthete in Montenegro, an all-about-beauty club. Can you share more about it?
We run Mont Esthete like a company which could unite people/companies in Balkan countries who are interested in doing something in Beauty, Fragrances, Fashion, Design, Art, Well-Being etc. Who believe that doing all this stuff is better than making a war.
Our goal – to find them, to unite them, to have some fests/workshops together.
It is the future. For now we started with small workshops on Fragrances, since I know a lot about it.
Speaking of fragrances, you were lucky enough to witness the production of Chanel N5 a few years ago. Which part of the experience was the most interesting one for you? Is there any anecdote about the experience?
I guess Chanel is a timeless brand and I know how much they do to hold the legend – N5. Two times per year they invite some international press to have a look at Chanel’s fields in Grass, Cote d’Azure, to show how the roses and jasmines (ingredients of N5) are being gathered. While I was there, I wanted not only to look at it, but take part in the process. So I woke up at 4 AM, took 2 baskets and went to the field. The funniest thing is, that I was the worst gatherer of harvest. All others collected 25 kg, me – just 3. Cause I have no skills and cause I was thinking how to write about it 😂
The story was published in Allure Russia, but here are some pics and the story in Russian before and after that article. (I have been there several times)
Today you nourish a special passion for niche perfumes. How do you think you developed it? What is the main distinction between them and classic ones?
Niche perfumes have no big budgets behind, so you can love them just because you love them. Or not. If not me (or any other enthusiast like me) – how could people know about them? The main distinction between them and so called ‘luxury’ mass brands is – Niche Perfumes are not produced to be liked by everyone. They can be more free and less boring.
We met at an event focused on pairing wines with scents and I have enjoyed it dearly! But what about other taste buds pleasures such as coffee or sweets, or some other liquors? What else could be a good pair for matching “perfume tasting” and deepen the understanding of the perfumery world?
Honestly – almost everything. Music, Art, Photos – for sure. All that you can feel, see, touch, smell.
Have a look at how Roja Dove held a special gastronomical dinner with perfumes in Saint Petersburg Four Seasons Hotel. It was just amazing.
Do perfumes have any interesting role in literature or cinematography?
Yes, there are some movies on perfumes, smells, etc. For ex. Perfume: The story of a Murderer; Perfumer. The most iconic example of smell’s power – Du Cote de chez Swann, Marcel Proust, where he described how the smell of Madeleines cakes brought the hero to his childhood.
What are some of your favourite scents? Can you tell what is the most appealing thing for you regarding those choices?
There are too many to name a few of them. My collection is about 1500 bottles and I love them all – depends on mood, climate, weather, so on.
Are there any rules in wearing perfume, for example blondes should wear lighter tones, and similar?
None at all.
Except just one: you should wear the perfume you do love. And not too much, cause some others could not share your feelings.
What would you advise women and men when choosing the perfect scent for themselves? And what when they are getting someone else a present?
To be sure you love it. (It is not so easy sometimes. We have a workshop on it – How to choose the scent you will love for sure. There are some life hacks on how to try them and so on).
As for fragrance as a gift, you should know at least what kind of smells the person likes. Florals? Citrus? White flowers? Cuir? Oud? Etc. Check out how he/she smells? Does he/she prefer loud fragrances or more quiet? So it takes time to find a perfect-fitted fragrance, as well as any other gifts.
- U Podgorici niche parfeme možete pronaći u Belodore i Ateljeu Cologne Rajović.
- U Zagrebu prednjači niche parfumerija Top Niche, a odlični su Modus u Tkalči i LAB Tatjane Dragović, te još nekolicina concept butika po Centru.
- U Beogradu veliki izbor ima Metropoliten. Također, interesantno je mjesto stara parfumerija Sava gdje vam mogu složiti unikatni parfem po mjeri.
- Dopunite me informacijama, i javite za Ljubljanu, Sarajevo, Skopje ako netko zna. 🙂
Sljedeći masterclass u Salonu vina održat će se u subotu, 25.3. s početkom 19 sati. Mjesta su ograničena tako da je obavezna rezervacija – više info na profilu salonvina.wineroom.
Čitamo se za tjedan dana, a dotad vam šaljem pozdrave s prvog Vigovog putovanja – iz vječnog Rima 🌹
Vaša V.
vebeway 