Opium (perfume)

Last updated
Opium
Opium by YSL.jpg
Fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent
Released1977
Label Yves Saint Laurent
Flanker(s) Opium pour Homme
Belle d'Opium

Opium is an Oriental-spicy [1] perfume created for fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) by perfumer Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac of Roure, first marketed in 1977. [2] Its top notes are a mixture of fruit and spices, with mandarin orange, [3] plum, clove, coriander and pepper, [2] as well as bay leaf. [4] Its floral middle notes consist predominantly jasmine, rose and Lily of the Valley, [2] in addition to carnation, cinnamon, peach and orris root. [4] It is underlined by the sweet woody base note containing sandalwood, cedarwood, myrrh, opopanax, labdanum, benzoin and castoreum, [2] in addition to amber, incense, musk, patchouli, tolu and vetiver. [4]

Contents

Naming and theme

Opium caused a stir with its controversial name and brought accusations that brand designer Yves Saint Laurent was condoning drug use. [5] In the United States, a group of Chinese Americans demanded a change of the name and a public apology from Saint Laurent for "his insensitivity to Chinese history and Chinese American concerns." They formed a committee called the American Coalition Against Opium and Drug Abuse, which expressed outrage at the choice of a name representing "a menace that destroyed many lives in China." [6] However, the controversy in part helped to aid the perfume's publicity, with the perfume soon becoming a best-selling scent. [4]

For its U.S. launch party in 1978, a tall ship Peking was rented from the South Street Seaport Museum in New York's East Harbor, and writer Truman Capote sat at the helm of the ship at the party. [4] The ship was draped with banners of gold, red, and purple, and the Oriental theme was displayed with a 1,000-pound (450 kg) bronze statue of the Buddha, decorated with white cattleya orchids. [4] YSL carried the Oriental theme into its packaging design as well—the red plastic container holding the perfume's glass vial, designed by Pierre Dinand, [7] was inspired by inro , the small Japanese lacquered cases that were worn hanging from the obi and held perfumes, herbs and medicines. [8]

Opium, Lilac Perfume Oil and White Musk from The Body Shop, Juniper Breeze from Bath & Body Works and Royal Secret formerly Germaine Monteil were among the perfumes tested in 2003 in a study of the relationship of scents to memory. [9]

Ad campaign controversy

A poster advertising campaign for the perfume caused another controversy in October and November 2000. It featured the model Sophie Dahl lying on her back wearing only a pair of stiletto heels, seemingly in the throes of ecstasy, with her legs spread apart as she covers one of her nipples with her hand. [10] This ad campaign, photographed by Steven Meisel, was widely seen in print ads and posters in bus shelters in many countries. It won an award in Spain [11] but generated an uproar in other places, particularly in the United Kingdom. The British Advertising Standards Authority received more than 700 complaints from the public, and ordered the posters to be withdrawn on the grounds that they were too sexually suggestive, degrading to women, and likely to cause "serious or widespread offence". [12] [13] American journalist Susan Faludi argued that certain perfume ad campaigns pushed "idealization of weak yielding women" to the extreme, citing the Opium advertisement as a primary example. [14]

Opium pour Homme

YSL launched the male complement Opium pour Homme in 1995, created by Jacques Cavallier of Firmenich. [15] Its main note is set by vanilla, with black currant, galangal, star anise, ginger and pepper, fusing with base notes of cedar and Tolu balsam. Its flask was designed by Jérôme Failliant-Dumas. [15]

Commercials

In 1992 and 1999, U.S. film director David Lynch created commercials for Opium. [16]

Related Research Articles

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Perfumes can be defined as substances that emit and diffuse a pleasant and fragrant odor. They consist of manmade mixtures of aromatic chemicals and essential oils. The 1939 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry, Leopold Ružička stated in 1945 that "right from the earliest days of scientific chemistry up to the present time, perfumes have substantially contributed to the development of organic chemistry as regards methods, systematic classification, and theory."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Saint Laurent (designer)</span> French fashion designer (1936–2008)

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, referred to as Yves Saint Laurent or YSL, was a French fashion designer who, in 1962, founded his eponymous fashion label. He is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the twentieth century. In 1985, Caroline Milbank wrote, "The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture's rise from its 1960s ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Patou</span> French fashion designer (1887–1936)

Jean Patou was a French fashion designer, and founder of the Jean Patou brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedi Slimane</span> French photographer and fashion designer (born 1968)

Hedi Slimane is a French photographer and grand couturier. From 2000 to 2007, he held the position of creative director for Dior Homme. From 2012 to 2016, he was the creative director for Yves Saint Laurent. Since February 1, 2018, Slimane has been the creative, artistic and image director of Celine.

Sophia Grojsman is a Belarus-born American perfumer. Grojsman is a Vice President of International Flavors and Fragrances, a perfume and scent company.

Charles of the Ritz is a former cosmetics brand known for its line of perfumes.

Jean-Claude Ellena is a French perfumer and writer, he served as the in-house perfumer at Hermes from 2004 and 2019, prior to the appointment of incumbent Christine Nagel

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eau de toilette</span> Lightly scented perfume

Eau de toilette is a lightly scented perfume. It is also referred to as aromatic waters and has a high alcohol content. It is usually applied directly to the skin after bathing or shaving. It is traditionally composed of alcohol and various volatile oils. Traditionally these products were named after a principal ingredient; some being geranium water, lavender water, lilac water, violet water, spirit of myrcia and 'eau de Bretfeld'. Because of this, eau de toilette was sometimes referred to as "toilet water".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)</span> French fashion house

Yves Saint Laurent SAS, also known as Saint Laurent and YSL, is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1962 by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. The company specializes in haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather accessories, and footwear. Its cosmetics line, YSL Beauty, is owned by L'Oréal.

<i>Fougère</i> One of the main olfactive families of perfumes

Fougère, pronounced[fu.ʒɛʁ], is one of the main olfactive families of perfumes. The name comes from the French language word for "fern". Fougère perfumes are made with a blend of fragrances: top-notes are sweet, with the scent of lavender flowers; as the more volatile components evaporate, the scents of oakmoss, derived from a species of lichen and described as woody, sharp and slightly sweet, and coumarin, similar to the scent of new-mown hay, become noticeable. Aromatic fougère, a derivative of this class, contains additional notes of herbs, spice and/or wood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Parquet</span> French perfumer (1856-1916)

Paul Parquet (1856–1916) was a French perfumer and joint owner of Houbigant. Called the "greatest perfumer of his time" by Ernest Beaux, he is widely regarded as the founder of modern perfumery for having pioneered the use of synthetics in works such as Fougère Royale. His bestselling perfume, Le Parfum Idéal, was described by Robert Bienaimé as a “masterpiece of fragrant equilibrium, harmonious and of good taste as shall never be surpassed”.

Rive Gauche is a women's perfume launched by Yves Saint Laurent in 1971.

Kouros is a perfume for men produced by Yves Saint Laurent. The perfume was introduced in 1981. It was created by perfumer Pierre Bourdon. It is also known as "The Scent of the Gods."

Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud is a French perfumer formerly with the Swiss fragrance and flavor company Firmenich, who currently works for Louis Vuitton of the LVMH Luxury Group.

Nigel Groom was a British Arabist, historian, author, soldier, counter-espionage officer in MI5 and perfume expert. He was a noted expert on the pre-Islamic history of the Arab world.

Angel is a 1992 perfume from Thierry Mugler and the first modern gourmand perfume, with notes of patchouli, praline, red berries, and vanilla. The perfumiers were Olivier Cresp and Yves de Chirin. The design of its bottle is an irregular shaped star.

Poison is a perfume for women introduced by Parfums Christian Dior in 1985. The popularity of the scent made it become a brand in its own right and resulted in the subsequent release of five flanker fragrances: Tendre Poison, Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison, Midnight Poison, and Poison Girl.

Dominique Ropion is a French master perfumer. Born in Paris, he trained at Roure Bertrand Dupont in Grasse. After joining International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. in 2000, Ropion has worked for fragrance brands including Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, Lancôme, Givenchy, Frédéric Malle, Issey Miyake, Yves Saint Laurent, Paco Rabanne and The Body Shop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Ford (brand)</span> Italian-American luxury fashion house founded by fashion designer Tom Ford in 2005

Tom Ford SA is an American luxury fashion house founded by namesake designer Tom Ford in 2005. Its product line features ready-to-wear and made-to-measure offerings, as well as footwear, accessories, and handbags.

References

  1. ↑ Moran, Jan (2000). Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men. Crescent House. p. 32. ISBN   0-9639065-4-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Groom, Nigel (1997). New Perfume Handbook - Second Edition. Springer. p. 236. ISBN   0-7514-0403-9.
  3. ↑ Jan Moran lists "hesperides" instead.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Moran, Jan (2000). Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men. Crescent House. p. 170. ISBN   0-9639065-4-2.
  5. ↑ Agence France-Presse (2008-06-01). "Fashion giant Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71". Archived from the original on 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  6. ↑ Friedman, Monroe (1999). Consumer Boycotts: Effecting Change Through the Marketplace and the Media . Routledge. p.  145. ISBN   0-415-92457-X.
  7. ↑ "Histoire de parfum : Opium". Cosmopolitan (in French). Hearst Corporation. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  8. ↑ Moran, Jan (2000). Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men. Crescent House. p. 171. ISBN   0-9639065-4-2.
  9. ↑ Herz, Rachel S.; James Eliassen; Sophia Beland; Timothy Souza (2004). "Neuroimaging evidence for the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory". Neuropsychologia. Elsevier. 42 (3): 371–378. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2003.08.009. PMID   14670575. S2CID   3918680.
  10. ↑ Opium advertisement, Yves Saint Laurent, at The Sophie Dahl Gallery
  11. ↑ Forden, Sara G. (2001). The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed . Harper Paperbacks. p. 340. ISBN   0-06-093775-0.
  12. ↑ "'Offensive' Opium posters to be removed, The Guardian - December 19, 2000". TheGuardian.com . 19 December 2000. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  13. ↑ Carter, Cynthia (2003). Violence and the Media . Open University Press. p.  126. ISBN   0-335-20505-4.
  14. ↑ Faludi, Susan (1992). Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women . Anchor. p.  208. ISBN   0-385-42507-4.
  15. 1 2 Groom, Nigel (1997). New Perfume Handbook - Second Edition. Springer. p. 237. ISBN   0-7514-0403-9.
  16. ↑ Rodley, Chris (2005). Lynch on Lynch. Faber & Faber. p. 309. ISBN   0-571-22018-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.