Diana Vreeland’s fragrance collection is as fabulous as she was

Diana Vreeland loved perfume so much that she would inject it into her pillows using a hypodermic needle.

 “Fragrance fills the senses with the mysterious” she once said, and so it seems a fitting tribute to the legendary fashion editor and curator that an opulent fragrance collection has been created in her honour. And it’s every bit as fabulous as you’d expect.

From her trailblazing tenures at Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, to revolutionising the fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, few have made such an indelible mark in shaping how we experience and talk about fashion as Ms. Vreeland. Her eye for detail was exacting and her embrace of beauty outside of the norm was way ahead of its time.

These are the qualities which her grandson Alexander Vreeland has embodied in the collection of scents called after many of her iconic phrases. Created in collaboration with some of the world’s finest perfumers, with names like “Staggerlingly Beautiful”, “Outrageously Vibrant” and “Devastatingly Chic” – just like the lady herself, they are definitely not for shrinking violets.

We caught up with Alexander – a veteran of the fashion industry, to talk about drawing on his treasure chest of memories to bring Ms. Vreeland’s theatrical personality to life in the world of fragrance.

Hi Alexander, tell us about the Diana Vreeland Parfumes collection. How have you ensured it reflects who your grandmother was?

When my grandmother started her fashion career as Fashion Editor of Harper’s Bazaar she created a column called “Why Don’t You?”  We create each scent with the spirit of Why Don’t You very much top of mind.  When people wear our fragrances we want them to feel empowered, creative and beautiful.

Staggeringly Beautiful by Diana Vreeland Parfums, £180 for 100ml from harrods.com

The collection rests on two of my grandmothers great loves:  Words and Color.  Her unique vocabulary has become the basis for fashion talk and the way people in fashion communicate.  She was passionate about color and through out her career she used a vast array of bold and beautiful colors.  We therefore named each fragrance by one of her quotes and each bottle is a different color with a contrasting colored tassel.

What did fragrance mean to Ms. Vreeland?

She was so passionate about fragrance that she piped fragrance through the air conditioning vents into her exhibits at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum.  She could not imagine a world without fragrance or leaving her home without putting on some fragrance.

The moodboard inspirations for "Staggeringly Beautiful"

Was it important to you to take your time with making sure everything was perfect?

I have been working in Luxury goods for the past 30 years.  There is no room for cutting corners or compromising on your product.  As this collection is an ode to my grandmother, we maintain the highest standards in everything we do and every fragrance in our collection has the most noble and luxurious ingredients.

Which is your favourite scent?

We just launched Empress of Fashion which I am wild about.  It is a fresh new take on an Oriental fragrance with a sensual saffron and Turkish rose story.  I love wearing it.

Empress of Fashion by Diana Vreeland Parfums, exclusive to Harrods, £180 for 100ml

Why do you think your grandmother remains such an enduring inspiration in the world of fashion?

She was tremendously creative and was always passionate about new ideas and surrounded herself with young visionary talents.

Do you think she was ahead of her times in many ways?

Absolutely, and she was always pushing the boundaries and never compromising.

What are some of your most entertaining memories of Ms. Vreeland?

She loved to entertain at home with small dinners of 2 to 6 guests.  It was the hottest ticket in New York with an intersection of artists, designers, models, photographers, movie stars and writers all converging to be part of her world.

The moodboard inspirations for "Empress of Fashion"

How do you think she’d feel about the era of Instagram?

I think that she would be in the thick of it!

How will you continue to keep her memory and legacy alive going forward?

We are creating a home fragrance collection.  We currently have five scented candles.  Each candle burns for 90 hours, are in a colored glass container that we designed and the candles have 3 times the industry average in fragrance oil.  They are so powerful that you do not need to light them to fill your world with scent.

Thanks Alexander!

“Empress of Fashion” is available now exclusively at Harrods. Shop the full Diana Vreeland Parfums collection in-store and online at harrods.com 

Images
Courtesy of Diana Vreeland Parfums
Words
Fiona Mahon