What' Silk Iris /シルクイリス>
Creating Silk Iris
Here at Parfum Satori, we have two perfumes that feature the scent of the Iris - Silk Iris and Iris Homme. Silk Iris was the first to be created and the inspiration behind it was a stylish black and white photograph of an actress that I remember seeing in a movie magazine whilst I was still at high school.
If I remember correctly, the actress was French. The magazine was B5 in size, a slim volume - and the actress was photographed in profile, a bust portrait.
The décolletage of her white silk shirt revealed a pearl necklace. She was simply dressed, but impeccably elegant. I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be just like her.
The beauty of Silk Iris is that its fragrance is not overpowering. Instead it lightly enfolds the bodies of those who wear it. As I created this perfume, I imagined moonlight falling on my muse and a glistening light shining out from under her white skin.
Instead of the dramatic floral flamboyance of rose or jasmine, the Iris is a subtle, yet long-lasting fragrance. It also supports, harmonizes and highlights other scents.
I have an affinity for powdery scents and when I first began blending fragrances, the Iris was a firm favorite of mine. It was always my aim to develop a perfume based around the refined shimmer of the Iris.
Although my muse for Silk Iris was a French woman, the more I blended, the more I felt that I wanted to realize the Japanese concept of "a beauty embarrassed to visibly show itself."
A fragrance is usually made up of three basic elements. My "iris core base" note is akin to freshly shaven wood and white violets. Visually speaking, it could be compared to "taking a pinch of starch and letting it glide across your fingers," or "the glimmer of tiny particles."
I also created a new "lingering citrus base" and a "peach base" in order to complement - and not destroy - the fragile "iris core base."
The delicate glimmer of the peach base mainly comes from jasmine and veloutone. Veloutone is a fragrance that resembles the "freshness of peach juice with a touch of astringency - like celery."
For the last note, I avoided animal notes and instead utilized a "botanical animal note" to ensure a clean and sensual finish.
In other words, if I were to compare this fragrance to creating a garment, I was not concerned with decoration or detail. Instead I paid attention to texture and the beauty of the cut, as well as the comfort of the fit.
For example, even though white shirts of the same shape may look identical at first, the glimmer and movement of the silhouette of a garment made from sea-island cotton (or silk and cashmere) in comparison to one made from man-made-fiber is completely different.
You do not have to shout to be noticed - because elegance possesses true presence. This fragrance is for women who can appreciate this concept.
Although Silk Iris was initially aimed at women, it has grown popular with men as well. 30 years ago such fragrances were referred to as "shared fragrances" or "unisex fragrances." Recent terms include "gender free" or "genderless" fragrances. However, this naming has been somewhat divisive. Another word I see frequently is "androgynous."
My take on the matter is that rather than regarding perfumes as "androgynous," the fact is that barriers can be broken down when you wear them. And I feel that male perfume = a "masculine scent" is becoming a thing of the past.
