Perfumery is much more than just mixing clever concoctions of wonderful fragrances. It is an art and culture, according to two visiting experts from the land that is today most associated with the luxury product, France.
Anne Camilli and Jean-Marie Martin-Hattemberg are authors of several perfume books and have held exhibitions in many countries.
They are in Hong Kong with their exhibition of about 120 perfume-related objects, called Perfume Tales and Legends, at Pacific Place until June 16, as part of the Le French May Arts Festival.
Camilli said that perfume has changed a lot over the centuries, but especially so during the 20th century, when it moved from a trade of artisans to the multi-million-dollar mass production businesses of today.
In fact, perfume was not very popular until the 20th century, Martin-Hattemberg said. Before the first world war, it had been used mainly as a disinfectant. But the war changed society forever, especially the status of women, who had to take over many of the jobs previously carried out by the men who had been sent to fight as soldiers. Many did not return.
So it was women who bolstered the shattered economies in the post-war years. In the West in particular, this gave them confidence to try things they'd never been allowed to do before: driving cars, wearing shorts - and wearing perfume.
Perfume has a much older history; some of the most famous brands today were actually founded more than a century ago.
