Elements Showcase January 2012: An Overview

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The January 2012 Elements Showcase was the biggest and brightest yet, with more exhibitors, a stronger international presence and exciting experiences to dazzle every visitor. As with the August showcase, the exhibits spread across two floors of Skylight West and every available inch of space was filled with decorations or an exhibit booth.

Upon entering the space, one of the first things to catch the eye was the large original artwork by Icelandic artist Andrea Maack.  Created especially for the Elements Showcase, the large design was composed of hundreds of small panels, each numbered and signed by Maack.  Visitors first sampled the Andrea Maack scents and chose their favorite, then selected a panel of the artwork.  Andrea sprayed the panel with the chosen scent, sealed it in an envelope and presented it to the visitor.  What a memorable keepsake!

Proceeding through the first floor of exhibitions, we were delighted to see old friends such as Bond No. 9 and Histoires de Parfums, along with many new exhibitors who were participating in Elements for the first time.  

A notable trend at this year's showcase was the strong international presence.  Many French perfume houses participated in their first Elements Showcase: Parfums d'Orsay, Parfums M. Micallef and Lubin.  

Neela Vermeire presented her three beautiful scents inspired by the rich culture, history and nature of India.  

Neela Vermeire, the founder of Neela Vermeire Creations

Mexican-born Carlos Huber presented his new line Arquiste just four months after launching the company. 

Carlos Huber, the founder of Arquiste

Another house that attracted a great deal of attention was DI SER, a Japanese perfume house founded by Yasuyuki Shinohara, who is also the perfumer.  DI SER offers three collections based on the Elements, Goddesses and Japanese Wood.  All scents in the line are composed of natural fragrance ingredients in plant-based alcohol and water.  

DI SER also represents the growing consumer interest in natural perfumery, which was well-represented at this Elements Showcase.  Providence Perfume Company, Honoré des Prés and Strange Invisible Perfumes also gave visitors a terrific opportunity to experience the beauty, depth and diversity of natural perfumes.

Exhibitor 21 Drops offered all-natural aromatherapy blends showcased in colorful packaging that straddles the line between aromatherapy and cosmetics.

Flavor and fragrance house IFF also hosted an exhibit showcasing their IFF-LMR Naturals division, which gave visitors the opportuntiy to smell the finest essential oils and absolutes of natural perfume components including jasmine, rose and black currant. 

This year's Elements really put the "show" in Showcase.  Caron and New York's Martial Vivot men's salon set up a vintage barbershop onsite. Visitors could experience (or observe) a haircut and old-fashioned straight-razor shave by stylist Garrett, using the new Caron Pour Homme shaving and skin care products.  

There were also two informative panels hosted at this year's showcase.  Six Scents hosted a panel titled "Artistic Process and Collaboration," featuring perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, author Chandler Burr, and artists and industry professionals.  W Magazine sponsored a forum on "Choosing Fragrances: The Influences Behind the Purchase," with Sarah Horowitz-Thran, author MJ Rose and fragrance industry experts. 

We met a lot of great people and sampled some amazing perfumes at the January 2012 showcase and we look forward to sharing them with you in the coming weeks!

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Photo and Video from Elements by Fragrantica