Andy Warhol.
He's the one on the left. ;)
(I purposely posted this image, because I wanted to toss some gratuitous publicity Basquiat's way, too 'cause I love him! If you don't know who he is, check out the movie Basquiat. PS: he used to pee on canvases for Andy from time to time. No lie. )
Andy Warhol was an iconic personality in the art world and in the world at large from the 1950s through the 1980's. His career started with commercial art (he's well-known for his early works- images of shoes! see right) but later evolved into the work he is best known for: pop art that pushes the envelopes of traditional art and that challenged the mind to see everyday items in a new way. Warhol knew people- regular folks no one knew and regular folks that everyone knew (Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Edie Sedgewick, Mick Jagger). Everything was art to Andy Warhol, and he felt everything deserved a closer look.
Warhol was usually relevant, often irreverent, and always interesting. He helped launch the careers of many artists, writers, and musicians (and critics), he hosted amazing parties (and orgies), and he always had something to say.
From 1963 to 1968, Warhol and his circle took over a 5th floor studio in Midtown Manhattan. Warhol used this studio to produce his work, often based on mass-produced items commonly seen in homes, stores, and sidewalks. This is around the same time he launched his film career, making artsy pieces about love, life, sex and whatever struck his fancy. He also decided to mass-produce his art: he had a team of artists creating silk-screened copies of his work, almost as in an assembly line. The studio became known as The Factory. In fact, it was referred to as The Silver Factory, since the inside was covered in tin foil and silver paint (social commentary and also enjoyable for the drugged out patrons of The Factory).
Fast forward almost 40 years and Andy is, regrettably, no longer with us. But a group founded in his name does. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was established in 1987, and exists to support the advancement of the visual arts by supporting groups that support artists.
The Andy Warhol Foundation recently made an offer that couldn't be refused: they contacted Bond No. 9 in pursuit of a collaboration to create fragrances in honor of Andy Warhol.
Read more about this collaboration after the jump.
Warhol once said, "A good way to take up more space, is with perfume." We agree! Apparently, so does Bond No. 9. The perfumery that captures the scents of the city of New York working to capture the essence of Andy Warhol...how genius! In this series of unisex fragrances, Bond No. 9 strives to "interpret for today the scents of the studios, the clubs, the streets of New York that Warhol frequented and made famous."
First stop on the trip will be Silver Factory. Described as "a smooth, smoky, spicy blend of interlacing incense (a key scent of the 60's), wood resin, and syrupy, seductive amber," the fragrance also contains Warhol's favorite scent, violet. Toss in some cedarwood, iris and jasmine. Shake it all about. Viola! There you have it- the first Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol tribute fragrance.
Silver Factory is meant to conjur images of molten silver. How does it do? Read on...
The breakdown goes a little something like this-
Top: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lavender
Heart: Violet, Incense, Jasmine, Iris
Bottom: Amber, Wood Resin ("hinting a raunchy breed of vanilla"), Cedarwood
I had the privilege to test this fragrance out (shout-out to Elena!) and it was one of the best olfactory experiences I've had in a while. The opening of the scent was zippy and zesty, but mature - almost like champagne for the nose! I was excited to see how it changed as it went along. After awhile, the scent bloomed into something bigger and more beautiful. The incense balanced the florals perfectly, like an artist on a tightrope. I was in love! Later, the flowers retreated and I was left with what felt like a quiet, remote forest full of earthy and sweet treats. I'm a bit of a fool for amber and resins, and those on the heels of the iris and violet just made my day. I liked the heaviness of the scent, but was glad it didn't overwhelm. It had a nice sillage without dragging people down with it.
The packaging is guaranteed to please, too. Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's Chicken Soup painting is the inspiration for Silver Factory. The Bond No. 9 superstar flacon will hold the fragrance enrobed in a Campbell's-esque design. (Fitting, as Warhol's huge group of friends and acquaintances is often referred to as "Warhol's superstars") Impressive in its design, as are most Bond No. 9 packages, the Silver Factory bottle emulates the blue and purple version of Campbell's Chicken Soup with ease. While Campbell's soup was condensed, so too Bond No. 9's fragrance will be- a 28% perfume concentrate to be exact (between an eau de parfum and perfume extract).
Warhol coined the oft-repeated and sometimes mangled phrase "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." I expect in the fragrance world this scent will have more than its 15-minutes. I think this one is a keeper! And if you're an artist, a fan of Pop Art, a lover of amber scents, and a beauty blogger, this is the best thing since sliced bread!
I just hope that Bond No. 9's next Warhol fragrance doesn't have anything to do with the artist's (beautiful but not quite suited to fragrances) Oxidation series...
Silver Factory will be released on December 1st, 2007 at Bond No. 9 and Saks. Suggested retail:$230 for 3.4oz.
I will test my heart out, so ya'll know what's what with the products that are out there.
