PERFUME HISTORY: Y2K

This course continues the history of perfume from the 90s through the early 2000s, when perfume became even more closely linked to designer branding, pop celebrity culture, and early social media environments, like forums and blogs.

We’ll pay special attention to celebrity fragrance as a cultural form, with perfumes as wearable extensions of public personas, further amplified by red-carpet and tabloid media. Students will examine major shifts in the industry, comparing massive global launches on one side with the growing visibility of “niche” as a recognizable category on the other. “Niche” was not “invented” in the early 2000s, but it became more legible thanks to vibrant online communities and dedicated boutiques positioning themselves as anti-mass market spaces. In response to the perceived banality of “industrialized” perfumery, certain brands played a role in elevating perfume “authorship” as a viable subject of discussion for a growing class of vocal connoisseurs championing creativity, craftsmanship, and quality. However, this early review culture and new manifestations of online expertise also reshaped authority in fragrance, anticipating the influencer economy that structures discovery and taste today.

Students should expect a highly interactive format with extensive guided smelling and group discussion.

DOORS CLOSE 15 MINUTES AFTER THE CLASS BEGINS