Beetroot, tomato leaves, coriander and luscious pea aren’t the first scents that come to mind when you think of a perfume. But these are the scents that comprise the newly launched Loewe Home Scents collection. Launching today, September 3, here is your very first look.
Our obsession with interiors has swept through our lives. Both in part to fashion becoming increasingly expensive, but a cute vase is within economic reach and COVID-19 meaning we now spend substantially more time inside our homes. And here is a collection made perfectly to suit our curated tabletops. The range of plant-based scents are the brainchild of Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson and were developed to evoke memories of his childhood.
Sculpted wax pillar candles in blood red, forest green and black. Candles housed in ceramics “inspired by Greek drinking vessels from the 5th century BC” - available in two sizes. Rattan diffusers in large ceramic jars you’ll want to keep long after the scent has gone as well as soaps and home fragrances.
There are 11 scents in the collection; honeysuckle, juniper berry, scent of marihuana, oregano, beetroot, tomato leaves, coriander, luscious pea, cypress balls, ivy and liquorice. These new creations were developed with Loewe’s in-house perfumer, Nuria Cruelles.
Cruelles explains that if Anderson is the brains behind the collection, then she is the hands that turned his ideas into objects.
From here, the pair collaborated with artists and photographers to create “a dialogue between scent and ingredient, inspiration and outcome”, between the products and their packaging. Every detail speaking back to the creative concept.
Here, we spoke with Nuria Cruelles on creating the Loewe Home Scents collection and working with Jonathan Anderson.
Launching today the collection is available to purchase directly from Loewe.com.
Can you elaborate on the collections aesthetic?
The full collection has interesting references and inspiration. I find very interesting how Jonathan has mixed the ceramic vases from a Greek inspiration with the refined French inspired chandelier. There is a nice mix of aesthetic styles that perfectly match one with the other.
We worked with Erwan Frotin for the packaging to create a modern interpretation of Kazuma Ogawa’s prints. A photograph of each plant appears on a coloured background on the corresponding box. Creating a dialogue between scent and ingredient, inspiration and outcome that seamlessly closes the creative circle.
What are the influences behind the collection?
The main inspiration is something you cannot discover. Since smell is a sense that takes you to your memories and experiences and this has a romantic side you cannot discover in a place.
Apart from being influenced by his childhood home, Jonathan was inspired by some medieval and botanical gardens such as Kew Gardens. And of course I travelled there to immerse myself.
It was not difficult as I am passionate about everything related to plants. So I was familiar with the aesthetic references and had already visited some of his favourite gardens.
What was the process behind creating the collection?
Jonathan Anderson had a very clear botanical and plant-based approach for the Home Scents collection. And he already knew he wanted some specific smells as part of the collection. The way of working has been very easy. Since I understood what he had in mind and I acted as his hands for making this become a smell.
