Disconnect was the term you could describe 2020 with. A year of isolation and lockdowns. However, the term does not make bad sense since I received a pack of three perfumes from Ömer İpekçi (the nose behind Pekji fragrances) named Dis- which is an abbreviation for Disconnect or Disconnection.
The idea takes place and soon after the global pandemic begins. One may think that the concept of Dis- locked exactly into place, but in fact, they have been correlated accidentally and the project nicely matches the situation.
The collection includes three fragrances named Decay, Concrete, and Paradox. It is a project that brings photography, packaging, and perfumery ideas on a table, and on each corner sits one convention-defying mind. Yes, ladies and gents, we’re talking about art, not another “oh my god what a fancy perfume on the shelves” you add to your so-called niche collection.
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Shortly get to know them. First of all, the nose – Ömer Ä°pekçi – whom we know with brilliant (you read avant-garde and artistic) works for Pekji. One of those madmen who knows how to reflect the inexpressible emotional complexes into a liquid format. And he knows better than anyone, an artist becomes global when he carries his cultural identities in his works.
Then the photographer – Francesco Romero – whom I still call “alfarom” and I owe a lot to him; even if he’s not aware of it. Romero used to write on several websites about perfumes, plus his blog. His thoughts and his taste encouraged me to find my path in the realm of perfumes and be the one I am today.
And last but not the least, Francesca Gotti. The artist who designed the packaging of this project. I don’t know her in person but her works and posts she shares on IG hold me attached to her profile.
The first perfume, DECAY, is my favorite of the three. Decay has a valuable fresh animality, with slightly sweet accent in its otherworldly greenness. Saffron and jasmine plus angelica are noticeable. They appear so soft, bitter/sweet, and inviting, but there is also a tremendous impact of a reckless animality (custoreum) on them with its breath-smelling leather quality that keeps DECAY on the margins.
DECAY is a safe animalic fragrance with twisty nature-inclining bitterness that reminds me lingering scent of flavored pipe tobacco on a gabardine suit. It begins with a peculiar old-time leather/jasmine boost and leaves a sweet floral leather aftertaste on the skin. Nice item for sure for when you want to smell different without making repulse.
CONCRETE emphasizes intense earthiness by a quirky powdery facet that smells like a curbside violet in a plastic world! The fragrance opens with an acetous wet-soil smell in which you get a vibrant bitter violet, galbanum, some woodsy notes, and a mucky fungal effect that I know from somewhere but I don’t remember which perfume it was. You feel the whole lifecycle near the roots of a violet plant.
CONCRETE is strong in personality and potent in smell. It is an art of scents the artist makes liberally without any possible care to what markets demand. It is also of those scents you strain to match a style with. Yes, it demands rapt attention to style cause it’s not a usual type of perfume. Daring!
And the third perfume, PARADOX, is about a twist. A twist on ingredients that are not usually seen in a row. Geranium – in its greenest form – plus vetiver, iris, cypriol, and camphor – as fresh as just cropped from nature – appear in coordination that results in an oudy quality with significant bitterness you almost feel at the back of your throat. It’s a different experience. All the elements of the combination have their own story, but here they form a well-knitted arrangement and sing one chorus.
PARADOX is freshly oudy, faintly dark, dusty and dry, and radiantly camphorous. What I love about it is the volume of camphor that gives me a nose freshening feeling of scratch every time I give it a go. It’s like smelling fresh ground eucalyptus leaves.
I have been shut down for a couple of years and my passion for try new artworks of perfumery was about to die down, then I tried DIS- that hit my cave and gave me the motivation I needed to fuel up my engine and start over with this new website.
