“In most other areas of the luxury market, instant gratification has also become part of the luxury experience. In fact, the ultimate luxury now is to not have to wait at all. It is a romantic notion to think that people want to wait for things and anticipate them, but I’m afraid that no one really wants to wait for anything anymore.” ~ Tom Ford
It’s never too early to be thinking about summer. Sometimes, it’s the best way of getting through the winter. As such, when a few new Tom Ford fragrances were recently announced, I was giddy with daydreams of summer mornings, lazy afternoon swims, and sultry, languid evenings. The most promising is a new Private Blend ‘Soleil Blanc’ – which I had a quick whiff of a few weeks ago, but didn’t delve too deep as it reeked of summer and coconut oil and I didn’t want to spoil it with a winter memory. Scent is powerful that way and is often said to be the strongest memory-trigger. ‘Soleil Blanc’ is the aptly named white sun of summer, and though I’ve never been very keen on coconut, this one may make it into my beach vacation repertoire. (Clearly a beach excursion is required this year.) It is said to dry down with an underlying amber glow, which brings it into closer proximity with ‘Costa Azzurra’.
The other new ones are in the Portofino line, something that’s on the verge of being overdone. It’s definitely his most accessible of the Private Blend offerings, but the Private Blend line has, for me, remained special because they are so often dark and complex, and not the usual light-hearted citrus-fare of so many colognes. Don’t get me wrong – ‘Mandarino Di Amalfi’ is exquisite, and come June I will be bathing in it daily. But for a Private Blend I prefer things a bit more off the sand-beaten path.
At any rate, it’s fun to fantasize about the sunny season, and these next few weeks are when we all get a little antsy for a shift out of winter gear. I can’t think of anyone better to lead the way than Tom Ford.
