Roja Dove

Roja Dove
Dove at The Corinthia Hotel London, UK - 25 November 2014
Born
Roger Bird

(1956-09-25) September 25, 1956 (age 69)
Sussex, England
OccupationPerfumer
Years active1981–present

Roja Dove (born Roger Dove, 25 September 1956)[1][2] is a British perfumer[3][4][5] whose fragrances are sold at department stores worldwide.[6][7] Born and raised in Sussex, South East England, his career in perfumery began in 1981 when he joined the French perfume house Guerlain, working there for 20 years before leaving to set up his own companies RDPR and then Roja Parfums.[8][6]

Early life

Dove's interest in fragrance was sparked at an early age when his mother kissed him goodnight; as she lowered her head to kiss him, he was aware that her fragrance lingered in his room long after she had gone, keeping the image of her cocktail dress and the kiss alive.[9][10] As a teenager he spent his money purchasing small bottles of scent and was impressed that the tiny containers could contain such an overwhelming effect.[10]

Dove dropped out of university to work in perfumery with Guerlain.[11]

Time at Guerlain

In Dove's enthusiasm for learning more following his trip to the Guerlain boutique, he frequently wrote to classic French perfumers requesting information and experience. Eventually, pestered but impressed by Dove's interest, Robert Guerlain offered him a position. In 1981 Dove was recruited into the Training and Public Relations Department where he began to consolidate a professional understanding for the industry. Dove remained with Guerlain for nearly 20 years; after a number of years he was given the position of Global Ambassador, the first non-Guerlain family member to be given the role.[11] He was dubbed "Professeur de Parfum".[12]

The Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie

In 2004 the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie opened on the sixth floor of Harrods in conjunction with Urban Retreat. "Physically, it is going to be a sensual haven… Silks and satins, lots of glass, mirror and crystal, as well as the black lacquer, give the salon the air of an exotic boudoir".[9]

Dove received requests from customers to smell 'Roja Dove' creations. Previously, in 2002, Dove joined names like Manolo Blahnik in donating prizes for the annual Terrence Higgins Trust fundraiser, the perfumer created a bespoke scent for the highest bidder contained within a Baccarat crystal presentation bottle. In 2005, Dove drew inspiration from this event and created a range of semi-bespoke fragrances for customers of the Haute Parfumerie to purchase; however these scents come without bottles, names, and with only enough liquid to make 50 of each.[13]

Other work

Dove has written for magazines including Vogue, The Times, Vanity Fair, and Wallpaper on subjects such as perfume, celebrity fragrances, classic favourites, and the "Smells of London".[14]

Dove has given lectures and spoken at charity events for The Barbican,[15] The Science Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 2010 Dove worked with the Victoria and Albert Museum on their exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, which ran from 25 September 2010 to 9 January 2011. He created an accompanying fragrance named 'Diaghilev' and gave a lecture on 1920s Parisian society and perfume.[16]

In 2010 Dove collaborated with The Macallan Scottish whiskey house to create fragrances as a way of experiencing whiskey.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fernández, Sandra; Vilches, Isabel; Gisbert, Laura (21 July 2017). "Roja Parfums y La Cure Orchidée Impériale Black de Guerlain, así se hace la cosmética de lujo". Expansión (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  2. ^ "The Macallan partners Roja Dove, arguably the world's finest nose, for Edition No.3". Luxury Insider. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  3. ^ Binns, Katie (8 July 2018). "Fame & Fortune, perfumer Roja Dove: I never get sniffy about working long hours". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  4. ^ Carvell, Nick (24 August 2017). "Roja Dove, the man who made a career out of smelling superb". British GQ. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  5. ^ "What does your perfume say about you?". BBC News. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  6. ^ a b Davis, Maggie (13 February 2008). "Smells of London". Time Out London. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  7. ^ "Retail locations". Roja Parfums. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  8. ^ Greenwood, Helen (7 December 2010). "Roja Dove is making sense of scents". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  9. ^ a b Van Der Post, Lucia (September 2004). "Genius With A Bottle". Financial Times, How To Spend It.
  10. ^ a b Van Praagh, Anna (27 April 2015). "Perfume expert Roja Dove: I can't travel on the tube". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  11. ^ a b Paton, Elizabeth (2 October 2016). "Roja Dove, a Master Tailor (of Scent)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  12. ^ Bywater, Michael (31 August 2010). "Scents and sensibility: the history of perfume". The Independent. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  13. ^ Schofield, Diane (24 June 2009). "Roja Dove Interview". Sniffapalooza Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  14. ^ Davis, Maggie (13 February 2008). "Smells of London".
  15. ^ "The Seduction of Smell". The Barbican Website.
  16. ^ Pearce, Antonia. "Roja Dove". The Luxury Channel. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  17. ^ "The Macallan with Roja Dove". www.notcot.com. 10 April 2010. Archived from the original on 7 October 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roja_Dove