7
Very helpful Review
The Court Supplier Who Became a Family Friend
Since 2017, Penhaligons has dedicated a character fragrance exclusively to Harrod in the Portrait series. Alongside many members and friends of Lord George's family, the supplier to the high nobility finds his way into the story of a very interesting and very English family setup.
Undoubtedly, the fragrance is dedicated to the department store founder Charles Henry Harrod, who indeed became a court supplier and built one of the most successful and well-known luxury department stores in the world. How does this remarkably successful merchant, who amassed a considerable fortune, fit into the story of Lord George and his family?
The imagination knows no bounds here. Mr. Harrod is depicted on the beautifully designed perfume box as an elegantly dressed, mustachioed man of a certain age with his avatar, a large brown bear. Due to his reliability as a supplier of the finest goods, as well as being a wealthy bourgeois with the finest manners and almost aristocratic features, he must have become a welcome guest in the Lord's house. Especially the ladies of the house, particularly Lady Blanche, enjoy the company of this successful charismatic man, who, after all, also supplies the royal household with all the goods that such a house requires.
In the background, the main house, built in the eclectic style after a fire of the predecessor building around 1900, is beautifully depicted in the upscale London neighborhood of Knightsbridge. Alongside tropical plants in the elegantly furnished salon, one finds exotic fruits, fresh local fruits, a barrel of the finest tobacco, bags and leather goods, noble chandeliers, and selected silverware. The salon is refreshed everywhere by flowers, especially white blooms and colorful butterflies.
This is meant to represent a part of the goods that Mr. Harrod so successfully delivers to the high nobility and bourgeoisie.
But why the bear? This cannot be explained by the character attributed to him in fables, where he appears nice, friendly, good-natured, a bit naive, and simple-minded. Not exactly what one imagines a successful merchant to be.
Nor can it be the bear's role on the stock market, as the bear attacks from above downwards and describes a declining trend, which certainly was not compatible with Mr. Harrod's success.
It is likely the courage, strength, and persistence that Mr. Harrod brought to this avatar.
And so we approach the fragrance. I must admit that, given the avatar, the brown bear, I would have expected a completely different scent. What does success and wealth smell like? Conversely, I honestly do not want to know what a bear smells like. To my surprise, the fragrance is distinctly fruity-floral.
The scent captures the fruits displayed in his salon, plums, raspberries. I could also swear that I smell hints of pineapple and perhaps peach. The fruits and a light note of cinnamon, which pairs well with the plums, set the stage. Does it perhaps smell like this in the food halls on the ground floor of Harrods, where exquisite foods are offered?
Without the fruits noticeably retreating, noble warm woods and white blooms join in. And I do not only smell jasmine; there is at least a hint of lily of the valley or another early bloomer.
The fragrance becomes sweeter and is harmoniously rounded off. Oud and tobacco are used very sparingly and do not stand out prominently.
I would have liked to have these more pronounced. A little cocoa, coffee, or even tea could have refined the selection, perhaps even a noble leather note.
But here the perfume remains true to its time in the 19th century, when men confidently wore flowers in their buttonholes and the cloth around their necks or the pocket square was sprayed with flower extracts.
Elegant and stylish, this is all the same. It turns the heads of the ladies of the house and flatters the nose. For me, the fragrance is also unisex. It is just as well perceived on an elegantly dressed gentleman as on a lady who is not afraid of bears.
The fragrance has outstanding performance and should be applied sparingly.
The bottle, like the entire Portrait series, is very elegant with the golden animal head, somewhat playful, but very detailed, making it a must-have in the collection for me.
Unfortunately, it is only available exclusively at Harrods, which is why it has remained somewhat unknown.
Undoubtedly, the fragrance is dedicated to the department store founder Charles Henry Harrod, who indeed became a court supplier and built one of the most successful and well-known luxury department stores in the world. How does this remarkably successful merchant, who amassed a considerable fortune, fit into the story of Lord George and his family?
The imagination knows no bounds here. Mr. Harrod is depicted on the beautifully designed perfume box as an elegantly dressed, mustachioed man of a certain age with his avatar, a large brown bear. Due to his reliability as a supplier of the finest goods, as well as being a wealthy bourgeois with the finest manners and almost aristocratic features, he must have become a welcome guest in the Lord's house. Especially the ladies of the house, particularly Lady Blanche, enjoy the company of this successful charismatic man, who, after all, also supplies the royal household with all the goods that such a house requires.
In the background, the main house, built in the eclectic style after a fire of the predecessor building around 1900, is beautifully depicted in the upscale London neighborhood of Knightsbridge. Alongside tropical plants in the elegantly furnished salon, one finds exotic fruits, fresh local fruits, a barrel of the finest tobacco, bags and leather goods, noble chandeliers, and selected silverware. The salon is refreshed everywhere by flowers, especially white blooms and colorful butterflies.
This is meant to represent a part of the goods that Mr. Harrod so successfully delivers to the high nobility and bourgeoisie.
But why the bear? This cannot be explained by the character attributed to him in fables, where he appears nice, friendly, good-natured, a bit naive, and simple-minded. Not exactly what one imagines a successful merchant to be.
Nor can it be the bear's role on the stock market, as the bear attacks from above downwards and describes a declining trend, which certainly was not compatible with Mr. Harrod's success.
It is likely the courage, strength, and persistence that Mr. Harrod brought to this avatar.
And so we approach the fragrance. I must admit that, given the avatar, the brown bear, I would have expected a completely different scent. What does success and wealth smell like? Conversely, I honestly do not want to know what a bear smells like. To my surprise, the fragrance is distinctly fruity-floral.
The scent captures the fruits displayed in his salon, plums, raspberries. I could also swear that I smell hints of pineapple and perhaps peach. The fruits and a light note of cinnamon, which pairs well with the plums, set the stage. Does it perhaps smell like this in the food halls on the ground floor of Harrods, where exquisite foods are offered?
Without the fruits noticeably retreating, noble warm woods and white blooms join in. And I do not only smell jasmine; there is at least a hint of lily of the valley or another early bloomer.
The fragrance becomes sweeter and is harmoniously rounded off. Oud and tobacco are used very sparingly and do not stand out prominently.
I would have liked to have these more pronounced. A little cocoa, coffee, or even tea could have refined the selection, perhaps even a noble leather note.
But here the perfume remains true to its time in the 19th century, when men confidently wore flowers in their buttonholes and the cloth around their necks or the pocket square was sprayed with flower extracts.
Elegant and stylish, this is all the same. It turns the heads of the ladies of the house and flatters the nose. For me, the fragrance is also unisex. It is just as well perceived on an elegantly dressed gentleman as on a lady who is not afraid of bears.
The fragrance has outstanding performance and should be applied sparingly.
The bottle, like the entire Portrait series, is very elegant with the golden animal head, somewhat playful, but very detailed, making it a must-have in the collection for me.
Unfortunately, it is only available exclusively at Harrods, which is why it has remained somewhat unknown.
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1 Comment
Floyd 6 years ago
2
Thorough, informative, and more than worthy of being the first comment on a fragrance from this brand!
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