Stinking to High Heaven: Olfactory Aspirations and the Language of Desire - Dr. Jonathan Faiers

Continuing his research into luxury, Dr. Jonathan Faiers, recently nosed his way into the important role of fragrance, in a paper presented at the Elite Discourse conference in Schloss Hünigen, Bern, Switzerland.

Speaking at the conference, Dr Faiers addressed the way in which how we think of fragrance and luxury must be examined as much as the actual constituents. 

In his own words: "At once ephemeral and intrinsically corporeal, fragrance for many of us offers an entry point into luxury. As is well known, the perfume industry is fundamental to the economic viability of the contemporary luxury industry, but with basic ingredients consisting of water, chemicals, and infinitesimal amounts of plant and animal extracts, the frugality of its composition must be offset by the richness of the discourses used to promote it. This paper will discuss how these olfactory discourses in fact constitute the rarest of perfumes’ ingredients."

This paper represents just one of the many ways in which the Winchester Luxury Research Group are expanding their research into diverse areas and advancing knowledge in their area.