The first facts about Puredistance WHITE. WHITE will be a pure Perfume, like all Puredistance Perfumes, with a percentage of 38% Perfume oil. WHITE will include some of the most costly ingredients in the world. Puredistance WHITE has been created by Antoine Lie from Paris and took one year from concept to final creation. Puredistance WHITE will be ready for sale in most countries in April 2015

The main idea behind the creation of WHITE was to create a perfume so beautiful that it gives the wearer an instant boost of happiness. As a visual compass for the world renowned perfumer Antoine Lie from Paris we envisioned a picture of a woman in a golden bath, relaxing, smiling and glowing from the warm rays of the sun. We wanted him to create a white and golden dream, an intimate escape from harsh reality. It took Antoine Lie one year to complete the magic formula, using the best and most expensive ingredients in the world (ingredients that will be revealed next year). The result is a one-of-a-kind perfume that will enhance your mood through intense, but comforting beauty – just like mother nature does when you unwind on a deserted beach surrounded by the natural beauty of orchids and getting comfortably drowsy from the warming sun…. a serene, natural happiness will be yours.

When we tested WHITE we found many people started to smile right away and then started smelling their wrist over and over again, telling us WHITE made them happy. Exactly what we hoped for! If WHITE is for you, this perfume will brighten up the moment and for a while it will make your inside world a happier one. We realise this is a bold statement, but considering the first reactions and our own feelings, we think Antoine Lie has created a real mood transforming perfume. We truly believe WHITE will make many moments – in many lives – more beautiful.

“We’ll always have Paris…”       (from the 1942 classic movie Casablanca)

There was once an emotion which made our legs weak, our hands tremble and hearts leap. With today’s television, and high-speed internet, does real romance still exist? Can scent alone really bring us back to a world of romance, or do we need more? Join us for an exclusive look with Ivo Parać fragrance journalist of Elle Croatia and many other magazines, to find out!

What does romance mean to you?
For me, romance is encountering the unexpected. When we consciously go out looking for romance, I think we rarely find it. But the moment we say “I’m through with love’’, then we will find it. Something like “don’t seek, and you shall find!” That’s how it has always been for me, and it has been the same with perfume. There were times when I was obsessed with finding the perfect “superperfume”, but the moment I forgot what I was looking for, I found it – unexpectedly. I do not usually go with the trend or it-brands of the moment. I take my time and say, what smells good to me? What suits me? The thing is, most people think they want to drive a Ferrari – “the ideal” supercar. But the truth is, supercars are too loud, uncomfortable, they have a tiny trunk and are neither practical nor economical. Don’t get me wrong, the F12 Berlinetta is a beauty, but it may not be the best one just because it’s a Ferrari. For me, the best things in life always came from unexpected places, at unexpected times.

Can you describe your relationship with Puredistance? When did it begin?
It really is a mysterious story, but it’s true. My first Puredistance appeared out of nowhere! I was in Paris, I think it was 2010, and I just came back to my hotel with a few shopping bags, and I noticed a sample of Puredistance I falling out from one of the bags, wondering “where did I get this?” It is a mystery to this day… because that day I didn’t go to any of the niche perfumeries and I still don’t know where I got it from. Maybe I met someone who secretly slipped it into my bag? Anyway, I put it on my wrist and thought to myself “what on earth is this?” …Later I discovered the brand, and the first thing that struck me was the flacon, a simple classic chemistry vial. Simple and beautiful. So my story with Puredistance started with I. Later I discovered M, Antonia and Black. I think I resonate most with Black, but I’m enjoying M and Antonia too.

How does the DNA of Puredistance reflect your inner values?
The reason why I appreciate Puredistance most is that I don’t feel cheated. You pay a lot and you get a lot. I can feel Jan Ewoud does take the time for his creations, and most importantly, I can feel the coherence of the idea – without any distraction. It’s ironic, but in my opinion, the best businessmen are not in it for the money. The moment you start to think about profit, and profit only, you get distracted and start to be dishonest to yourself… and people can smell dishonesty.

Where do you feel romance is going today? 

Right now we are in a crisis. We are consuming a lot of “digital trash” on the internet without realising it affects the way we think, the way we look, and the way we act. We are posting, tagging, liking, tweeting, exchanging, sharing, interacting, and all this time we only think we are communicating, but in fact we are not. We are distancing ourselves from each other, and forgetting how to communicate. It is the same with romancing. Sometimes I miss the times when people were communicating more and enjoying quality time – in person!

Do you feel Puredistance is a rare bird? Why or why not?
Actually I do. Puredistance is unique, small, and beautiful. I never heard trendy people talking about it, or trendy blogs mentioning it. I only heard connoisseurs talking about it. You can tell that Jan Ewoud took his time, and that is rare these days with mass production. Larger companies which only mass-produce can easily fall into a trap of doing things against their DNA. Jan Ewoud created Puredistance. It’s his vision, simple as that. If Jan Ewoud is doing something against his original vision, he’s only hurting himself, and his brand. It may sound strange, but I think that the best way to please your customer is not to listen to the customer, but to please the idea. And above all, do not study competition. Do what you love.

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms” – Zen Shin Talks.

Any last thoughts or advice for Jan Ewoud and the future of Puredistance?
As I already said, don’t study the competition, don’t follow the trends. In the future, there may be more brands like Puredistance, but they will not have the original Puredistance vision. My advice to you is to keep doing what you’re doing. Follow your heart.

Interview by Mary Gooding

An interview with with award-winning, multi-faceted musician and composer, Paul Schütze.

What inspires you the most?
I am very much drawn to things which are at the edge of perception. Things which you can only just see, and even then there’s an ambiguity. I really love things that are in flux, dissolving and reforming. They play with your perception… they make you ask questions about how or why you see or hear. I’m fascinated by that point of dissolution. It happens a lot at night, when all your senses are having to work very hard to define something. Often the thing that you perceive is not really there. I’m very interested in perception – in how it works and why it works.

How did you come to know Puredistance?
Well, I’m an avid fan of perfume and I collect in a humble way. Now how did I first encounter it? I honestly can’t remember… I think the first one I came across was M, which by coincidence we’ve just noticed I’m wearing today! I completely fell in love with it, and when I was introduced to the others, I was struck by how emphatic, and focused, and completely un-compromised they were in terms of strength and quality. Even in the independent world its quite difficult to make things which are that emphatic. I wrote to Jan Ewoud because I wanted to write about Puredistance on my Dressing the Air website and then not long after that we actually met when he visited London, which was great.

What does the word Puredistance mean to you? Through the realm of music and composition? This is actually quite interesting. I was quite taken with the name Puredistance for a perfume company. It’s a very unusual name. Names of perfume companies rarely evoke space; they’re not usually about landscape. Puredistance to me indicates a horizon and a clear line between you and that horizon. Interestingly (and this a big coincidence) my template if I’m designing sound is that at some point in the composition that you should always be able to see through the detail to the horizon. So you should always know, even if it’s only for a moment, where the horizon is. If you get a glimpse of the horizon, it gives you an enormous sense of depth, whereas if you are always seeing something directly in front of you, chances are there’s nothing behind it. When I teach, this is one of the things I say to my students: that if you use a visual landscape as the model for your sound landscape then you will have a very complex and detailed sound landscape, and one of the key things you should always do is give a glimpse at some point of the horizon line, so that it actually forces this idea of depth and perspective. So Puredistance is a very lovely phrase that evokes perfectly that ideal. I think to push that into an olfactory metaphor might be difficult but it does sum that idea up really quite well.

Do you see any striking similarities in the morals or inspiration between you and Puredistance?
I think the connection would be that Jan Ewoud is very uncompromising and extremely clear about what he wants. That I completely relate to. You can tell that the project is driven by passion. If he started not to enjoy it, and not to feel proud of it I think he would just stop… a very unusual approach to a commercial venture, but its a very good one. I think its evident in the brand that its not just a money-making exercise; there’s a lot more to it.

As an accomplished musician and composer, and now entering the world of perfume, doing what you love – connecting the arts – do you have any advice for Jan Ewoud and Puredistance?
I would just say (though I don’t think he needs my advice) just keep trusting your instincts. He obviously is very instinctive, and that’s worked. He will know when the next thing is right. As any good creative director of a perfume company, even if you can’t describe it, you just know. The last time I talked with him, he was talking about the group of perfumes as being a family, and the existing ones as being very much the parents. Potentially at some point in the future, there could be a delinquent child or some sort of crazy aunt… but at the moment there is a formal foundation on to which something more complex can be built. And there’s no hurry, that’s the other thing. It’s ready when it’s ready, and any other demand on time should be ignored. But he really doesn’t need my advice.

Interview by Mary Gooding

Guy Reyne is the owner of the atelier Leder Reyne, in Ghent in Belgium, that makes the Puredistance Leather Holders.

When did Leder Reyne first open its doors?
Leder Reyne started around 70 – 80 years ago. I don’t know the exact date the store opened, however, it was just before the Second World War. Leder Reyne has always been a family-owned business, which is currently in its third generation.

What differentiates you from other leather ateliers?
We have always worked with leather and we have 70 – 80 years of expertise in different type of leather. I believe that this is our biggest strength. Furthermore, we have made creative and unique products and customers know that we can deliver and are open to any ideas they have.

What challenges do you face in the leather industry?
The type of demand for leather changed over the years. In the beginning, our main focus was repairing leather for shoes. However, now we create leather cases in any shape & form but also have requests to make other leather products, such as handbags, luggage, shoes and furniture. In this economy it’s important to have these different demands in order to compete with the mass leather production in Asia. If you only focus on making one of type of product, sooner of later it will be produced cheaper on a large scale. Another challenge that we are facing as a small atelier is getting high quality leather since this is hard to buy it in small quantities.

How would you describe the customers of Leder Reyne?
We have all types of customers: big & small companies, customers with repair requests or those with creative design requests, customers from the film industry, fashion industry, luxury industry and customers with background in arts. I believe it’s important to have this variety because it helps us to grow and expand our expertise in leather as well as make sure that we will have projects coming in on a regular base.

How important is personal service for your customers?
For an atelier that makes products by hand, personal service is everything. Our customers appreciate it and like it a lot. The downside of personal service could be that, for us, it is not always possible to make all products. Sometimes we are too small to carry out a customer’s request.

How would you define quality leather?
Quality leather ages beautifully, which means the longer it is used the better it looks. We use calfskin for the Puredistance leather holders and handbags. Calfskin has a tight structure, is light and lasts for a long time. On the other hand, cow skin has more of a loose structure and is often used for furniture and for the interior of cars. Calfskin is more expensive than cow skin.

Could you explain a little bit more about the production process of making the Puredistance Leather Holders?

After we receive the right leather for the holders, we stamp out the leather pieces. Each Leather Holder has 2 leather pieces: one for front and for the back. One of the pieces is diluted and we stamp the text of Puredistance on the other piece. Later on, both pieces are stitched together and the edges are painted. It must be said that, even though the leather holder is a small product, there are many steps that need to be taken before delivering the finished product. Making small leather items takes time, which sometimes gets underestimated. It is easier for large companies in China to make them because they can mass produce it and offer it for a cheaper price. However, this doesn’t mean that the quality of the product will always be the same as making it in a small atelier.

What do you think of the fact that nowadays everything is automatized instead of handmade?
A lot of leather production is done in countries such as India and China. However, the costs of producing leather in Asia is increasing. Over the past few years, the salaries slowly increased and there has been a conscious effort to improve the working standards of the employees. Even though these are important working factors, they do influence the costs and make production more expensive. Furthermore, there is currently a trend where ateliers in Europe are getting more design requests and the number of small ateliers opening their doors in Europe is increasing.

Would you consider “handmade” leather products to be something unique?
Considering that a lot of leather products are made by large companies through mass production, “handmade” can be considered as something unique. Customers who buy products that are handmade like this unique factor and they are interested to know who made it. A small atelier can easier provide this transparency since the products are often made by hand and have a personal story. However, it does not mean that customers will immediately buy an expensive leather product. Price and brand awareness are still important purchasing factors. For example, it is hard to sell a luxury handmade handbag for a high price, which does not carry the Hermes or Louis Vuitton brand name.

How do you see the connection between leather and perfume?
Leather skin has similarities with human skin and therefore reacts almost the same to fragrance as our own skin does. Leather has real pores and can absorb fragrance the same way as we do, which makes it a good material to use in combination with perfume. Nonetheless, it is necessary to choose the right type of leather since it already has its own scent, which can influence the scent of the perfume.

What qualities attract you the most in Puredistance?
One of the most important success factors of a company is their employees. What I like most about Puredistance is the Puredistance Team! Everyone that I have spoken to is very friendly and open. Moreover, working with a luxury brand is always nice and gives us the chance to create & experiment with luxury leather products.

What is your favorite Puredistance perfume and why?
At the moment, my favorite perfume is Puredistance BLACK, which is an understated fragrance that doesn’t shout and develops nicely throughout the day. From the female fragrances, I personally like Puredistance OPARDU the most.

An interview with Mr. Green of A2G Luxury Perfume store in Vietnam. Ms. Nhan and Mr. Green almost exclusively sell Puredistance Perfume in Vietnam and designed a beautiful Puredistance store-in-a-store in Hanoi in one of the most prestigious shopping malls.

Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and how did you decide to work in the perfume industry?
My girlfriend and I like the same perfumes and it was her idea to start a perfume shop in Hanoi. I decided to support her as collecting perfumes has become my hobby as well. In addition to that, my friends like perfumes very much and, by opening a shop, I could introduce them to more unique and luxury perfumes that differ from the many mass fragrances that are in the market.

Can you explain to our readers the concept of the A2G Luxury Perfume store?
In Vietnam there are a lot of perfumeries with big beauty brand such as Chanel, Gucci and Dior. Their fragrances can be easily purchased from those perfumeries. However, the concept of the A2G Luxury Perfume store is to focus on exclusive and luxury products that stand out. More importantly, our store is the only store in Vietnam where customers can buy the exclusive and timeless perfumes of Puredistance.

How is it like to be one of the first stores to focus on niche perfumes? And, how did you come to the decision to sell niche perfumes? 
My designer visited many perfumeries and we found out that they often place many perfumes all together on the shelves. This makes them look like a regular beauty products. We, on the other hand, want to show each perfume like a picture or a painting and present them individually. In this way, the perfume will have more impact on a customer who is looking to a buy an elegant product.

We know that you will have a new marketing campaign with Ms.Hoang Anh. Could you perhaps tell us more about this special campaign?
Ms. Hoang Anh is the second prize winner of Miss Vietnam 2012. She is a very famous model and a classmate and friend of Ms. Nhan (the owner of A2G). We talked with her about our PR & Marketing campaign of 2014 and asked her to be the face of all our campaigns for this year (including Puredistance). We want to make Puredistance as well-known as possible among the young Vietnamese people.

What qualities attract you the most in Puredistance?
The great service, the innovative accessories and the luxury perfumes made by famous Master Perfumes.

How does Puredistance fit with the concept of A2G Luxury Perfume?
It fits very well because with Puredistance we are able to offer our customers exclusive fragrances that are different from what is sold in other stores. We want to introduce Puredistance as the major luxury perfume brand at our current and future A2G stores.

How do you see the development of the niche perfume industry in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a country with 90 million inhabitants. The economy is developing every year and the cosmetics and perfume industry is an important sector. For us, the most important thing is to make the Vietnamese people believe in the concept of our store and the luxury perfumes we are selling.

Our Sales Manager, Nele Tammiste visited Neroli boutique for the launch of Puredistance BLACK in Latvia. Here is what she had to say about the event:

“A few days before Christmas, I visited the Neroli boutique in Riga to take part in a small VIP event dedicated to Puredistance customers. The presentation of Puredistance in Neroli is very elegant, sophisticated and perfectly fitting for the concept of the brand. It is worth mentioning that for December, the boutique had reserved all three windows of their perfumery in order to celebrate the arrival of our 5th master perfume – Puredistance Black. 

The event itself had warm and intimate atmosphere. I told the story of Puredistance to all the visitors of the evening and introduced our latest perfume. After the presentation I had a few pleasant conversations with ladies who were especially fascinated by the beauty of our fragrances. I was happy to acknowledge that within a year we have gained the interest of so many perfume lovers in Latvia.”