Not so long ago Ulrike Knöll from Aus Liebe zum Duft wrote about Puredistance 1 Perfume: “The colour of the perfume alone is suggestive of cashmere or silk – reflects the character of the wearer. Reserved and precious – “understated elegance”, the essence of Puredistance”. So visiting Istanbul and reading about Esra Bezek, the owner of Cashmere in Love, I had to see her! In a very noisy city of more than 15 million people I was so happy to find a company that shared our idea of quiet elegance and quality. We met and I really loved the simple but stylish design of her collection. She designs everything herself and uses the highest quality cashmere and silk.

Quoting from Esra’s website: “Cashmere is soft, comfortable, and special. It is the epitome of luxury, leaving the wearer to think of nothing but the sweetest pleasures known to mankind. It becomes a second skin and wearing cashmere is a personal affair. The garments are simple, beautiful, elegant, reachable and personal. Each garment is produced and presented with love.” So many similarities with the Puredistance philosophy!

This weekend the Puredistance team participated in a fragrance exhibition in Düsseldorf. Reactions on Puredistance 1 Perfume were in line with the reviews we got from perfume critics: ‘understated elegance’ was a phrase mentioned more than once.

With pleasure our team explained the visitors the special ‘magic’ of Puredistance 1; unlike most perfumes Puredistance 1 changes after 1-2 hours into a subtle, sensuous skin scent that is close to the wearer. As the maker of the perfume – Annie Buzantian – puts it: “When I leave a room my fragrance should leave with me’.

As we welcome a new decade and look back, it is clear that the fragrance industry has seen some major changes. One of them is a trend towards niche perfumes. More and more small, independent fragrance companies try to find a place at the (over)crowded fragrance market. Puredistance is one of these companies. Back in 2002 the idea for Puredistance was born and 5 years later the introduction of Puredistance 1 Perfume was a fact.

At that time – early 2007 – we did not yet know our timing was far from ideal…. shortly after we had introduced Puredistance to the world, one of the worst economic crisises ever hit that same world! Luxury was hit hard. Long established brands suffered. Fortunately Puredistance has not only survived the past two years, but what is more, we did well. We enjoyed fantastic feedback from our customers and nearly all leading luxury stores and perfumeries in Europe welcomed us and found a nice place for our products. Thanks to them – and all those customers that were not afraid to try out something new – we are looking to the future with great confidence.

Few gifts today are real keepsakes. The lifecycle of products seems to shorten at an ever increasing speed. The results are: more waste, more pollution and many consumers that are constantly tiptoeing in order to keep the the short thrills of the buying experience going.

I personally believe in fewer, but more satisfying buying experiences: gifts that last. Gifts that have a quality and ‘soul’ that is forever. Gifts that pass on from generation to generation and are kept in the family. We at Puredistance try to create such gifts. Our range of Crystal Perfume Columns truly are jewels that must be hold and seen in reality to be fully appreciated. We promise you that in the years to come every new Puredistance perfume or accessory will all have a long lasting quality of beauty and true exclusivity.

Two weeks ago we visited Roja Dove’s ‘Temple of Scent’ in London; his Haute Parfumerie at the top floor of Harrods. The place is simply beautiful and Puredistance is proud to be displayed on one of the most prominent locations in the Parfumerie. For months Stephen Jones and Russ Sadler have worked on the perfect showcase for the Puredistance Crystal Columns. The result is wonderful and the result of hard work and genuine passion.

To quote Russ Sadler: “Very occasionally I have had opportunities to be involved with very artistic visionaries and the end result is more than just engineering. There’s an extra buzz and sense of pride at the end of such jobs. Usually the artistic visionaries have little concept of the real world (strength of materials or how things fix together) and their original dream has to be compromised by budget restrictions and the laws of physics. In this instance, working with Stephen Jones was very satisfying because he has both artistic vision and a practical understanding of engineering and we are both driven by the same desire to exceed expectations. We are both agreed that the end result is a stunning means of showcasing your beautiful product.”

‘The name of the perfume – Puredistance – is intriguing- sad, but radiant. It makes me think of a distant star that is so bright it seems near; of something unobtainable yet blindingly present.’

A quotation from Minou2 at www.perfumesmellinthings.blogspot.com

Puredistance introduced the Black Crystal Column at Pitti Fragranze Event in Florence. We used the beautiful city of Florence to organise a photoshoot with Egija Zviedre. Egija perfectly expresses the pure – sometimes distant – elegance of Puredistance.

Master Perfumer Annie Buzantian – based in New York and one of the leading perfumers in the world – originally created Puredistance 1 as her own personal perfume. But by chance (or predestination?) someone showed her Puredistance; a fragrance concept created by Jan Ewoud Vos. She immediately froze… staring at the Puredistance presentation in front of her… The whole idea of Puredistance exactly matched the feeling she had when she was composing her own personal fragrance!

Even more incredible: the two concepts were inspired by exactly the same picture both creators had taken out of a magazine… (Jung calls this synchronicity). It was Annie’s wish then to share her own personal masterpiece with the world. Puredistance 1 Perfume was born.”

It is not easy to launch one of the most exclusive brands in the world exactly at the start of a deep economic crisis. But didn’t Jean Patou launch his legendary scent JOY in 1929 just after the big stock market crash? At Puredistance we are not afraid of this challenge and feel confident. What’s more, we see the current crisis as an opportunity. We believe that the core values of Puredistance: true exclusivity, pure & simple beauty, originality and sincerity – are values that will matter in the years to come. 

Swarovski Crystal World is the home of the Swarovski empire in Wattens. The Puredistance Crystal Column, which is made by Swarovski, is on display and for sale in the exclusive VIP Gallery.

Crystal World is one of Austria’s most popular attractions, featuring an extensive collection of Swarovski products and the works of 15 or more artists including Salvador Dalí, Brian Eno, André Heller, and Andy Warhol.

Puredistance launched its first Perfume, Puredistance 1, from a specially for Puredistance designed Perfume Lounge in the heart of Vienna. Architectural lightning specialist Philipp Metternich was responsible for the interior design and lightning of the Lounge. Entering the Puredistance Lounge is a true experience due to its mystical atmosphere and simple beauty. Mr. Metternich received an award of merit for the lightning of the Lounge.

(In 2010 Puredistance would move to its current headquarters in an old church in the north of the Netherlands in Groningen. The beautiful interior of the Puredistance Perfume Lounge would be used by Verinas, a boutique specialising in high quality bridal dresses. As an extra service to its customers Verinas would also sell Puredistance Perfumes)

Last year – November 2008 – Puredistance launched their first Perfume: Puredistance 1 at the Luxus Please luxury exhibition in Vienna.

‘It’s not a fragrance to stare at and admire the virtuosity of the perfumer but rather it’s a luxury to be worn in silence. It makes a perfect fusion with the skin. Like the fashion done by women designers in this case the fact that it has been done by a woman is not a surprise. It’s like a moment of personal luxury, a secret and intimate pleasure.’

Quote by Octavian Coifan.