Flower By Kenzo – The Poppy Story

I know, another fragrance story, what’s going on, Swati? But, as I mentioned in my previous post about the LOEWE 001 Perfumes, it’s very often that I end up reading about stories or inspirations behind different things. This time, it was the Poppy – of KENZO Parfum’s Flower By Kenzo.

Not many know, but, the flower Poppy doesn’t actually have a smell. It is a flower that is scentless – can you imagine that? I mean a flower usually stands for two things: pretty colours and an amazing sweet smell. But, here’s one flower, that looks really delicate, really pretty and really simple – and there is no smell.

The KENZO Parfum team briefed their noses (people who create the scent), that here’s this flower – that doesn’t have a smell – your job today, is to give it a scent. Create a perfume that depicts the flower. The kind of smell that when it’s in the air, people automatically associate it with the Poppy. Now, I’m not saying that was the exact conversation, it must have been in French, or Japanese – I’m not sure. But, this is how it went in my head.

And with that, here we are. They create a scent – exclusive to the poppy. I, genuinely, came across it as a kid – I always had this really thin, tall bottle that smelled like flowers. Even the bottle design, is delicate and shaped like a poppy.

Since then, the brand has launched several distinct scents that remind of a different aspect of a poppy.