Opium (perfume)
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2008-06-07T15:03:02Z
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'''''Opium''''' is an Oriental-spicy<ref>{{cite book | title = Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men | first = Jan | last = Moran | pages = p. 32 | publisher = Crescent House | isbn = 0963906542 | year = 2000 }}</ref> [[perfume]] created for fashion brand [[Yves Saint Laurent (brand)|Yves Saint Laurent]] (YSL) by perfumer Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac of Roure, first marketed in 1977.<ref name=Groom_236>{{cite book | title = New Perfume Handbook - Second Edition | first = Nigel | last = Groom | isbn = 0751404039 | publisher = Springer | year = 1997 | pages = p. 236 }}</ref> Its top [[Note (perfumery)|notes]] are a mixture of fruit and spices, with [[mandarin orange]],<ref>Jan Moran lists "hesperides" instead.</ref> [[plum]], [[clove]], [[coriander]] and [[black pepper|pepper]],<ref name=Groom_236/> as well as [[bay leaf]].<ref name=Moran/> Its floral middle notes consist predominantly [[jasmine]], [[rose]] and [[Lily of the Valley]],<ref name=Groom_236/> in addition to [[carnation]], [[cinnamon]], [[peach]] and [[orris root]].<ref name=Moran/> It is underlined by the sweet woody base note contaning [[sandalwood]], [[cedar|cedarwood]], [[myrrh]], [[opopanax]], [[labdanum]], [[benzoin]] and [[castoreum]],<ref name=Groom_236/> in addition to [[amber]], [[incense]], [[musk]], [[patchouli]], tolu and [[vetiver]].<ref name=Moran/>
==Naming and theme==
''Opium'' caused a stir with its controversial name and brought accusations that brand designer [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Yves Saint Laurent]] was condoning drug use.<ref>{{cite news | title = Fashion giant Yves Saint Laurent dies at 71 | url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080602/en_afp/lifestylefrancefashionysl_080602104015 | publisher = Yahoo News | author = [[Agence France-Presse]] | date = 2008-06-02 | accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In the United States, a group of [[Chinese American]]s demanded a change of the name and a public apology from Saint Laurent for "his insensivity to Chinese history and Chinese American concerns." They formed a commitee called the American Coalition Against ''Opium'' and Drug Abuse, which expressed outrage at the choice of a name representing "a menace that destroyed many lives in China."<ref>{{cite book | title = Consumer Boycotts: Effecting Change Through the Marketplace and the Media | first = Monroe | last = Friedman | publisher = Routledge | pages = p. 145 | isbn = 041592457X }}</ref> But such controversies rather helped the perfume to be well-publicized, which soon became a best-selling scent.<ref name=Moran>{{cite book | title = Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men | first = Jan | last = Moran | pages = p. 170 | publisher = Crescent House | isbn = 0963906542 | year = 2000 }}</ref> For its launch party in 1977, a [[tall ship]] ''Peking'' was rented from the [[South Street Seaport Museum]] in New York's East Harbor, and writer [[Truman Capote]] sat at the helm of the ship at the party.<ref name=Moran/> The ship was draped with banners of gold, red, and purple, and the Oriental theme was displayed with a thousand-pound bronze statue of the Buddha, laden with white cattleya orchids.<ref name=Moran/> YSL carried the Oriental theme into its [[Packaging and labelling|packaging design]] as well—the red plastic container holding the perfume's glass vial, designed by Pierre Dinand,<ref name=Groom_236/> was inspired by {{nihongo|[[inro]]|印籠, いんろう}}, the small Japanese [[lacquer]]ed cases that were worn under [[kimono]]s and held perfumes, herbs and medicines.<ref>{{cite book | title = Fabulous Fragrances II : A Guide to Prestige Perfumes for Women and Men | first = Jan | last = Moran | pages = p. 171 | publisher = Crescent House | isbn = 0963906542 | year = 2000 }}</ref>
''Opium'', Lilac Perfume Oil and White Musk from [[The Body Shop]], Juniper Breeze from [[Bath & Body Works]] and Royal Secret formerly Germaine Monteil were among the perfumes tested in 2003 in a study of the relationship of scents to memory.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Herz, Rachel S., James Eliassen, Sophia Beland, Timothy Souza|title=Neuroimaging evidence for the emotional potency of odor-evoked memory|journal=Neuropsychologia|publisher=Elsevier|volume=42|date=2004|pages=371–378|accessdate=2007-11-11|doi=10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2003.08.009}}</ref>
==Ad campaign controversy ==
A poster [[advertising campaign]] for the perfume caused another great controversy in October and November 2000. It featured the voluptuous but pale-colored [[Sophie Dahl]], lying on her back wearing only a pair of [[stiletto heels]], seemingly in the throes of ecstasy, with her legs splayed apart as she cups one of her breasts with her hand.<ref>[http://www.sophie-dahl.com/images/full-size/opium.jpg Opium advertisement, Yves Saint Laurent, at ''The Sophie Dahl Gallery'']</ref> This ad compaign, photographed by [[Steven Meisel]], was widely seen in print ads and posters in bus shelters in many countries. It won an award in Spain<ref>{{cite book | title = The House of Gucci | first = Sara G. | last = Forden | pages = p. 340 | publisher = Harper Paperbacks | isbn = 0060937750 | year = 2001 }}</ref> but generated an uproar in other places, particularly in the United Kingdom. The British [[Advertising Standards Authority]] received over 700 complaints from the public, and ordered the posters to be withdrawn on the grounds that they were too sexually suggestive, degrading to women, and likely to cause "serious or widespread offence".<ref name=Carter/><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,413209,00.html 'Offensive' Opium posters to be removed, ''The Guardian'' - December 19, 2000]</ref> American journalist [[Susan Faludi]] argued that certain perfume ad campaigns pushed "idealization of weak yielding women" to the extreme, citing the ''Opium'' advertisement as a primary example.<ref>{{cite book | title = Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women | first = Susan | last = Faludi | authorlink = Susan Faludi | pages = p. 208 | publisher = Anchor | isbn = 0385425074 | year = 1992 }}</ref> Although the poster did not depict an actual violent act against women, some critics argued that Dahl's position, the whiteness of her skin and bright red lips make her look like an "embalmed cadaver".<ref name=Carter>{{cite book | title = Violence and the Media | first = Cynthia | last = Carter | pages = p. 126 | publisher = Open University Press | isbn = 0335205054 | year = 2003 }}</ref>
==''Opium pour Homme''==
YSL launched the male complement ''Opium pour Homme'' in 1995, created by Jacques Cavallier of [[Firmenich]].<ref name=Groom_237>{{cite book | title = New Perfume Handbook - Second Edition | first = Nigel | last = Groom | isbn = 0751404039 | publisher = Springer | year = 1997 | pages = p. 237 }}</ref> Its main note is set by [[vanilla]], with [[black currant]], [[galangal]], [[star anise]], [[ginger]] and [[black pepper|pepper]], fusing with basic notes of [[cedar]] and balam of Tollu. Its flask was designed by Jérôme Failliant-Dumas.<ref name=Groom_237/>
==Commercials==
In 1992 and 1999, U.S. [[film director]] [[David Lynch]] created commercials for ''Opium''.<ref>{{cite book | title = Lynch on Lynch | first = Chris | last = Rodley | isbn = 0571220185 | year = 2005 | publisher = Faber & Faber | pages = p. 309 }}</ref>
==Notes==
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==External links==
*{{cite web|title=Yves Saint Laurent (ysl-parfums.com)|url=http://www.ysl-parfums.com/|accessdate=2007-11-11}}
[[Category:Fragrances]]
[[Category:1977 introductions]]