1000 Polianthes stems
On April 18th, the launch of the luxury perfume brand Annindriya took place at a unique location: a former Mercedes garage in Amsterdam-Noord. During the launch, the first five perfumes of Annindriya were unveiled. To make the launch extra special, floral designer and florist Teunis Veenema created a stunning installation with fragrant Polianthes stems. Marginpar was present as a proud sponsor of no less than 1000 Polianthes stems of three different varieties.
Teunis Veenema
Teunis Veenema (pictured left) is a floral designer and owner of the beautiful flower shop Teunis Veenema bloem | sier | kunst in Amsterdam-Zuid. The shop was opened in 2009 and has since become a household name! Teunis caters to both the private and business markets and specialises in bouquets, events, and funeral floral arrangements. Teunis Veenema was assisted by Merlijn Meijer, student Styling, Interior and Design at Nimeto, Utrecht.
Tanja Deurloo
Tanja Deurloo is a perfume designer, chemist, and founder of the brand Annindriya. She's also owned a luxury store, the Perfume Lounge in Amsterdam-Zuid, for the past 15 years. She has developed over 200 perfumes for other brands. All her expertise comes together in Annindriya, which was launched on April 18th with five new perfumes.
An icon in the perfume world
Those who know Polianthes, also known as Tuberose, as a cut flower will be familiar with the delightful sweet scent these flowers exude in the home. It may however be surprising to hear that Polianthes extract is a widely used ingredient in luxury perfumes. In fact, Polianthes is known as an iconic flower in the perfume world.
Polianthes has a sweet, yet creamy scent. It's even called a Carnal flower because the scent has a voluptuous and sensual character. There are several processes to obtain the scent from flowers such as extraction, distillation, and enfleurage. The fragrant substances are extracted from the Polianthes flowers as 'Absolue', a fragrance obtained by extraction from a natural material. The open flowers are hand-picked from the stems in the morning and then placed in oil or solvent. This liquid is then distilled to extract the fragrant substances. The resulting natural fragrance is very precious. Hence, Polianthes is mainly used in the more luxurious 'niche' perfumes.
”We had this idea: what would happen if you dip a Tuberose in Whiskey, what would that smell like?
Tipsy Tuberose
Annindriya stands for zest for life and enjoying small moments of happiness, which is what real luxury is all about. Each perfume is developed by a different perfumer, who thanks to Annindriya, get a well-deserved platform. One of the perfumes is extra special for fans of Polianthes. Tipsy Tuberose, developed by emerging talent Meabh McCurtin, is an ode to Irish Whiskey and the Polianthes flower.
The idea for Tipsy Tuberose comes from the Irish heritage of perfumer Meabh McCurtin and more specifically the world-famous Irish Whiskey. It can therefore be described as a 'boozy' perfume. The Whiskey element gives the tuberose a light and playful character. "Tipsy Tuberose has a proven effect on self-confidence and sensuality, and how seductive you feel. And that's really quite unique" explains Tanja Deurloo. Let's be honest, who wouldn't want that?
A wonderful story
The collaboration between Teunis Veenema and Tanja Deurloo came about in a special way. Both Tanja's Perfume Lounge and Teunis' luxury flower shop are located in Amsterdam-Zuid, only about 200 meters apart. Tanja and Teunis both have a passion for their craft, possess immense knowledge, and deliver bespoke work. That is an important connecting factor; the passion Tanja has for perfumes, Teunis has for flowers.
During Tanja's regular visits to the flower shop she would specifically ask for Polianthes. This also increased Teunis' love for the Polianthes flower. Polianthes has even become a permanent part of his flower assortment. Teunis Veenema says, "If a flower has a good story, it sells itself easily. And when I tell a customer that it's used in the better perfumes, a customer also becomes more enthusiastic." Moreover, it's one of the few truly pleasant-smelling flowers that does not become too overpowering at home.
”In each stage the Polianthes gives off a different scent. In terms of intensity, but as the flower matures a bit the scent also takes on a different dimension.
The Polianthes installation
The starting point for the flower installation is the perfume Tipsy Tuberose. Therefore, it was clear early on that Polianthes would be used for the design. The design is one part of the total launch, which gave rise to the idea of creating a separate space with the installation. You can experience the installation by stepping into the circle. When you do, you are surrounded by the scent of Polianthes and can taste Irish Whiskey placed on barrels in the space. It's as if you step into the perfume!
Robust wooden pillars were chosen for the execution, which creates a contrast with the transparent glass vases. "For a perfume like Tipsy Tuberose, the look and feel can be a bit more on the edgy and clean side" explains Teunis. The perfume bottle is made of transparent glass, which is mirrored by the vases. Meanwhile, the rugged look of the Whiskey barrels is reflected in the coarser wooden pillars. By keeping the base simple, the flowers can speak for themselves.
Three Polianthes varieties were used for this design: Polianthes Elle Pink, Polianthes Eva Cherise, and Polianthes Elsa Blush. Polianthes has a fairly sturdy stem. Asparagus was added to soften and round off the whole. This also adds a dreamy, romantic touch.
Polianthes tip: The Polianthes blooms from bottom to top. You can keep a bouquet of Polianthes fresh by removing the bottom faded flowers from the stem. By doing this, you can enjoy your bouquet even longer!
The Polianthes series
Marginpar has four different Polianthes varieties in its portfolio. Polianthes Elle Pink and Polianthes Elvy Ivory are both known for their sweet scent and strong long stems. Elle and Elvy are very similar, but the Elle has a soft light pink hue, while Elvy is cream-white in colour. Polianthes Eva Cherise has been added to the series because of its unique deep pink flowers. Polianthes Elsa Blush stands out for its fine stems with slender light pink flowers.
Celebrating shared passion
Teunis Veenema's project was not the only special collaboration during the launch. Specialists from various fields came together to create an evening filled with unique experiences.
Firstly, the collaboration with the five emerging perfumers; Meabh McCurtin, Christophe Laudamiel, Chester Gibs, Francesca Bianchi and Spyros Drosopoulos, each of whom developed a perfume for Annindriya. As a result each perfume has a unique and personal story. Another wonderful collaboration that took place was with Patisserie Linnick, who developed matching macarons that mirrored the fragrance experience of the perfumes in taste. There was also a mesmerising artwork to view and experience: Scentimental Memory by Eef Stalman. This art project is about evoking memories through scent, a perfect combination with the perfumes of Annindriya.
If you want to experience the perfume Tipsy Tuberose yourself, you can visit the Perfume Lounge, Cornelis Krusemanstraat 25 in Amsterdam. The perfume is also available online.
