Roja Dove to publish definitive book on perfume

Professeur de Parfums Roja Dove is bringing out his first book this autumn. The Essence of Perfume traces the story of fragrance from ancient Egypt through to modern celebrity perfumes, via the legendary rivalry between Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. The Essence of Perfume, a 288-page hardback containing 350 illustrations, is said to bridge the gap between glossy coffee table books on fragrance and instructive (but occasionally dry) industry ones.

The Essence of Perfume uncovers the social and scientific history behind fragrance, devoting chapters to the evolution of our sense of smell, the raw materials of perfume and the techniques used to extract oils from them.

Dove takes a decade-by-decade look at the industry’s great creations from 1889 onwards, describing each one and putting it in its socio-economic context. Chapters devoted to the personalities behind the perfume houses and iconic perfume flacons follow, and the tome concludes with Dove’s take on the current state of perfumery and predictions for its future.

The Essence of Perfume is published by Black Dog. It becomes available in September and will retail for £40.