What we know for sure is that Vogue editor Ms.  Diana Vreeland invented the idea of a style signatures as we know it today.  Her reign as editor and arbiter of Chic was indestructible as we are still talking about her today.  DV is responsible for creating the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala.  Her idea of opening museum doors to the public changed the perception of a museum as a dead institution.  I saw two of her most extraordinary shows that will live in my memory, forever.  “The 18th Century Woman” and the “Yves Saint Laurent” Show that has since toured other cities around the world.  Her influence as a tastemaker has been carried on by her family, most notably her two grandsons who have mined her extraordinary life and collections.

Her perfume collection was launched by her grandson Alexander who has “harnessed” the chic of DV and managed to put it in a bottle in a series of scents meant to be mixed and matched.  A body creme is also part of the collection as well as a candle to scent the room.  The extra tall caps and jewel toned glass bottles that are very Art Deco remind us of DV’s own elegant apartment, with each bottle hung with a silk tassel. The scents are inspired by DV’s own words:  “Devastatingly chic” to “Daringly Different” to “Simply Divine” and finally “Full Gallop” all catch phrases coined by the queen of style herself. Here is a quick round up of the fragrances:

Devastatingly Chic: A spicy oriental fragrance that has three or four elements of spice blended in a very rich Indian Style mood that  can be worn by a man or a woman.

Daringly Different: A bit of celery with a hint of a floral fragrance that makes it start as a green style fragrance and then settle into its peppery base.

Simply Divine:  A drop dead floral that has a strong top notes of Tuberose then settles down into its deeper roots of a heady violet that has a very Belle Epoque Parisian feel.

Full Gallop: This is a country daytime fragrance suitable for the hunt or a restful day in the country with its green base mixed with wild flowers in a charming English country way.

Its easy to see how you could literally create your own personal style with these fragrances, perhaps mixing a deep floral at the base with a spritz of a green on top. Its a complex set of fragrances that will be even more unique when you mix them yourself.

For more information on the fragrances and to order: http://www.neimanmarcus.com