Inspiration comes in many forms, with everything from fabric to fantasy, but periods of history and literary characters have also featured heavily. Whether an "homage to" or a "recreation of", they can help a perfumer move outside of the established styles and trends. 4160 Tuesdays' Sarah McCartney successfully achieved this with the Gatsby and City ranges, using ingredients that were in circulation at the time, and Goodbye Piccadily, which is a recreation of a moment in history using current ingredients. It is this second approach which Deco London also took with their first collection, so come with me and let's meet Quentin.

When it was announced in May that Chanel were going to launch a new interpretation of their classic No.5 the internet went crazy. You had praise and damnation in almost equal measure, and nobody had even smelled it at that point. Created by the new nose of Chanel, Olivier Polge, for some it seemed a step too far, we already had Eau Premiere, whilst to others the news was greeted with fan club enthusiasm. With an approaching UK launch date of September 1st I think it's time to see if Chanel No.5 L'Eau really is a new interpretation for a new generation, or merely a dilution of the brand's heritage.