AUSTRALIA. Fragrance expert Michael Edwards has been inducted into the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame for his contribution to the Australian and international fragrance industry.
Induction into the Hall of Fame is said to be the most prestigious award conferred by The Fragrance Foundation Australia, the industry body representing fragrance houses, retailers, magazine publishers and other fragrance-related businesses.
Over 120 industry representatives attended the cocktail event held in the Westpac Bank Building in Martin Place, Sydney this week. The evening included two performances by classical music quartet, Accent Strings.
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Michael Edwards’ annual fragrance guide, Fragrances of the World, celebrates 25 years this year |
Michael Edwards is known internationally for his annual fragrance guide, Fragrances of the World, which this year celebrates 25 years.
What started as a small guide for retailers with just 323 fragrances has become the industry’s fragrance “˜bible’, this year classifying over 6,500 fragrances, including 800 new releases.
Edwards has classified more fragrances than anyone else in the history of perfumery, according to The Fragrance Foundation Australia. He works with every brand and perfumer to check the accuracy of his classifications and work. Today, he divides his time between Sydney, Paris and New York to keep ahead of the flood of new fragrances.
In his speech, Fragrance Foundation President Michel-Henri Carriol commented on the impact Edwards’ work has had across the whole fragrance industry.
“Fragrances of the World has helped retailers, industry professionals, media and fragrance lovers alike appreciate the ever-expanding world of fragrance,” he said. “Michael’s fragrance wheel is instrumental to our knowledge and understanding of fragrance families.
“Whether he is consulting to retailers, running a fragrance workshop for sales consultants, or talking to the media, Michael promotes knowledge and a real passion for the industry – to everyone’s benefit,” Carriol added.
Edwards’ book – Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances – is said to have opened up the secret world of perfumery. For the first time, perfumers spoke of their work and the sources of their inspiration in a way only previously done by artists, architects and musicians.
In 2004, Edwards won his first Fragrance Foundation (USA) FiFi award (known as the “˜Oscars’ of the fragrance industry) for Technological Achievement for his Fragrances of the World.Info database.
In 2007, he won a second FiFi award, for an in-store adaptation of this database.
This year, he is helping US-based Hearst Magazines group to develop an online fragrance finder that will feature on the websites of some of its leading magazines. The fragrance finder will not only help consumers find their ideal scents, it will help fragrance brands, retailers and magazines to reach and educate their customers.
Carriol concluded that: “For the Australian fragrance industry to have access to someone with Michael’s level of expertise and enthusiasm is an immense privilege.
“Michael, we thank you – you are a fragrance phenomenon and an Australian ambassador to the world of perfumery,” he said.
The Hall of Fame Award is offered every two years. Past Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame inductees include Trish Hale, who worked as a fragrance marketer as well as retail buyer for Grace Bros and David Jones during her 40-year career, and Bernie Leser, founder of Vogue Australia and head of Condé Nast publications internationally.
MORE STORIES ON MICHAEL EDWARDS AND FRAGRANCES OF THE WORLD
Michael Edwards lists over 5,700 fragrances in 24th edition of Fragrances of the World – 02/01/08
Your complete guide to Fragrances of the World – 16/01/07
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