Interviewed: Natalia Remmer The gentle January morning began for me with a pleasant meeting with a charming and fragile woman who had already managed to conquer the whole world with her outstanding ideas and unique aromas ... Sarah Carner, founder, ideological inspiration and creative director of Carner Barcelona, a niche perfume brand, arrived in Dubai to present her new masterpiece, Rima XI, to local fans of luxury brands. Of course, in the gallery Paris Gallery. Behind this eccentric almost magical aroma is a whole story of love and conquest, inaccessibility and secret desires. However, first things first.
The Catalan brand Carner Barcelona on perfume brands is very young: it appeared only in 2006. But the idea came a little earlier ...
Sara: I was not born in Barcelona itself, but in a village nearby. I was surrounded by the scents of the forest, flowering meadows and, of course, leather and tobacco. For many decades, my ancestors were engaged in leather manufacturing, including the production of materials for luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, so strong aromas and the very atmosphere of luxury have been impregnating my life since childhood. It would seem, and I had to continue the dynasty. However, another world attracted me. I left for New York, studied brand management and luxury management there, worked at Chanel and Shiseido.
But I did not leave the thought that the aromas of our time lack real emotions, the history that would stand behind them. That is how the idea of creating your own brand came up.
If you pick up the Carner Barcelona catalog, you will immediately see the message: “By creating aromas, we evoke memories, share experiences and convey our emotions.” And emotions are the key to everything. Behind each aroma is a part of Sarah’s lived life — be it the aroma of a village forest, a morning vegetable market or an old leather factory. Everything went through the soul of the creator and the best "noses" of the world in order to transform into amazing and unlike anything compositions. Personally, I would add to the trinity of memories, experience and emotions a couple more: entrepreneurial talent and intelligence. After all, at the heart of everything is a strong and distinct business concept, a brand design, consisting of several components that together sound like a symphony.
Sara: I work with the best perfumers - these are Daniela Andrieu, Christoph Reno and Sonia Constant, who are familiar to us from the scents of Escada, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paul Smith and many others. They are independent in working with me and, despite their colossal experience, they are never repeated. How is this possible? We start from scratch. I do not tell them: do something similar. On the contrary: create something that has never existed before. In addition, unlike mass brands, I do not limit their budget. I say: take the most expensive, most exotic components, and finish the job. Perhaps with me they can realize their wildest fantasies, which in other cases are limited by the financial framework. We are working on the result, on quality. We do not create a fashionable fragrance for a year or two. I hope we stay on the market for a long time ...
Today, the Carner Barcelona brand is already represented in 20 countries, including Russia: elegant bottles with a massive wooden lid and the monogram of the city gates of Barcelona can be found in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Sara: In Russia, our products are in demand. Previously, buyers in this region who opted for luxury perfumes preferred luxury perfumes in expensive packaging, for example, painted with gold. Now the tastes have changed somewhat, have become closer to the European. I can say that today Russians rely on sophistication and individuality.
Sarah's further creative plans are to continue consolidating the brand, to go and develop further. But doesn’t the young mother think about expressing all the joy of motherhood in the new fragrance?
Sara: I don't know what will happen next. I am always with my family, I can not imagine life without her. I haven’t thought about the next child yet. But I, after all, pass fragrances through my emotions and my experience. Therefore, I like your train of thought.
In the world of emotions - beyond the borders of luxury
At the heart of every Carner Barcelona fragrance is a powerful woody accord. Here it is, a tribute to tradition and respect for heritage. The design of the bottles is minimalistic and sends us to a sweet heart, cosmopolitan Barcelona, along the winding streets of which thousands of different flavors walk. And only a few of them can stand out from the crowd.
The first masterpiece called Tardes ("Noon") is woven from the purity and harmony of a midday walk through flowering meadows in the vicinity of Barcelona. In the top notes are Egyptian geraniums, Bulgarian roses, rosewood and almonds. The heart opens with chords of Virginian cedar, celery, plum. The base was Venezuelan tonka, musk and heliotrope.
The spicy and mysterious D600 got its name from the brand's studio in Barcelona - Avenida Diagonal, and 600 - the main highway of the coastal city itself. It is revealed by Madagascar black pepper, Sicilian bergamot, grapefruit. In the middle of the pyramid is a combination of cardamom, Italian iris and Egyptian jasmine, in the base are Vergina cedar and vetiver.
“Smoky” Cuirs - these are real memories of the house and the family factory, where leather is made for years. The composition, which won the prestigious FIFI Awards, opens with caraway and saffron motifs, followed by patchouli, and oud, leather and smoke tree in the train. The fragrance is truly mystical and strong, like a hurricane sweeping away everything in its path.
Finally, the long-awaited brand new product is a slightly sweet, slightly spicy and completely magical fragrance RIMA XI ("Rhyme 11").
The inspiration for its creation was the eponymous poem of the 19th century Spanish author Gustavo Adolfo Becker, or rather, the following lines:
"I am a dream and an elusive ghost.
Radiant fog and light in the dark.
I am incorporeal, imperceptible.
Not in power to love.
Come to me!"
Unlike perfumers, the author of these lines was not very original, once again drawing readers' attention to the simple truth that an accessible woman cannot be truly desired.
The composition itself, which once put on, it is already impossible to leave, envelops with notes of Guatemalan cardamom, black Madagascar pepper, Moroccan mint and saffron. In her heart is a bouquet of Indian jasmine sambac with spicy notes of Ceylon cinnamon, Indonesian nutmeg and coriander on the background of Madagascar vanilla, Australian sandalwood, Lao benzoin, cedar, soft ambergris and musk.
Absolutely unlike anything and to some extent even unbelievable, it first confuses and makes you think, and then it carries you away in an era of pride and prejudice, wandering knights and stone castles. Ask for a novelty at Paris Gallery. Stay true to sophistication and chic!
