Story | Leslie Yip
Among the five senses, smell is the most powerful key to unlock past memories. As for the five scents in Tory Burch’s new Essence of Dreams collection, they are designed to remind us of the power of dreams.
“I have always been fascinated by scents—the way they can connect us to memories and inspire emotions,” says fashionista Tory Burch. “I wanted to create beautiful, uplifting fragrances that remind us to follow our dreams and imagine a world of endless possibilities.”
Tory Burch Essence of Dreams collection, each 90 ml | $160, 50 ml | $115; Limited-edition holiday coffret with all five scents, 5 x 7.5ml | $82
Cue the new Essence of Dreams collection, created in collaboration with Shiseido and the world’s leading perfumers. Each scent is connected to a dream and a feeling, and the wearer is encouraged to mix and layer to reflect her own dreams.
A perfume collection is not complete without a rose. Sublime Rose—the essence of love—is a classic rose, with a hint of black currant and a warm wood undertone that makes for an understated allure.
Divine Moon is an intoxicating blend of Lady of the Night flower, honey and citrus. Billed as the essence of peace, it feels as if it is a gentler cousin of the jasmine flower.
Mystic Geranium is the essence of joy. Serene and idyllic, it is a blend of fresh bergamot, aromatic geranium and musk that feels very much in harmony with nature.
Electric Sky—wait, what does the sky smell like? In Tory Burch’s interpretation, it is a refreshing bouquet of cactus flower, lavender and wood. It reminds you of that bout of freshness in the air after a storm, and is the essence of freedom.
And finally there is the essence of magic: Cosmic Wood. With spicy cardamom, jasmine and vetiver, it is like a walk in the forest.
A widely cited 2008 study by Dr. Boris Stuck of Heidelberg University found that smells can affect the pleasantness of our dreams—rotten eggs for nightmares and roses for sweet dreams. Perhaps the Essence of Dreams collection can take this a step further and bring peace, joy, freedom, love and magic to our dreams?
Housed in a curved glass bottle that balances modern design with traditional apothecary aesthetics, each scent is marked with Tory Burch’s iconic double “T” logo, framed by its unique colour to visually represent the spirit of the scent: the clear blue of a sky after a storm, honey yellow of a full moon, delicate purple of a geranium,
earthy red of spices and soft pink of a garden rose.
Made in collaboration with award-winning artist Malin Ericson, the bottle is designed to be cherished and repurposed long after the final drop, just as you want to hold on to your most inspiring dreams.
