There is a man that just has to mention the name of a perfume and it magically appears in his life…
Tonight in The Scented Salon we are talking to The Husband of The Non-Blonde. His name is Ori. He had a very fragrant childhood on a dairy farm and now lives in New Jersey surrounded by scent. New Jersey is not just a state; it is a state-of-mind which is stronger than a storm.
Welcome to The Scented Salon Ori. Shalom to you and your family. Are you non-blonde yourself?
Thank you Jordan. I’m actually known as “The Blonde”, although not much of it is left.
Does your name have a special meaning?
It means “My Light”. My parents were optimistic.
What was your first fragrance?
For many years, fragrance for me was aftershave. Tabac Original and Brut. An old Millionaire my father passed on to me. Gaia, The Non-Blonde was the first to buy me a perfume (Minotaur by Paloma Picaso) and she worked hard to convince me she was not kidding and men could and should wear perfume.
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- Brut
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- Tabac Original
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- Millionaire
What did you waft in the 80′s and 90′s?
The sweet smell of cow manure and machine oil. Sometimes together.
Do you buy for yourself?
I do, but more often it is enough that I mention I really like a scent and a bottle mysteriously appears.
Sounds like you have a genie at home. Do you prefer Cologne or Edt or Edp?
Mostly Edt but I do like something with longevity and would love it if more perfumes for men would actually come in Edp. Not enough do.
What are your perfume preferences or notes that you like?
My Vetiver shelf is maxed out but otherwise, I like quite a variety of things, as long as they are well made and have a unique presence.
Some favorite notes: Wood, Leather, Smoke, Herbal, Incense, Green, Iris, Citrus and did I mention Vetiver?
Private Collection: Ori Fishler
What notes do you not like or cannot wear?
Most Rose notes turn sour on my skin, strong Cumin notes, strong Oud, pretty Florals, very sweet notes (although Honey actually works on me) and most edible / gourmand notes. I just don’t think of myself as yummy.
Maybe your wife does though. What do you wear now and in what circumstances?
I do try to reach to the back of the closet more often, but my current favorites are:
Garrigue
Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier
Scent One – Hinoki
Monocle – Comme des Garçons
Tam Dao
Dyptique
Dark Passage
Andy Tauer / Tableau de Parfums
Sartorial
Penhaligon
Cuir d’Iris
Parfumerie General
What is it like living with a Perfumista?
Enriching. As a total novice, getting introduced to a wonderful and complex world of scent was and still is a process of discovery. I like trying new things and found that the more I know about ingredients, notes, compositions and the art involved, then the more I enjoy it. Having a live-in expert guide is a nice benefit.
What is your career?
I have a degree in computer science and currently manage the Web Solutions unit of a technology consulting company.
What about a fragrant experience?
Previously we have had a mountain-top scent experience in Bhutan, a pavement in Vienna on a hot day and Carlos Huber from Arquiste smelling an entire Island.
Maybe yours is a family or childhood memory?
I wrote a guest post for Gaia on some of my childhood scent memories and how they impact my current preferences. One of my favorite posts… Scent Memories – “I’m a farm boy and while the Manly Men I grew up around used aftershave here and there, perfume was for girls. That said, the world of a dairy farm is wonderfully fragrant and many of these unique scents are still with me and shaped how I perceive and feel about perfume today.”
Ori at work with Kosh
What suits you for work?
I have the great pleasure of doing most of my work from home so anything goes. When I travel on business, I like things that will last the whole day and can still create a calm scent bubble on a late flight back home.
New Jersey is 10 minutes from New York if Gaia is driving. What does New York smell like?
New York is many things but clean is not one of them. Between the uncollected garbage (the NYC signature scent for most of the summer), car exhaust, cigarette smoke (since there is a ban on smoking inside, the streets are lined with smokers), and just the sheer volume of humanity and its dogs. When I go to NYC I usually put on something with a strong presence to overcome anything we may encounter.
Do you ever have to try stuff so that Gaia doesn’t have to?
Nope. Only her scent twin may get to that level of perfume trust.
The Non-Blonde on a mission – trying things so you don’t have to.
What do you listen to and what do you read?
Cat Jungle with Book Shelves
I like most types of music (with the exception of modern “Urban” music and heavy metal) from Classical to jazz, and popular music. We are trying to keep up to date with the “Alternative” music (somehow, we all started using the iTunes labels for music). My favorite radio station is WFUV.
I do read a lot, 2-3 books per month. Mostly fiction but also some business book, history, biographies etc.
I also garden.
I love our back yard and the small vegetable patch we have (tomatoes will be ready next week) at least when it is not so hot and humid..
The Gaining of Knowledge
Where and how did you gain perfume knowledge?
I ask my wife. She knows.
Do you think perfumery is art, artisanal, design and manufacturing, molecular architecture or something else?
I see perfumery as art. The process of translating a personal vision, mood, and feeling into a medium that others can experience and appreciate is for me art. It can be done by an artisan at their home studio or as commercial art by the big labs. As with every art, the appreciation is subjective. What the masses may adore we can see as commercial dreck.
What is the purpose of perfume?
The purpose of perfume is to provide pleasure to us and to our surrounding. What pleasures us can be diverse and personal.
Who do you admire in The Fragrant Stratosphere?
Ori with Marigold and Gemma
I admire true artisans and artists who pursue their passion for perfume and create wonderful scents. Some of the people I admire are Andy Tauer, Vero Kern, Mandy Aftel, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Chris Brosius, and many others.
Further Reading
Ori on The Dairy Farm
Various Private Collections
Ori on The Non-Blonde – HTTP
The Non-Blonde interview by Olfactoria
What Men Should Smell Like – Garrigue
The Fragrant Man 
A very nice interview, Jordan. It’s nice to get to know Gaia’s husband better – and it’s always lovely when he writes a post on her blog. I remember being especially surprised when I first read his post about his fragrant memories and growing on a dairy farm, because Gaia seems so urbane that I couldn’t imagine her dating a farmer, lol! (And I mean no disrespect with that statement but quite the opposite: having grown up on a dairy farm myself, I’m a fan of farm boys! 🙂 )
Thank you Suzanne. There is silage and there is the the sillage of silage down on the farm.
Phew, so interesting I read all the way to the bottom, Ori looks nice, Ori looks sweet and has a great way with words. No wonder he and Gaia are coupled. Coolio.
Portia xx
What a man, what a woman, what a couple!
I too, read the whole lot. Absolutely enthralling. Thanks. 🙂
It was fun Cookie Queen. I hope to use your adjective for a perfume soon but will wait in anticipation of the moment.
Came over from non-blonde. What a lovely interview and so fascinating to read! I loved seeing a glimpse of the whole, beautifully perfumed relationship! ❤
Welcome Bellyhead. Thank you for making the trip. Beautifully perfumed relationship indeed!
Loved this!
Hello Kelly Keith. Welcome and thank you for zoomin’ in.
sweet! love the variety of questions, answers, and pics. but i especially love the blond’s smile as he’s being used as kitten tree. cats rule!
cheers,
minette
Lol, a kitten tree! Have a great day / night ahead Minette.
If I had that many bottles I’d have to gain 100 kilos and perhaps grow a few extra limbs just to have enough skin to apply them on… and still I think I would have to live to be more than 150 years old, just to make sure I have enough time to enjoy them! Then I’d have to be really ugly and hide in the woods so people wouldn’t be jealous of me. Naaah, too much trouble, I’m fine as I am.
PS: Jordan, I had no idea that diaries are grown in farms. Thanks for sharing this little known fact with us :p
Aha! Such erudition. Thank you Amer, I appreciate your attention to detail. And Yes, we could all do with more Skin Real Estate at times.
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. A friend of mine has a blog called Photo Dairies. It was unintentional of course but she can’t change it. I suggested that she should take more pictures of cheese and yogurt just to match the name.
Fantastic.
And so are you Neil, every word!
Nice interview. Nice collection. I love the photos with the cats. Kosh looks like one very big kitty and those kittens are adorable.
Meow. And of course you Poodle are adorable too. Woof and Waft.
What a great interview! It kept me interested from the beginning to the end. Good job! 🙂 (and it was nice to “meet” Gaia’s husband)
and the cats! Thank you Undina for your encouraging words.
I get my “cats fix” from Gaia’s FB updates 😉
Aha.
Enjoyed this interview and more background to the couple. Personal glimpses help me to flesh out other people and make them real. And that perfume collection!
Yes that is a Collection but shockingly the cabinet is unrefrigerated.
Thank you for this great interview. Ori is a very kind, smart, cool man. I think he and Gaia are perfect for one another! I have seen that picture of Ori and Kosh the Cat before, but I always like to see it.
Hello Lawrence. Welcome! They are very Cool Couple. Thank you for zoomin’ in.
I really enjoyed this! My knowledge of the world of scents is so limited. When I find one that works well on me, I tend to hang on to it for years, until my body chemistry changes, or I tire of it – whichever comes first. To see a collection like that just amazes me!
It is an amazement. Thank you for wafting on in. What is that vintage scent I smell?
Oh, you know, probably mostly run-of-the-mill stuff to you and others in the business. In high school in the early 80’s, I loved Opium. After that, it was Paloma Picasso. She lasted a long time, but all of a sudden – absolutely not. For a while, I loved Truth Calvin Klein, and was very upset when all of a sudden, I could no longer find it. I like Allure Sensuelle for evenings, but currently don’t really have a fresh daytime equivalent like Truth used to be. I habitually try new scents when I see them, but like somebody commented – skin real estate is limited, and it is a slow process. Still searching for the next one… For as much as I appreciate fragrant flowers – many floral scents and overly sweet, powdery fragrances make me gag. For some reason, my chemistry seems to work better with spicy, musky, citrusy scents. I guess that is what I so enjoyed about your post – the idea of learning a whole new scent vocabulary from your beloved who not only knows you intimately, but also treats fragrances like colors on a palette. So cool…
There are no wrong choices on the fragrant journey but there can be bad ones! It sounds like you want to go somewhere. I say Anima Dulcis from Arquiste for your next exploratory outing and M by Pure Distance and then go from there. Always buy AFTER you have experienced the dry down; so at least a day or a couple of visits later. The initial notes are seductive but fly away quickly often leaving a very different heart and dry down. Rose 31 by Le Labo is spicy and musky and very unique. Atelier’s Orange Sanguine could be your new daytime. Have Big Fun.
Oh how fun! I think you just gave me a reason for some focused exploration! Thank you, Jordan! 🙂
Hours of fun and you will never be unhappy again!
Okay – samples ordered! Now, wait… How exciting!
We finally got to meet the Non-Blonde’s husband! 🙂
Thank you for a great interview.
and thank you for reading Ines.
Hello, Jordan! I didn’t know you had a blog, and now I do it means that I have another to add to my daily reading. Loved this interview, and I think that Gaia and Ori are such a beautiful couple (with equally lovely cat children). My husband will be jealous of Ori’s fantastic perfume collection and its storage!
Welcome Jilliecat. Might be more like a weekly read but thank you for joining us on this fragrant journey. Lots of cats here today.
I loved reading this, Jordan. He seems like such a lovely chap. I already have some minimal knowledge of his perfume tastes as, the other day, I read at Gaia’s blog how much he hated the aldehydes in Serge Lutens La Myrrhe’s opening. (I quoted it and her comments, in fact, and thought to myself, “THERE is someone who shares my hatred of the bloody note!” Both he and I seemed to have keeled over at that brutal beginning. heh. ) It’s nice to learn more about his tastes and to see his collection. And, personally, I loved seeing his books as much as his perfume bottles. Very enjoyable read, all in all, Jordan, so thank you.
Lovely. I am not sure how it is possible but there is a new aldehyde (I thought the scale was finite) which I am sure your nose will find later in the year when it finds its way into upcoming releases. I will alert Ori too. Maybe this one will please you both? It is called geranaxal. I have changed my mind now about La Myrrhe; I want to smell it so I can discover your reaction to it.
The extent of my horror at a new, presumably more potent and toxic, aldehyde is only surpassed by what you told me the other day about a new, more potent and toxic ISO E Super formula. Words cannot describe how much the mere thought of it traumatizes me…. If only they’d label the perfumes which have it, so I could avoid what would undoubtedly be my personal version of olfactory Chernobyl. *sigh*
Loll; laughter and love. I can’t wait to hear your words on these two items at a later date.
You won’t hear words, Jordan. I shall be curled up in a foetal position, sobbing, and rocking back and forth like a crazy person. 😉
With my luck, they will make a perfume that combines La Myrrhe’s opening with the new aldehyde and a sonic boom of the new, lethal ISO E Super. I will have no warning, will take one sniff, and…. promptly fall into a catatonic coma.
And it’s name shall be called La Nobyl.
I just choked on my coffee at that. Absolutely hilarious, Jordan. I bow down to your fabulous wit! *grin*
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oh what a wonderful interview, Jordan. Thank you! And I want to ask Ori what he thought of “A Tale for the Time Being”? It was one of my absolute favorite reads lately.
He was a great study. Thank you for zoomin’ in BloodyFrida. Charmed. I will look up the book for a tale for this weekend.
Your interview and post brought lots of good conversation on this page – thank you, Jordan!
I loved it. Such a sensitive, original and thoughtful book. I was surprised that reviews in the US were lukewarm. It was great to see it on the short list for the Booker.
If you haven’t read her previous books, My Year of Meats is hilarious. All Over Creation is OK. A bit on the preachy side.
Ori! We were just talking about your bookshelf. Has it been illuminated yet by the Kiwi Eleanor Catton with The Luminaries? It’s a gold rush story. Big, thick and dense; loving it.
The Signature of All Things is great. I reviewed it on Twitter as “Eat, Pray, Read: The Signature of All Things is a zoetic novel with the salty taste of tomorrow morning.”
Happy Reading.
Added to my ‘to read’ list!
Hey Ori! Thanks so much for replying.. And oh so glad you loved it too! “My Year of Meats” was hilarious – and scary, I have to say. Haven’t read AOC yet. Will have to add some of your books on your shelf to my Goodreads list. (I love talking books). Thanks again!
What is your good name on Good Reads?
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/214838-carol
🙂
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Interesting to define one’s marriage as being married to ‘the non-blonde’, I am fairly certain it was said playfully.
lol, that refers to his more famous wife whose website is named The Non-Blonde.
Funny.
While I was at the site, I noticed that former ‘Victoria’s Angel’, and I must say: do your roots girl! Either go blonde or not; no yucky roots showing. Especially for such a high profile personality. I think her name is, Heidi Klum.
Yes that was Heidi. I saw that post too and thought too much cleavage.
Indeed, too much cleavage – especially for a phoney boob job.