I think those who read this blog regularly know how much I enjoy finding new perfumes. It is one of the things which keeps me going that sense of search. Even though I try I just keep ending up behind the curve of certain brands. There is one brand I keep finding out about because someone else is wearing or talking about it.
George Zaharoff
In 2006 I was told about Zaharoff pour Homme by a friend who told me it was the only perfume he owned. At the time I had never heard of it. Once I tried it, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of it. George Zaharoff was a men’s fashion designer who made classic men’s clothing. I knew of him because of my time in New York City. I had no idea he had made a men’s fragrance in 1999 called Zaharoff pour Homme. When my friend introduced me to it, I was impressed at the niche-quality construction in a mainstream release. Perfumer Claude Dir made a fantastic men’s Oriental which has remained one of my favorites since obtaining a bottle in 2011 when it re-launched. Zaharoff pour Homme is one of the most successful fusions of niche sensibility inside a mainstream framework.
Claude Dir
Now in 2019 I was going through a couple of my favorite vloggers on perfume and what do I see there is a new release; Zaharoff Signature pour Homme. It took me a couple of months to finally track down a sample. When I did, I had a bit of déjà vu as the same creative team of Mr. Zaharoff and M. Dir have again taken current niche trends and fused them into a mainstream style fragrance.
What is also quite nice about Zaharoff Signature pour Homme is it is a clear follow-up to Zaharoff pour Homme sharing a central axis of lavender, allspice and ginger, along with oud and sandalwood. Where it is very different is M. Dir adds in some newer trends to that foundation.
Lavender is used as the focal point of the top accord but this time M. Dir spears it with twin spicy prongs of black pepper and cardamom. These add a freshness to the lavender by teasing out the herbal quality. The transition to the heart comes via a precisely balanced iris it matches the lavender in intensity as the ginger and allspice make their return. The base accord become a paean to woods with some resinous depth thrown in. Sandalwood, oud accord, cedar, and balsam provide that sturdy masculine woody base loved by many.
Zaharoff Signature pour Homme has 12-14 hour longevity an average sillage.
Like Zaharoff pour Homme, Zaharoff Signature pour Homme is the kind of perfume for the man who only has a couple of bottles of perfume on his dresser. What sets it apart is Mr. Zaharoff and M. Dir know how to make that style of perfume smell just like it could be your signature scent, as well. I have enjoyed this new Zaharoff Signature pour Homme even though I am hopelessly behind the curve, again.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Nordstrom.
–Mark Behnke
Thank you so much for this beautiful review, Mark! You said it perfectly – and what Monsieur Dir did, again, was incredible. The original Zaharoff Pour Homme was made by Quest in 1998. As you can imagine, I have tried desperately to relaunch Zaharoff Pour Homme, the original, but for one reason or another, it wasn't meant to be. What you have was a limited-edition for the Zaharoff Oak Street Flagship. In 2018, when it the stars aligned, I went to call M. Dir, who had by now become a Chief Perfumer, and found out that Quest was purchased by Givaudan AND that M. Dir was no longer there. Also, the formulas for both the Pour Femme and Pour Homme were lost in the shuffle. Quest WROTE the formulas on index cards whereas Givaudan's are all on computers. This was a huge blow for me until I told myself to pull it together and try and find the ingredients/oils myself as well as locate M. Dir. I didn't trust anyone else for this specific scent.
It was such a challenge to find him, a year passed and I was talking to an old friend who is completely detatched from the fashion business. I was telling her how distrught I was that I couldn't find this perfumer. "What is his name?" she asked me, while waiting at the gate for a flight. "You won't know him, his name is Claude Dir," I responded. "My neighbor is very good friends with him!!! Wait! Hang up and wait!!" she said. Five minutes later while on the plane, my one year search was over, I was talking to THE Claude Dir. I couldn't believe it!
I love how you said that it becomes a part of the person wearing this fragrance. This is why I have always said that the wearer is the final stroke and THEN it becomes a masterpiece. It becomes a part of The Art of Living the Life of the Wearer, in this case, The Art of Mark.
Thank you again!