An arresting scent
Back in the early 1980s, Topper Shroeder was just a consumer on a mission — to find a cologne he could wear with pride, but without irritating the skin or asthmatic reactions. A personable maverick in the music and recording business, Topper’s failure to find that fragrance in men’s counters in department stores had him deciding to personally develop that dream scent for his own use. Out of such frustration, and then stubbornness, was Gendarme born. Looking for a macho French moniker to christen the scent, a friend of Topper’s suggested Gendarme — a French policeman — so they could eventually market the dream cologne as “the arresting new scent for men!”
Call it kismet, but the fragrance was an instant hit — and the surprising thing was, it gained popularity even among women, breaking down the barrier that this was a scent exclusively for men. Footballer Marcus Allen, Tom Cruise, Hugh Grant, Dustin Hoffman, Rod Stewart, Kevin Garnett, Charles Barkley, even former US President Bill Clinton — they’re all users of the scent. Debra Messing, Brooke Shields, Dolly Parton, Sharon Stone and Janet Jackson have also joined the Gendarme bandwagon. And these personalities and celebs aren’t endorsers but friends of Topper, or enthusiastic patrons of his line, having entered Topper’s establishment.
The perfume’s signature scents are made of top notes — lime, orange blossom, lemon, basil and verbena; blended with middle notes of lavender, lemon balm, ginger flower; and bottom notes of lilac, jasmine, tonka bean and bergamot, fruity/floral and yet masculine, while avoiding the heavy musk notes so it can still be considered unisex! There’s also a Gendarme skin care product line that prides itself on being very natural, light and imbued with the signature scent, while still being effective. Exclusively sold at Rustan’s, Gendarme’s president, Jonathan Risco, was in Manila recently. It’s largely through his marketing expertise that Gendarme has made the transition from California “cult classic,” to industry bellwether and trendsetter.
Master class
Well established as among today’s most important fiction writers, Australian Peter Carey, the very English Martin Amis and American literary Brat Pack-er Bret Easton Ellis all have new novels. And we’re happy to report that it’s back to form for Amis and Ellis; while Carey’s take on early 19th century America is easily one of his best!
The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis: A good friend got this for me when she was abroad, and as it’s one of Amis’ best novels, am really hoping it gets picked up by the local bookstores. It’s 1970 and the sexual revolution has begun in earnest. The novel is about young lives swept by a sea of change, the departing social order, and how before the new order sets in, we’re in a period that’s described as a “pregnant widow.” Our protagonist is Keith, and he’s about to spend a summer holiday in an Italian castle with two nubile girls, Lily and Scheherazade. Things get complicated when Gloria, fiancee of one of their common friends also arrives. It’s the era of narcissism, and the price paid is seen as we follow Keith’s life all the way to 2009. An exhilarating read!
Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey (available at Fully Booked): This is Peter Carey at the peak of his “powers,” and if you’ve read his Oscar & Lucinda or his True History of the Kelly Gang, you’ll know exactly what I mean. An improvisation on the life of de Tocqueville in America in the 1830s, we’re treated to a rich tapestry of the sights, sounds and smell of America in that era. As foil to the French aristocrat Olivier, we have Parrot, an orphan from England, son of a hired printer. The two are constantly at odds with each other, and we follow them as they fall in love, discover America, and argue for and against democracy. There are subplots involving Parrot’s one-armed patron, the Marquis de Tilbot, and Olivier’s parents. Historical fiction of a different order!
Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis (available at National Bookstore): Along with Jay McInerney and Tama Janowitz, Bret Easton Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack of the 1980s, Ellis for his prophetic, nihilist novel, Less Than Zero. With Imperial Bedrooms, we get the same characters from Zero, but 25 years on. Clay is a Hollywood scriptwriter, ex-girlfriend Balir is married to Trent, an influential manager, and Julian is still around, up to no good. As Ellis writes about Rip, the drug dealer turned club mogul, on his innumerable facelifts — “eyes shocked open in perpetual surprise, a face mimicking a face.” The plot basically revolves around Clay, as he gets involved with wannabe actress Rain, and the shady goings-on that permeate “rotten at the core” Hollywood.
