If you have ever heard of or read Marcel Proust “Remembrance of all Things Past” you are most likely also familiar with the famous passage where he recalls long-forgotten childhood memories from one tiny bite and smell of a madeleine cookie.
The first time I was invited into Janette Bower’s study, where her compositions come together, I was allowed to sample one of her perfumes in the making. Upon my first scent, I was immediately brought back to my own childhood; remembering my mother and her ever-present large purse where she kept various mysterious items such as a small flowery bottle of perfume, a tube of lotion and peppermint candy.
This is the power of the olfactory and in addition to being the sense most closely linked to memory, the smell is also highly emotive. The smell is extremely important when it comes to attraction between people. Kissing is in fact thought by some scientists to have developed from sniffing; that first kiss being essentially a primal behavior during which we smell and taste our partner to decide if they are a match.
Through a carefully selected combination of scents of flowers, resins, woods, and herbs Janette is narrating sensual stories about love, dreams, and first kisses; all the while teasing your own elusive memories and emotions to come alive.
I had the pleasure to meet and photograph Janette a sunny summer day surrounded by trees and mountains and lots and lots of flowers.
You can purchase Janette’s line of perfumes and beauty products, 58Flora – all which, of course, are of the highest quality, all-natural and ethically sourced, in her Apothecary and Wellness Center uptown Kingston, NY at 36 John Street.
About Helena Palazzi:
Helena Palazzi is Hudson Valley Style Magazine’s Photography and Fashion Editor and a freelance commercial and editorial photographer with roots in Sweden and Italy. She was born and raised in Sweden but spent many summers in Italy- her father’s native country- and eventually moved there to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. As a new graduate, she landed in NYC in 2000.
Helena was immediately drawn to the editorial and advertising world. Her desire for telling a “story” combined with her unique sense of imagery enabled her to pursue her photographic journey and successfully collaborate with world-renowned clients and creatives.
The mixture of her Scandinavian and Southern European roots are evident in her work: Sometimes amplified and dramatic and other times quiet and humble but always in search of beauty and uniqueness; even in the smallest details. Her style is timeless and elegant with a pinch of whimsical.
When Helena is not traveling she is dividing her time between Hudson Valley and NYC; invariably and passionately working alongside clients and shooting for personal projects and telling stories.
