The interest that the Perfume Academy has managed to arouse in society marked the attendance of numerous personalities who did not miss the event, from some of the main political representatives of the world of culture to senior representatives of the Ministries of Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the CEOE in Europe and cultural references such as the Prado Museum, the Royal Botanical Garden, the Spanish Theatre, the Círculo Fortuny or the SIPC (Société Internationale des Parfumeurs-Créateurs), among others.
Among the well-known faces of artists and the Academy's Art and Culture jury were Antonio Najarro himself, dancer and choreographer; the businesswomen Xandra Falcó and Nuria March; the gallery owner Topacio Fresh; the writer Espido Freire; the actresses Natalia Verbeke, Belén Écija and Lucía Díez; the singers Carolina Moyano and Ana Legazpi of the group Marlena, as well as Blanca Paloma; the chef Ramón Freixa; the director of the Spanish theatre Eduardo Vasco; the Paralympic athlete Sara Andrés; journalists such as Jesús Mª Montes-Fernández, director of Flash Moda and Mariló Montero; the architect Javier Pioz, the sculptor Teresa Esteban, the sociologist and writer Pedro Mansilla, as well as some forty expert beauty journalists representing the press jury and relevant perfumers ‘noses’ such as the Perfume Academicians Alberto Morillas, who came from Switzerland, Ramón Monegal, Nuria Cruelles, Ane Ayo, Gregorio Sola, Agustí Vidal, Jérôme Di Marino and Luz Vaquero and Merit Academicians such as doctors Laura López Mascaraque and Adriana Izquierdo; Charo Izquierdo and Lola Gavarrón.
Among the artists in the show, the director Carolina África, author of the lyric prose and script, the guitarist Jose Luis Montón, the violinist Thoma Potiron and the singer María Mezcle, as well as the dancers Lidia Gómez, Celia Ñacle, Alejandra de Castro, Cristina Carnero, María Fernández, Daniel Ramos, Álvaro Brito, Álvaro Madrid, Ethan Soriano, the repeating ballet teacher África Paniagua and the voice of the gala, Marta Plana.
ABSOLUTE. Olfactory families in dance, by Antonio Najarro
Applause and great admiration defined the staging that the Perfume Academy organised for its XVII awards ceremony 2024, with the creative direction of Antonio Najarro with ‘ABSOLUTO. Las familias olfativas en danza’ in the historic Teatro Albéniz renovated as Umusic hotel in Madrid, a unique audiovisual show fusing perfume and dance, with live music and projections.
The performance aroused deep emotions and a rousing applause at the end. Perfume, like dance, transports us to multisensory universes that make us travel and dream, olfactory poetry that takes on rhythm and movement. Six dances with rhythms, projections and costumes immersed the spectators in the different olfactory families of the perfume: citrus, fougère and chypre, woody, oriental amber, floral, gourmand and gourmand.
Recently, the Academy announced that Antonio Najarro's brilliant talent, his values and his connection with perfume made him the ideal and extraordinary collaborator to make the challenge of a new gala that would thrill and delight through dance and the perfume families a reality. To this end, they have been working together for months to fit together the pieces of a fascinating puzzle in which dance, script, live musicians, costumes, lights and projections will enhance the masterful show.
During the course of the different dances, it was time to present the awards to the ‘top’ perfumes and to reveal the winners:
- Men's Perfume of the Year: Gentleman Society EDP by Givenchy.Perfumer: Maïa Lernout and Karine Dubreuil.
- Women's Perfume of the Year: Un Jardin à Cythère by Hermès. Perfumer: Christine Nagel.
- Niche Perfume: Eau The Audacity by Penhaligon's. Perfumer: Dominique Ropion.
- Collection Perfume: Dioriviera by Christian Dior. Perfumer: Francis Kurkdjian.
- Home Perfume: Summer Rain by Byredo. Perfumer: Jérôme Epinette.
- Men's Iconic: 4711 EDC by Mäurer & Wirtz. Perfumer: Wilhelm Müelhens.
- Women's Iconic: Opium by YSL Beauty. Perfumer: Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac.
- Men's Lifestyle: Bold Instinct by David Beckham. Perfumer: Jean-Christophe Hérault.
- Women's Lifestyle: Rojo by Shakira. Perfumer: Fanny Bal.
- Men's Design: Cryogène Code by Ladenac.
- Women's design: A Floral Verse, Alchemist's Garden Collection by Gucci.
- Men's campaign: Le Male Elixir by Jean Paul Gaultier.
- Women's campaign: LOEWE Botanical Rainbow Campaign 2023 by LOEWE Perfumes.
- Innovation and Sustainability: Todolí Citrus Fundació.
Val Díez highlighted the figure of Vicente Todolí, ‘I would like to highlight the importance of Vicente Todolí and his work in the world of culture. In addition to the preservation of citrus fruits in what was his grandfather's orchard, his trajectory with culture is commendable. Although close, he is a very important contemporary art curator who has directed museums and art centres at an international level such as the Tate Modern in London, he is an advisory member of the Botín Foundation, Doctor Honoris Causa by the UPV or Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, among many other awards’.
The president of the Perfume Academy, Juan Pedro Abeniacar, began the gala with his traditional speech in which he thanked the attendees, authorities, institutions, distribution, patrons and academics for their work, with mention of the juries and the support of the press, with a record number of sixty journalists on the jury. He wanted to acknowledge the work being done by the Perfume Academy, with Val Díez as Vice President and Cristina de Catalina as Director of Development, at the head of the foundation's team, and who have worked with Antonio Najarro, a great friend of the Academy, to make this year's gala a reality.