The Met in New York is world famous for its culture. Exhibitions, opera and the sheer spectacle of this landmark make it a beloved must-see in NYC. Back in 2015, The Met was to play host to an exhibition called China: Through the Looking Glass, showcasing the world’s early fascination with all things “Chinoiserie”, fragrance included. There was just one problem. Nobody could find the original 1913 fragrance Nuit de Chine from the Maison de Paul Poiret. More sleuthing unearthed the name of a young perfumer called Yuri Gutsatz who had been tasked with updating forty Poiret formulas just as WWII broke out. Yuri had preserved the original formula at the Osmotheque, (which he co-founded). Thanks to his foresight, visitors to the exhibition could smell 1913 Nuit de Chine as they visited China; Through The Looking Glass exhibition in 2015, over one hundred years later . You can read more here from the New York Times online article.
