Layertuitive is an exhibition that explores the modern ritual of layering scents by Emirati men and women. This is done by applying a variety of fragrances to their skin and attire to create a personalised scent they can call their own. The neologism Layertuitive is an adjective which was defined by the project’s creative team as “layering what one feels to be natural and true with conscious reasoning.”
The ritual of layering scents is becoming a major trend among young Emiratis, who are passionate users of fragrances. It reflects the importance of scents in communicating their uniqueness and individuality. Layertuitive was created to reveal the innate olfactive wisdom of a connoisseur user and to illustrate the intuitive nature of a creative process that is shaping today’s scent market in the UAE and beyond.
Layertuitive focuses on the unique and personal olfactive world of five selected Emiratis, including three women and two men. It comprises 10 scents created exclusively for these individuals by MANE Dubai resident perfumers Arturetto Landi and Elisabeth Maier. The bespoke scents were created for each individual after conducting in-house visits and lengthy interviews.
The perfumers were inspired by the personal collection of fragrances each individual owned and the layering recipes and rituals they followed. In addition to the 10 bespoke scents, the exhibition presented the 27 Layers used to create them. The design of the space allowed visitors to interact and connect each Scent to the layers constructing it.
The installation of this exhibition was designed by the Emirati architectural firm LOCI architecture+design to reflect the concept of ‘Creating by Layering’. Contrasting the complex, rich and textured nature of the final creations, the exhibition design was minimal yet effective, using aluminium frames and acrylic material. The physical context of the exhibit captured the very nature of constructing with fragrances to build ephemeral olfactive realities.
The exhibition took place in the MANE Dubai business lounge during the BeautyWorld exhibition held in Dubai from May 14th to 16th, exclusively for invited MANE regional clients.