“A slightly faded photo shows two young men on their trip to Benares, India. Both have long hair, centre partings, and are smiling happily in their colourful outfits. They returned with small glass bottles filled with a dense, dark oil…”
Of eastern origin and known since antiquity, patchouli - from patchai ellai, “green leaf” - is a Labiatae, a close relation of mint, sage, basil and lavender, once used by silk merchants as a moth repellent. Patchouli arrived in the West via the caravan trains. But for many years, no one dreamt of using it as a perfume. It was the revolutionary pacifists of the 1960s who chose Patchouli for its calming properties, turning it into an essence that revealed new states of consciousness. Today we can only retrace these stories and journeys through our memories. With a touch of nostalgia.
