A giant map of the world made entirely from fresh flowers has been installed at London Heathrow Airport.
The artwork highlights fragrance preferences from around the globe and celebrates the new season of fragrance, the airport said. It will be on display in Terminal 5 until 24 September.
The 11ft by 18ft map uses around 2,000 fresh flower stems and other curiosities, including raw amber stones and sandalwood. It was created by florist Larry Walshe whose clients include Stella McCartney, Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana.
The artwork is based on a new report which outlines both purchasing trends of passengers travelling through Heathrow, and wider fragrance behaviours from across the world. Each country in the map depicts the fresh scents that feature in the most-liked fragrances of different nations.
World Duty Free has created a limited-edition gift wrap inspired by the installation for passengers who purchase any fragrance during September. Managing Director Fred Creighton commented: “Our exclusive gift wrap by celebrated British artist Larry Walshe is the perfect way to present a fragrance to someone special.
“Our dedicated fragrance team as always will be on hand to help customers navigate our carefully curated selection of scents to ensure customers find the perfect match for themselves or a loved one.”
Heathrow stocks 3,405 fragrances across 104 brands, with more than 2.6 million bottles of perfume sold at the airport each year – translating to around five bottles every minute.
Heathrow Retail and Service Proposition Director Chris Annetts said the September offer featured both exclusives and new season fragrances. These include a new floral exclusive Tom Ford Vert Bohème and a new-season CK One Gold.
“We wanted to celebrate our amazing collection by bringing the scents to life and help our passengers better understand the fragrance notes they enjoy the most,” Annetts said. “Larry’s floral artwork is a fantastic way for people to explore new fragrances as well as enjoying their favourites when they fly with us.”
The installation includes what Heathrow said were the four key fragrance notes of the Autumn/Winter season: woody, fresh, oriental and floral. The most popular scents across the globe were: jasmine (28%), lavender (27%) rose (24%), vanilla (20%) and sandalwood (19%).
Purchasing habits
Here are some of the findings of Heathrow’s fragrance report:
- Two in five Germans (40%) are attracted to specific notes in a scent – the most among all countries.
- Nearly a quarter (22%) of Indians would choose a fragrance based on the designer.
- One in four (26%) Chinese are attracted to iconic fragrances because of their popularity.
- Only 2% of Brits choose a fragrance based on a celebrity endorsement.
- Nearly a quarter of Brits (22%) said certain fragrances evoked memories of a past lover.
- One in five British men (22%) wear fragrance to feel more desirable, while 34% of women say it makes them feel happy and boosts their confidence.
World Duty Free data also showed the most popular fragrances around the world:
USA
Gucci Bamboo, Dior Miss Dior, Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin
United Arab Emirates
Tom Ford Black Orchid, Guerlain Santal Roya, YSL Oriental Collection
Nigeria
Gucci Bamboo, YSL Black Opium, Dior Sauvage
China
Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia, Jo Malone Red Roses, Jo Malone Wild Bluebell
India
CK One, Davidoff Cool Water, Gucci Bamboo
Hong Kong
Dior Miss Dior, Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia, Jo Malone Red Roses
United Kingdom
Gucci Bamboo, Dior Miss Dior, Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir
Qatar
YSL Oriental Collection, Dior Sauvage, Giorgio Armani Prive Rose D’Arabie
Germany
Emporio ELLE, Boss FEMME, Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt
Kuwait
Guerlain Santal Royal, YSL Oriental Collection, Dior Sauvage
