An item that causes much curiosity in the office of FANTASTIC MAN is this bottle of fragrance of unknown provenance. The label on it reads GRAVEL: A MAN’S COLOGNE, and in the bottle is some actual gravel. There is no other marking or logo to say where it is from. For such a gritty name, the scent itself is surprisingly powdery and warm, like the memory of something a grandfather would have worn. For whatever reason, the member of staff who owns this bottle has absolutely no recollection of where it came from, or from how long ago. It is quite the most extraordinary fragrance, and would be a perfect recommendation if only it were possible to state where it could be purchased. If any reader can shed any light on its origins, please feel free to reply and provide enlightenment on this interesting issue.
11 Responses to “THE UNKNOWN FRAGRANCE”
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oh wow…
It’s supposed to be a men’s scent from 1957. I heard that you can purchase the NEW Gravel in Germany. They do not sell the old one anymore and it is carried in a different bottle. Good luck and I hope that you find out more.
From Basenotes: “Called the 800 number posted by Howard and to my surprise, spoke to the gentleman who actually mixed this formula almost 50 years ago. He got his big break with it when Dave Garoway interviewed him on the Today Show. He named it Gravel so that men would not fear wearing a “cologne” (not as popular a thing as today). I ordered a bottle ($45 I think) and looks and smells exactly as it did when I first used it 35 years ago. It’s worth the call just for the interesting conversation with its inventor!”
Cool huh?
This mysterious cologne strikes me as slightly fantastic, yes…
But also surreal like a satire, Francesco Vezzoli-style, no?
-Will
http://www.aTreasuryOf.com
See Peter Levin’s “Gravel”
http://www.ausliebezumduft.de/kosmetik_produkte.php?products_id=1189
Fantastic!
I love the look of the bottle and want some of this stuff but what is dealio? Do I need to go to New York, Germany or 1957 to find it?
Manifique
Whoa, this is intriguing!
You can purchase this in San Francisco at Jaqueline Perfumery on 103 Geary Street right next door to Neiman Marcus in Union Square…