As someone who’s loved and appreciated fragrance since the age of four, I am thrilled that scent is now finally getting respect as a true artistic medium at the Museum of Arts and Design, with Chandler Burr’s phenomenal exhibit The Art of Scent 1889-2012. You can fairly hear the collective whisper across the perfume universe – it’s about time! And that perfumers are now recognized as artists makes me supremely happy.

On Monday night I attended the pre-opening party at MAD, an amazing cacophony of sensorial delights. Mr. Burr chose 11 fragrances as stellar examples of the evolution of perfumery, from Aime Guerlain’s Jicky (1889), on to Chanel No. 5 (1921), Thierry Mugler’s Angel (1992), Prada Amber (2004), and Martin Margiela’s Untitled (2010). Also included were perennial Burr favorites Issey Miyake’s L’Eau d’ Issey, Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue, and Givenchy’s L’Interdit.