The Tru Blooms Groundbreaking In Grant Park, Chicago. (Left to right) Karen Weigert, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago, Monte Henige, CEO of Tru Fragrance and Adam Schwerner, Director of Natural Resources at the Chicago Park District.
Tru Fragrance and The City of Chicago launched a one-of-a-kind community initiative to produce Tru Blooms Chicago First Harvest Limited Edition Eau de Parfum. The groundbreaking was on Tuesday June 5th on a half-acre garden in Grant Park. What a great concept – our own exclusive Chicago fragrance!
Tru Blooms Chicago is the first project of its kind where a city has come together to fulfill a mission of sustainability, urban beautification and job creation through the planting of flowers and gardens specifically for the development of a fragrance. The initiative will transform the city’s public and neighborhood green spaces into growing spaces for flowers whose distinctive, fragrant notes will be captured in a limited edition perfume.
Violets (the Illinois state flower), roses, lavender are being planted in gardens and flower beds throughout the city, including Chicago Botanic Garden’s Windy City Harvest, Green Youth Farm and Cook County Boot Camp urban agriculture programs; Growing Home’s Englewood garden; Water Tower Place and neighborhood gardens managed by NeighborSpace. Farmers employed through a combination of local nonprofits will cultivate the flowers throughout the growing season, culminating in the creation of a custom women’s fragrance infused with the flowers’ unique aromas.
Monte Henige, CEO of Tru Fragrance (left) with Tru Blooms gardeners in Grant Park
“We were inspired to give back to the city that has been home to Tru Fragrance for more than 40 years, and has nurtured our significant growth and success, through the creation of a perfume that belongs solely to Chicago and its citizens,” said Monte Henige, CEO and owner of Tru Fragrance. “We hope this first year initiative leads us to a sustainable program of annually growing, harvesting and producing a city grown perfume.”
The exclusive fragrance will be available in three sizes (15ml, 50ml and 100ml) and will retail for $15-$60. Tru Blooms Chicago will be offered in limited quantities at select Chicago-area retail locations and online at trubloomschicago.com beginning October 15, 2012, and is available for pre-orders online in August 2012. The fragrance will make a great gift, or souvenir from our great city, and you can collect them from year-to-year!
For more information visit Tru Blooms Chicago, and learn more about Tru Fragrance at trufragrance.com or facebook.com/TruFragrance.
– Carol Calacci
Photos: Ross Dettman/AP Images for Tru Fragrance
