Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Dolce & Gabanna Rose The One: new fragrance and its pretty face

The One fragrance franchise is introducing its little progeny as soon as Rose The One hits counters exclusively at Saks next week (the fragrance will get wider, international distribution later on).

The yummy 24-year old Scarlet Johansson, D&G muse and the face of their makeup collection, is “the person that represents actual femininity most in this world,” (Dolce's quote, not mine, to WWD) and will front the campaign for the flanker, taking the baton from Gisele Budchen for The One. The print ads are shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Scarlett was ecsstatic when she told People that Mondino “captured all of a woman’s graces, our quiet moments. That to me, is what makes this campaign so special, and it feels wonderful to have been a part of the collaboration”. Who can argue that the end result is pretty?
Fittingly Johansson is seductively (yet also romantically) "poured in" a custom-made, curve-hugging Dolce & Gabbana pink tulle dress. The typical for Johansson pose (accentuating the waist, baring the shoulders, pursing the lips) suggests lounging on a posh bedroom while her hair is changed into strawberry blonde to reinforce the rose-hued effect that name would suggest.


Coming to think of this, it was only the other day when I was questioning (in a comment to a friend's blog) the sagacity of marketing something fragrant in "rose" parlance, because to a young generation of perfume buyers rose can so often stand for "old lady" (No matter it is mixed in almost everything and most people don't discern it in the formula; such is the corruption our noses have suffered in this sanitized and techno-monopolised world, sadly). Thus naming the newest flanker to The One with the perfectly visible "Rose" moniker has me curious to its reception. I believe they're going on the visual strength of their muse, Scarlett Johansson, probably the best thing in young and feminine curvaceousness ideals since Beatrice Dall and those Alessi pepper mills. And there are several other fragrances which have the "rose" tag in the name (Rock n'Rose by Valentino anyone? Off the top of my head) while still appealing to a younger clientelle.
Predictably the fragrance sounds like a foregone conclusion with its berry-ish fruity top, clean heart of flowers and sweet base. Still, I am eager to see how this will play out commercially, especially in the huge American market. The D&G Anthology collection (issued this year) hasn't been very impressive according to reports so far.

Notes for D&G Rose The One:
black currant, pink grapefruit, mandarin, lily of the valley, rose, litchi, peony, Madonna lily, along with ambrette seed, sandalwood, musk and vanilla.

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One will be available in 30ml/1oz, 50ml/1.7oz and 75ml/2.5oz bottles of Eau de Parfum.

Pic via style.com

12 comments:

  1. Once again another great article! After hearing about this perfume, I too was curious about its reception due to the use of “rose” in the title. I'll admit it, I'm in the younger "yuck this has rose a note in it" crowd, but not due to the fear of smelling like an old lady, ha. Out of my collection, I think the only rose fragrance I have is YSL Baby Doll, which happens to share a few of the same notes (currant, grapefruit, and a wood note) and also markets to the younger crowd. I'm rather curious to smell this one soon and I also like the ad.

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  2. Thanks Jamie!

    I seem to share your difficulty with rose, frankly because so often roses are treated the toilet freshener type in perfumes!
    BD is very popular, it's upbeat and a little kitsch in a nice way. You should give Rose Ikebana from the Hermes boutique collection a whirl, it's similar and a little more elegant.

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  3. Being a rose scent-lover myself i wondered about the same, i admit. As many seem to be deterred by the "R-word". Still, with the mentioned Valention and flankers, Rose Essentielle by Bulgari, Flora by Gucci having a strong rose accent , the expanding Stella/flankers line and the new YSL Parisienne yet6 to come there are a lot of "new roses" on the market. I personally think that people still connotate a rose with romanticism and love and that also men, who often buy perfumes for their loved ones perceive a rose scent a s a symbol. Also a nostalgia or desire for more love and peace and happiness might be reasons for the "new romantics".... just musing.
    What a nice pic that is! Reminds me a bit of the colourings/fabrics of the JPG classique campaign (this one, too, contains rose..:!) As i like the "clasic" The One, only explored it this year, i might not fall in love with the flanker so fast because it is the white-lily-sweetness and slight bitterness of a fig's skin that i adore in The One.

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  4. N,

    hi there!!

    Your exaplnation of the symbolic stance of rose and the reversion into romanticism might have a lot to do with the many "rose" infused scents, even if they don't always proclaim so in their name. I think you have a point!
    And yes, the colour scheme does recall the JPG Classique campaign. I thought that one was rather too sweet though, not really rosy.

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  5. the original 'the one' is one of the guilty pleasures of my perfume collection. i bought it on a whim on the way to Austria because somehow, shock horror, I had forgotten any perfume. I wore it all the time I was there despite there being some better vintage stuff available. I haven't really worn it since but I am fond of it because it smells of that time.

    the rose version looks like a nice fragrance with a gorgeous campaign.

    i still think the name the one is pretty dire though

    ReplyDelete
  6. K,

    how very interesting!! I love it when a journey is associated with one single perfume, it instantly transports you back when you get a whiff of it later on, doesn't it?
    Austria is a fab destination anyway. I am sure you had a grand time.

    The campaign for this one is completely gorgeous, I admit. It's sooo pretty. I am not so sure about the scent, but will try it when it comes out I guess. And 100% agree on the name: it's rather...ironic.

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  7. Re: Yes, you are right, JPG classique: the EdT is rather sweet/vanillic with a neroli part but the EdP (just as sweet...) has a stronger rose accord.
    Btw also the JPG campaign was shot by Mondino.
    Greetings
    lillie

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  8. Peggy08:36

    I want this dress...:).Hope the perfume is also so feminine as the promoting photo...

    ReplyDelete
  9. N,

    very correct you are! I hadn't really differentiated between concentrations, but it's not unheard of. And Mondino, well, he's Mondino (love his work!!)

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  10. P,

    that dress is fabulous, it's true. Not very practical, perhaps, but who cares? Don't know about the scent corresponding to the image, but the image is very promising. They had a bingo moment with it!

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  11. I just bought Rose the One at sephora about 2months ago, and the problem i have with it is that it doesn't spray! I can't spray anything out, i dont know why it's doing this, does anyone have a solution. Maybe there's a problem with the nozzle? Feel free to email me if you have a solution!! iamkat8p@gmail.com

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  12. Katherine
    Sephora takes anything back...just got and exchange it for another one and enjoy.

    ReplyDelete

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