Annick Goutal Musc Nomade: fragrance review & draw

It wouldn't be an overstatement to claim that Musc Nomade By Annick Goutal is an exceptional piece of perfumery and among musk fragrances it really stands apart, poised between the crossroads of animalic and clean, defined by neither, or -better yet- interpreting both qualities in equal measure to the point you forget about classifications and just revel in its chiaroscuro sensuality. If pressed, I'd say it's a "vegetal musk". And it is.


Musc Nomade (2008) is the fourth addition in the Les Orientalistes line which was introduced with Ambre Fétiche, Myrrhe Ardent and Encens Flamboyant. The inspiration of the scents was said to be the smells of the harem and perfumer Isabelle Doyen masterfully wove in sensuous, denser whiffs in the familiar fabric of gauze that runs through the Goutal brand, thus marrying two antithetical elements: opulence and transparency. Annick Goutal was already enchanted by the sophistication of musc devotees, the Qatar Princesses, who bathed their bodies and hair in a divine blend of musk powder and rose essence, and fragranced their rooms by burning oud wood. She dreamed of capturing the aphrodisiac effect of this material reputed to stir the senses and hold men captivated... Camille Goutal, the next in line after Annick's passing, decided to do an ecological musk and with the help of Isabelle Doyen they defied convention in that they produced a vibrant, lightly "animalic" musk without the use of animal-derived products.

To do that Isabelle Doyen employed Muscone, a very refined -and costly- ingredient which is the odorous principle of natural deer musk, married with the natural macrocyclic musks (see relevant article) present in angelica root (containing 12-methyl-13-tridecanolide and Exaltolide) and ambrette seeds. The artistry lies in manipulating raw materials which are difficult to handle: Angelica root essence is musty, with a note of bitters and the liquid emulsifies in alcohol dilution making the mixture cloudy like a glass of pastis. Nevertheless, Doyen managed to bypass all these problems and the juice is perfectly clear with an aromatic top note that singes the nose hairs most delightfully the way a good gin does, to unfold later on a dirty, pleasantly "skanky" ambience that recalls the smooth fur of Muscs Kublai Khan by Lutens and the cozy sex-on-the-haystack feel of L'Air de Rien by Miller Harris.

Smelling Musc Nomade you're left with the impression that it is topless; in both senses of the word: It feels natural, bien dans sa peau, quite nude, and at the same time like it misses those frills routinely put in to jolt the customer into paying attention. On the contrary, Musc Nomade insinuates like a murmur in the ear late at night or minimalist tunes on harmonics-series instruments. The rosiness (reminiscent of the Lutens floralcy in his own musk oeuvre) is an illusion rendered through the facets of Bombay wood, furling and unfurling thanks to a herbal-sweet note like patchouli. Musc Nomade is individual and defies any familiarity one has of drugstore musks, eschewing the sweet vanilla and sandalwood warmth for the "dirtiness" of labdanum, an almost animalic plant raw material, and for a woody backdrop that is very appealing and fit for both sexes. It can be layered effortlessly under the other Orientalistes scents in the collection or practically under any other fragrance.
Its individual character and unassuming sensuality put it in my top 5 choices for musk fragrances.

For our readers, a draw for a decant of Musc Nomade! Leave a comment to enter. Draw open till Sunday midnight.

Notes for Annick Goutal Musc Nomade:
Muscone, white musk stemming from angelica root and ambrette seed, tonka beans, labdanum, Bombay wood (a papyrus variety)

Musc Nomade circulates in Eau de Parfum concentration in two bottle designs (depicted) with exactly the same scent (same as with all the Orientalistes!): One is the feminine ribbed bottle, the other the sleek rectangular masculine one with gold accents. I personally find the somber lines of the masculine design with the lovely arabesque motifs in the labels more fitting this line of enigmatic scents.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Annick Goutal news & reviews, Scented Musk-eteers: musk fragrances reviews




Clip from the film Il Ventre dell'Architetto by Peter Greenaway, Struggle for pleasure by Wim Mertens.

The winner of the draw...

...for the Lutens decant is Perfumaniacs Anonymous. Congratulations! Please email me with your data using the contact email in the profile at the right, so I can have this out to you soon.
Thanks to everyone for their participation and till the next one!

Annick Goutal Distribution in USA Under BPI Aegis

Great news for US fans of the Annick Goutal line of pretty and interesting fragrances! After a problematic distribution which resulted in unsubstantiated rumours of discontinuing the line across the pond, Beauté Prestige International has announced (and it has been broadcast on several venues) that their USA branch will be marketing and distributing the brand themselves under an exclusive agreement.



Previously the Goutal line of fragrances, skincare, home scents and candles was carried at select doors including Barney's, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Several products however were out of stock for a long time in the past year, raising concerns. The explanation was simple, as stated in simple terms by The Non Blonde. Now we learn even more details. "BPI spokesperson Jessica Barlow told CosmeticsDesign.com USA that for the last 9 months Annick Goutal has been handling the distribution of its products in the US from its Paris headquarters. BPI will maintain the current distribution channel, said Barlow, which currently stands at approximately 150 prestige stores".
The Goutal brand, founded in 1980 by former model and pianist Annick Goutal herself and with a strong personal streak running through the creations, was associated with the Taittinger group and by extension with Baccarat crystal in 1985. After the death of Annick in 1999 Brigitte Taittinger entrusted Camille Goutal (one of Goutal's daughters) and Isabelle Doyen, Annick's perfumer since 1988 with the continuation of the brand, which materialised admirably. The Goutal company was acquired by the Starwood Capital Group in September 2005, alongside the whole Taittinger Group. And now, another change.
May I remind you that the Parisian-based mother company, Beauté Prestige International, are handling the Shiseido and Lutens portfolio with great results so far. And the USA branch is also handling the distribution of parfums Hermes in the States. Also included in the company’s portfolio are fragrances from Issey Miyake, Jean Paul Gaultier and Narcisco Rodriguez. So it all worked out for the best!

According to Forbes: "Over the past three decades, the name Annick Goutal has become virtually synonymous with the very highest level of quality and luxury in the realm of lifestyle fragrances," says Nicholas Munafo, President of Beaute Prestige International USA. "The perfumery house has consistently raised the bar with each successive launch, solidifying its position as a leading creator of artisanal scents, while faithfully maintaining the traditions so integral to its core values. BPI's proven strategy of growing distinctive, high-end fragrance brands in limited distribution channels seems a natural fit for Annick GoutalParfums, and we are well-positioned to maximize the brand's significant potential in the US market."
According to Brigitte Taittinger, President of Annick Goutal, "Since the creation of the brand, the US market has always been our first export market. Our distribution, very selective since the beginning, is a reflection of our brand positioning. We have total trust in the 'know how" of BPI USA to support the development of Annick Goutal in the states, respectful of our image and specificities".

The new distribution agreement will be effective as of July 1st, 2010.

Photo of Goutal boutique by the helpful Lianne Tio in the Netherlands.

M.Micallef Royal Muska: fragrance review

Royal Muská is a relative newcomer in the game of musk fragrances, being issued by niche brand M.Micallef in as recently as 2008, yet it has gained something of a cult status already, thanks to its cloudy soft, warmish personality, with a gentle sheen like mother-of-pearl and a ray or two of the sun hidden in there.

Fragrantica describes it as "the fragrance of tanned skin, of hot days and sultry nights" and classifies it under "fruity floral". How can a musk be tropical, you ask? Well, with the suffusion of salicylates, molecules naturally present in ylang ylang essence, of which perfumer Martine Micallef made ample use. The effect is like a delectable whiff of baked skin, almost amber-ed over with a hint of Ambre Solaire suntan lotion, but only a little. It's also rather soapy (rosy aldehydic), especially when smelled at an arm's length rather than up close, yet without any harsh alcaline edges or lily-of-the-valley "clean" vibe. Yes, it's a clean, white musk, but not quite. The best way I could describe it is "hazy", puffy-pillowy and honeyed sweetish, a real skin-scent.
Then again you might heed Katie Puckrick's warning if you're averse to musks in general, who says "on paper it seems like the kind of thing I'd dig. But I don't. It bugs me. Seems a little rank, like the inside of my friend from 6th grade’s not-very-clean house". In fragrance parlance, this is often associated with "mature" scents and I guess it is, somewhat, although it certainly lacks the complexity of old blends which incorporated musk as a supporting actor rather than the protagonist.

Royal Muská comes as an Eau de Parfum and is usually referred to as Royal Muska, the accent omitted in oversimplification, so don't get alarmed if you find it with either spelling online. More feminine than unisex, although theoretically it could be carried by both sexes. And caveat emptor regarding possible musk anosmia just like with Musc Bleu by Il Profumo applies here as well. The rectangular bottle is impressive and luxurious, even better looking than the round Micallef ones.

Notes for M.Micallef Royal Muská:
Ylang ylang, rose, white musks, precious woods, fruit notes, crystal musk and benzoin.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Musk Series (ingredients & cultural history), Scented Musketeers: Musk fragrances reviews.


Photo from the Greek film Mantalena, 1960, starring Aliki Vougiouklaki and Dimitris Papamichael.

Chrstina Hendricks Loves Some Manly Smell!

In the new issue of Esquire magazine, in a column devoted to 'Mad Men' beauty Christina Hendricks, the real-woman's-body champion dares to tell men what she really thinks about them: 'We love your body. If we're in love with you, we love your body. Your potbelly, everything,' Hendricks writes in 'A Letter to Men.'
'Speaking of your body, you don't understand the power of your own smell. Any woman who is currently with a man is with him partly because she loves the way he smells.'
We're hanging from your every word, dear Christina...

Il Profumo Musc Bleu: fragrance review

Among "white musk" fragrances which are reminiscent of clean laundry off the line, Musc Bleu by Il Profumo is among the best, eschewing the metallic screechiness present in other white musks and possessing a baby soft silkiness making it extremely popular, like an wide-eyed, amiable ingénue at a Vienesse ball would be. If it weren't for that latter element, Joan Crawford might be scrubbing her fingernails with the stuff, in a fit of cleanliness ritualistic mania after a wire hanger episode. But you see, Musc Bleu is softly voiced, not harsh. Ever. Childlike in its softness, yet cool. It's almost "ice-princess" like, yet with a hint of sensuality, like Estella in Alfonso Cuarón's version of Great Expectations. But not much, beyond a naughty kiss.

Musc Bleu was created by the Italian brand Il Profumo and the perfumer Silvana Casoli in 2004. There is a European feel about it, no doubt, as it avoids the mall associations and the dense, heavy feel of most musks found there, as well as the pervading, cut-through-the-air sharpeness some of them in the "white musk" camp possess (aimed at cutting through the mall smells of cinnamon rolls and candied popcorn emanating from the multiramas).
The tradition of Eau de Cologne underscored with musk for its lasting power is ingrained in the Mediterranean basin and people react well to those undefinable base notes, so it doesn't surprise me that this is an Italian product.
Personally, I have little use for such an opaline musk, unless I had been stranded on a deserted island on which the givens of civilization were severely compromised and I needed to create distractions that would fool me into believing I'm in less hardship than I would really be in. Nevertheless, I cannot deny its wearability and "easy", polished feel which accounts for its tremendous appeal to those hankering after "clean" smells reminiscent of dryer sheets, yet without any allegiance to "drugstore musks". Or those who are in favour of "scent layering", a process in which one sprays a "base" fragrance underneath a second one which is more nuanced and in a different style. Musc Bleu would be the perfect canvas, exactly because it's so pliable to just about any other material coupled with it. Again, not my thing, but I can see how others would like it a lot.

The scent of Musc Bleu doesn't reveal floral facets ~beyond a hint of ylang ylang and the "scrubbed" aldehyde that stands as cyclamen~ like most "white musks" do (refer to our article on types of musk). Instead it has a delicate powdery and soapy feel which is girlish, comfortable and dicreet. It oscillates between a tonic freshness and cozy warmth, which bridges the gap that several musk fragrances create, veering as they do to either one or the other direction. It wouldn't be out of place in the office or the seat right beside at the underground and it fits well in the evenings as well, if you're after an innofensive smell which will be detected only when you hug someone. In fact, I bet several people might be anosmic to it, due to its lightness. Musk anosmia is a phenomenon common with people, as musks are just about the maximum size of molecules a nose can handle, so perfumers routinely use a couple of different musky ingredients (please refer to our article) to combat that. Still, there are people who have an "umbrella effect" anosmia. For those, something else might break through. For the rest, it is a light musk, don't expect anything potent.
Even though Musc Bleu seems light and vanishing into skin in about an hour, it doesn't disappear. It becomes a "skin scent" (a scent that feels like your own skin) with a very satisfactory lasting power if you lean closer. The concentration is described as "parfum" by the company (denoting concentrated essences), but it reads as a lasting Eau de Parfum to me. There is a pronounced reminiscence with Musc Blanc by Les Bains du Marais, another clean musk which doesn't read as "metallic", yet the latter is a little more expensive and to my experience a little less lasting.

Two versions are available by Il Profumo, Musc Bleu and Musc Bleu Absolu Osmo. Between the two, the Absolu is richer, fuller with a silkier feel to my nose, probably due to the abcence of alcohol in the formula. Please note the latter doesn't come in a spray, but as a splash or dab on. Available at Luckyscent and First in Fragrance and also as of this minute, at a nice discount, on Amazon on this link.

Notes for Il Profumo Musc Bleu:
Neroli, black geranium, ylang-ylang, cyclamen, musk, oakmoss, woods, white sandalwood.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Musk Series (ingredients & cultural history), Scented Musketeers: Musk fragrances reviews.

Photo La Ribambelle by anonymous.

Amouage Opens London Boutique (& Gives a Gift!)

Amouage is delighted to announce the opening of the new flagship store in 14 Lowndes St at Knightsbridge, London on Friday, 25th June.
"We are launching the new and exclusive Library Collection to celebrate this occasion. Please visit us to experience the beautiful fragrances in this collection. To show our appreciation, we are offering a special gift for purchases over £50 on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th June".
You can read about the new Amouage Library Collection (Opus I, Opus II, Opus III) following this link.

Kiehl's Original Musk & Musk 1921 oil: fragrance review

Amidst the plethora of musk fragrances on the market, some stand out as being individual and bearing their own signature. Decades before Serge Lutens came up with the beastly cajole of Muscs Kublaï Khan, the old New York pharmacy of Kiehl's had broken down that bastion with their Musk fragrance. Its voluminous, expanding earthiness will give you a jolt, searching for that hippy relic sitting some pegs below at the cinema or the theatre (or even the amphiteatre, but let's not go there now). The essence of a seriously funky persona which might have been travelling back from an ashram in India or some Goa hot-spot du jour! Alongside personal enlightenment in the 1960s, there came the musks and the patchoulis essences which characterised a whole generation. And it seems Kiehl's was intent on the pulse despite being founded as far back as 1851.

The archived date for the introduction of Kiehl's Original Musk is given as 1963. However, the company likes to hint with their Musk 1921 oil in the Essences collection (the "essences" are oils on which are thematically based the Eaux de toilette) that the recipe goes far back, since their pharmacopoia dates to several decades before. But here's the catch: It couldn't have. And the reason is one of science & history coherence. Simply put, the musks contained in the formula did not exist before WWII! Even though naturally derived macrocyclic musks like Muscone and Exaltolide existed before that date, their price was very high (Muscone's still is) and there could never enter the formula of a "drugstore" perfume. Therefore, the now banned nitromusks were the appropriate choice for those purposes. And this gives rise to another point, which explains the prevalence of so many "musk oils" in the market (certainly so in the 1960s and 1970s), especially at the very low end of the deal, such as Bonne Belle Skin Musk and Jovan Musk oil: These musky ingredients were almost insoluble in alcohol, rendering an alcoholic version of a fragrance very difficult. This also answers my own question, in regards to why some musk fragrances circulating today have a moniker of "musk oil" on their brand name, even though they're in alcoholic form, like the wonderfully rich Jean Louis Gady Musk Oil Eau de Toilette or the drugstore cheapie beautie Gosh Musk Oil No.6. The answer is, they are probably referring to a prior oil-based formula and have substituted the -now banned- nitromusks with an alcohol-diffusing musk component or two (after all, the polycyclics Transeolide, Celestolide and Galaxolide are very, very popular in the modern fragrance industry, as attested by our article on the subject linked)

Smellwise, Kiehl's Musk 1921 (and to a lesser degree the alcoholic Eau de Toilette Original Musk) is indeed close to Muscs Kublaï Khan, albeit a bit rawer and with a muted, hoarse voice instead of the baritone refinement of the Lutens. Compared to another musk fragrance with a certain reputation, Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel for F.Malle, it lacks the sweet spice and is a more to the point musk which can be worn by either sex. At the very start, there is also a similarity of Kiehl's Musk with Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent, which fades later on. The beatific darkness is peeking beneath the floral notes and reveals in fine print what the headlines try to conceal: Here is a living, emoting, squirting human being who hasn't really washed well for a while. If you're not absolutely fanatical about sterilisation, you might get the point in the above.

Notes for Kiehl's Original Musk:
Top: Bergamot nectar, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, lily, ylang ylang, neroli
Base: Tonka bean, white patchouli, musk.

Kiehl's now circulates an alcoholic Eau de Toilette Blend No.1 version of their Musk -apart from their famous oil Musk 1921-, which is tamer (probably due to the exclusion of nitromusks), less skanky and somewhat close to White Musk for Men which The Body Shop introduced a couple of seasons ago. It retails for 39$ for 1.7oz. on the site.
The current ownership by L'Oreal probably means that the cosmetic concerns overshadow any potential adherence to old formulae even more pressingly.
Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Musk Series (ingredients & cultural history), Scented Musketeers: Musk fragrances reviews.
Photo by Robert Mapplethorpe, Thomas Williams 1987 via cegur.com.

Byredo Palermo: new fragrance

The abundantly rich history of Palermo, capital of Sicily, is captured in the new fragrance by Swedish niche brand ByRedo:

"With clacking oars the Phoenicians arrived millennia ago to found their center of ancient exchange. Under golden Roman yoke the port gained gleaming palaces and mosaics. Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Byzantines alternately wrecked and rebuilt. Moorish and Berber emirs dug irrigation and harvested new fruits – the Bergamot oranges they planted still grow. Norman kings wrested the island back from the East. Garibaldi's thousand redshirts galloped through, and Italy was born. All those centuries of interleaved layers, one bled into the other, remain palpable in the air, the water, the art, the architecture, the spirit. Our "Palermo" opens with Bigarade and Sicilian Bergamot. The heart consists of Fresh Musks and Rose Absolute and reveals a base of Skin Musks and Ambrette Flower."
Sounds just the thing for summer, doesn't it?

Available on the official site: 100ml of Eau de Parfum for 115 euros. Also at Barney's.

Amouage Library Collection: new fragrances

Amouage, the Omani line which has established itself as the purveyor of true luxury in fragrances with its precious essences and unbridled budgeting, comes out with a new trio of fragrances, called Amouage Library. The three scents encompass different families and were devised by artistic directot Christopher Chong, each given a code, an opus number reflecting their status as a completed work within a greater collection.

According to the press release:

"OPUS I. A glorious Chypre fragrance, built around a warm, floral heart of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Rose, Lily of the Valley and Tuberose . Top notes of Bigarade, Plumm and Cardamom add spice and individuality, whilst woody base notes of Guaiac, Cedar and Sandalwood, along with Tonka Bean, Vetiver and the House's signature note of Frankincense provide an epic and bold closing chapter. The narrative, olfactory
evolution of this fragrance was inspired by the start of a pilgrimage in search of knowledge.

OPUS II. A majestic Fougère inspired by the heady and evocative fragrances of old books, dark wooden shelves and antique leather armchairs . Opus II opens with a rare and magical combination of Pepper , Pink Bay, Absinth and La vender in the top
notes. These notes unfurl to reveal a hear t of Jasmine, Rose, Cinnamon and Cardamom. The base of Cedarwood, Amber, Frankincense and Patchouli conclude the fragrance with a soft , smoky, masculinity that contrast beautifully with the floral heart notes .

OPUS III was inspired by the art and science of the creative process, from the darkest moments of frustration, to the brightness of enlightenment and discovery.
This radiant Floral Orie ntal fragrance is built around daring heart notes of Violet,
Jasmine , Orange Blossom and Ylang -Ylang. These are introduced perfectly by top
notes of Carnation, Broom, Mimosa, Nutmeg and Thyme . The vibrancy of the
fragrance is anchored by earthy notes of Ambrette Seed, Papyrus , Benzoin , Frankincense and a trilogy of woods in the base".

Read full reviews of each of the scents on this article.

All three fragrances are available in 100ml for 195 BGP each.
The Library Collection will be available at Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason as well as leading department stores and boutiques globally. The collection will also be available at Amouage’s soon to open flagship store in London’s Knightsbridge - 14 Lowndes St.

YSL "new" Opium: Death of Classic, Reformulation, Brand Repositioning (& a footnote on Belle d'Opium)

Just when we were lamenting the death of Opium, the fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent which marked our youth and stayed the course as a faithful companion, Yves Saint Laurent is busy issuing new marketing tools introducing us to the "new" Opium.
"New", because reformulation was necessary due to the IFRA restrictions on spicy ingredients (eugenol and iso-eugenol) which were necessary into the creation of the carnation heart of the memorable modern classic from 1977. If you love the older, richer bouquet with its characteristic pressed linens accord and carnation spice, stock up. I have because I love it so. [click for review]

In the new site What is Your Opium we're not spared any truths. It's up there in black and white: "This week Yves Saint Laurent unveils an addictive new fragrance. Crafted by renowned perfumers who found inspiration in a modern floral oriental. A scent born from a thousand inspirations".



They go on to reveal that each day will see a new feature or video involving the inspirations behind the fragrance, especially to the noteworthy perfumer Honorine Blanc (mentored by Sophia Grojsman) who was working on the scent for four years and talks about what she notices in the video. And they invite consumers to join: "To fête this modern elixir YSL will host an exclusive event in New York City on June 17th. Each day we’ll take you behind-the-scenes to meet the people creating this extraordinary soirée. They’ll share their inspirations and below we invite you to share yours. Tell us what inspires you". There is also a launch party, which according to Twitter, Alexa Chung and Alexandra Richards will be spinning, and rumored guests include hipsters like “The Cobrasnake” Mark Hunter and model Cory Kennedy. Todays' teaser on the Opium site has a video of the preparations. Obviously blogs are the new teasing tool for big companies to create Internet buzz.



Yet, the old is now most officially proclaimed dead...Whan Honorine talks about in the vid, "When a fragrance comes on the market, it's unique, it has its own signature, it's a true fragrance...it stays forever", sounds ironic.
Never before has a death being banged about with brass playing upbeat, inspiring military tunes!

Edit to add (19th June):
Dear sirs at YSL communication, if you're issuing something "new", old, revamped, whatever, it would be best if you were absolutely clear about what that thing is unless you do want us confused. To witness, the first email communication I got read:
"Hi,
Just wanted to send over a note letting you know that yesterday afternoon YSL launched a blog to help celebrate the release of their new Opium fragrance.The link is here: http://www.whatisyouropium.com/Each day on the site there will be a new bit of content released leading up to tomorrow's launch party and then following up on the event a few days afterward. Today, you can watch the 'setting the stage' video to see how the party is coming together. Hope you enjoy."
Now, a day later, they send this (please note how there was no mention of name in the above, while there is one now):
"Hi!
If you haven't already seen coverage from last night's YSL party be sure to check out today's Belle D'Opium blog post with event photos: http://whatisyouropium.com/day_after/And not long from now The Cobra Snake photos will be live online too".

I mean, geez, Belle d'Opium! Can you be any more misleading and contradicting? Is this a new flanker, like the summer editions? Is the whole campaign utterly confusing or what?

The bottomline is the old Opium HAS been reformulated to its detriment, as attested by many fans. That doesn't change, no matter how it's marketed.

Fan di Fendi: new fragrance

Three years after Palazzo and one after the announcement of discontinuing their whole line, Fendi is issuing a new feminine fragrance as a turnaround move in the market of fragrance, Fan di Fendi. Hopefully, the brand believes it will do better commercially than the previous efforts. (On that note, it's ironic that everyone's discontinued fragrance is Fendi's very own Theorema and yet it remains discontinued). But the new fragrance presents several interesting subplots which is why I chose to highlight its launch.


The juice in Fan di Fendi has been developed by Delphine Lebeau-Krowiakj, working with Parfums Luxe International, while the new flacon bearing the familiar entwined F of Fendi was designed by Fabien Baron. Probably the F in Fan corresponds in the logo which had fashionistas everywhere amok with the handbags, earning them their own moment of history in Sex & the City. Talk about emblazoning one's brand name into consciousness. But I digress.

The most interesting part is that the artistic direction of the new feminine Fendi fragrance was monitored by Francois Demachy, head of fragrance development at LVMH and especially Dior (see the Escale cruise collection). The new group structure is going to be called LVMH Fragrance Brands and this is going to occupy the luxury media for a while, I bet! It points to very specific directions within the LVMH Group and a desire for an umbrella supervision which would be a bit troublesome for some brands within the group with more of a characteristic fingerprint (Guerlain, Dior...)

Fan di Fendi is aimed at women who are "free, sensual, joyful and electrifying" (Sounds like they would give you a nasty jolt, but fear not) . The TV commercials are going to be appearing next September, with a "hot and rock n'roll" image that is scheduled to shock.Starring Anja Rubik, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Karmen Pedaru will be art directed by Fabien Baron and photographed by Darius Khondji, while the Kills will play in the background. It remains to be seen...

Notes for Fan di Fendi:
Pear, blackcurrant, Calabrian mandarin, pink pepper from Reunion, rose from Damascus, yellow jasmine, soft leather accents and Indonesian patchouli.
(Via Parfumerie Hyves Nl, thanks to Jakub)


Available in 30ml for 52 euros and 75ml for 90 euros, from September 2010 at major department stores.