For over thirty-five years Karl Lagerfeld has been producing perfume, starting with his iconic women’s fragrance ‘Sun, Moon and Stars.’ The Karl Lagerfeld Men and Women Fragrances 2014 is launching in Harrods, London, where Lagerfeld’s first British store opens on March 13th in Regent Street.
Karl spelt out his philosophy of perfume for the modern world by saying there had to be a sophisticated twist, without too many obvious floral notes like lavender which would date the fragrance. A perfume needs to seem fresh and different when it first comes out, gradually turning into a classic on the bathroom shelf. If a new perfume does not succeed in striking a modern note, you might as well use an older classic.
The new women’s fragrance was devised by Serge Majoullier and Christine Nagel of Mane perfumers. It has fruity notes of lemon and peach, floral notes of rose, frangipani and magnolia along with musky and woody notes.
The men’s fragrance, created by Jean-Christophe Hérault of International Flavors and Fragrances, has fruity apple and mandarin, with lavender and violet adding floral notes and spicy sandalwood and amber.
Lagerfield’s new signature scents are the result of his usual hands-on style of development, where he often makes impromptu decisions in order to inject a spontaneous element into the process.The bottles are square and minimalist, with chunky geometric stoppers: black for the men’s eau de toilette and peachy pink for the women’s eau de parfum.
The ad campaign is fronted by Kati Nescher and Baptiste Giabiconi, looking nude and moody. Kati, who also models for the Lagerfeld Spring 2014 collection, is shown sporting only a pair of black leather cutout gloves. Baptiste illustrates Karl’s assessment of him: ‘good for clothes and great with no clothes.’
While the Karl Lagerfeld Men and Women Fragrances 2014 are available in the UK and US (at Macy’s) now, the global launch is not until September.
