In the Thirties, Freud observed that when you meet a human being, the first distinction you make is ‘male or female’? And, for decades, this notion has been reinforced in everything, from the idea of associating the colour blue with boys and pink with girls, to clothing and fragrance. Yet, as rigid as Freud’s assumption might seem, the concept of binary gender has been contested by both fashion and fragrance, with trends towards androgyny, neutrality and unisex. And now, LVMH has added a surprising twist to this tale, with its Les Parfumes Louis Vuitton, a long-awaited collection of seven perfumes that elevate the notion of femininity once more.
In 1994, Calvin Klein revoked the opulent aroma of the Eighties and made a splash with the cleverly marketed CK One campaign, photographed by Steven Meisel, to front the scent aimed at both men and women. And today, the conversation surrounding gendered fragrance remains fresh. With Jo Malone, there is a denial of difference – their colognes like the Lime Basil and Mandarin and Pomegranate Noir can be worn by both sexes, designed to be layered so that a personalised scent is produced. Recalling their iconic deviation into masculinity with Le Smoking during the Sixties, Yves Saint Laurent recently launched five unisex fragrances that infuse notes of rich black pepper and smoked patchouli, colliding with delicate Lily of the Valley – appropriately, the collection is named Tuxedo.
Prized flowers were bathed in gas via CO2 Extraction, a process that reveals their pure fragrance without heat
It would be safe to assume that Louis Vuitton’s long-awaited perfume might follow suit, especially in the wake of their SS’16 campaign featuring Jaden Smith in a gender fluid ensemble. But interestingly, they have done quite the opposite, with an all-female led launch. And, to formulate their first fragrance in 70 years, they have called upon the revered nose of Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud – the master perfumer is the creator of olfactory success stories from Issey Miyake’s iconic L’Eau d’ Issey to Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio. “I believe strongly in femininity, although not the kind that is relegated to the usual clichés,” says Cavallier-Belletrud on his divination from the industry trend towards gender neutrality. “I tested all my creations on my wife and eldest daughter.”
A flight back to 1920s femininity, the monogrammed fragrance case mirrors the vanity cases of elegant female travellers.
In this period of cultural anxiety towards gender divides, the collection is decidedly feminine, reinforcing the ideal of scent on a woman’s skin with raw materials like May roses and jasmine from Grasse. But, aside from the fresh flowers harvested in a unique way (through CO2 extraction), one of the most alluring perfumes from the collection, Dans La Peau, features a traditionally masculine ingredient that first found favour among females during the period of emancipation in the Twenties – leather. And, not just any leather – the formulation infuses the material found in Louis Vuitton’s own handbag workshops with apricot and sambac jasmine from China. Of course, drawing crude lines of distinction between genders feels outdated, but this composition celebrates femininity in the empowered sense, inspiring confidence.
Whilst the future of fragrance is still not decided and the boundaries between what constitutes ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ in fragrance are ever-changing, even Cavallier-Belletrud has to admit, “One can always consider that smells are genderless.”
