The first fragrance by Parisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa debuts this Thursday (8/20/2015) exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks.com. Azzedine Alaïa’s celebrated career has spanned more than three decades. He is an icon in the fashion world and his work is revered by all, from fashion editor big wigs, the first lady, to the pop culture elite. In 1998 he was honored with a solo exhibition at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands in 1998, which debuted at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2000.
Alaïa, who is known for laboring meticulously over his craft and vision, personally oversaw each detail, working closely with a team of experts including longtime friend and collaborator Carla Sozzani, perfumer Marie Salamagne, photographer Paolo Roversi, bottle designer Martin Szekely and model Guinevere Van Seenus.
The Scent:
Resolutely modern, the olfactory construction of the fragrance defines itself by its freshness. “It is not a parfum, but an eau de parfum,” says the designer. “Besides, to perfume oneself is like to refresh oneself, it’s a very usual gesture, complementary to that of the toilette.”
Marie Salamagne, one of a new generation of perfumers, undertook Mr. Alaia’s challenge to create an accord that echoed the sensation of cold water falling on hot chalk, a memory of the designer’s childhood in Tunisia. “Very quickly,” she says, “I came up with a formula that evoked this feeling: they were fresh, aquatic mineral notes. Then, I added an animal note by surrounding it with musk.” The final pyramid includes airy notes of pink pepper, floral accords of freesia and peony, and animalic notes combined with musk to create the impression of bare skin.
The Bottle:
Conceived by designer Martin Szekely, the bottle, formed of heavy and precious translucent black glass, is adorned front and back with the famous Alaïa laser-cut pattern, an emblematic pattern which first appeared on the leather corset in the 1990s. The cap, in contrast to the bottle, is homage to Alaïa’s craftsmanship—a spool of golden thread, made of zamak and pink gold. The outer packaging, delicately framed with black, is finished in Alaïa nude, an intense pinky-beige that is one of the creator’s favorite colors. I think we should be a little sensitive about saying all skin is one color.
ALAÏA PARIS will debut at Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide and on saks.com on August 20, 2015, and will be available exclusively at Saks through August 2016. See full details on both Alaïa events happening this week at Saks:
A special thank you to Saks for partnering with me on this post.
