All about: Karl Lagerfeld eau de parfum and eau de toilette

“I love perfume. I have worked with fragrances in the past and I’m thrilled to be launching new ones again today. I love women’s fragrances and I love men’s fragrances. They make life more beautiful. Perfume is like fashion for the nose…”

Karl Lagerfeld

The inimitable Karl Lagerfeld has just released two perfect fragrances that are totally in line with his iconic collection, in which he elevates the basics: the perfect shirt, the just-right jacket, the your-jean - and now, the ultimate everyday fragrance.

In keeping with the fashion legend’s style, perfumers Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier created an elegant green floral for the eau de parfum for women. The fragrance is a riot of contrasts, opening with a burst of fresh lemon, enhanced by a velvety peach before flourishing into a full bouquet of roses, immaculate magnolias, and plumeria. The fragrance takes a contemporary approach to traditional perfumes - another signature of Lagerfeld’s design - with the addition of musk and powerful, dark, ambery woody notes in the base. And while many flowery scents fade away after a few hours, this one lasts… and still smells heavenly long after.

For Karl’s eau de toilette for men, perfumer Jean-Christophe Hérault turned to an aromatic fern. Timeless and ultra-modern at the same time, the fragrance features lavender and mandarin zest enhanced by crispy apple and violet leaves. The scent ends with the woody, spicy notes of sandalwood and an amber blend, giving the fragrance an elegant and totally masculine feels.

In keeping with his philosophy of accessible luxury, the bottle’s aesthetic is both high-tech and classic. “I think now is the right time for it,” said the Kaiser himself. “A touch of high tech and a touch of classic glass for an exquisitely-formed bottle.” The clear glass used for the women’s eau de parfum and the black glass bottle used for the men’s eau de toilette are both geometrically exact and feature Karl’s name stamped on the side in silver letters. This symmetry is only interrupted by graphic beveling at the base of the bottles. Like the collar of Karl’s favourite shirts, a metal ring sits beneath the caps, which are engraved with the designer’s iconic silhouette.

For the campaign above, he chose two of his most-loved models to embody his creations: Kati Neischer and Baptiste Giabiconi, saying, “we needed one boy and one girl. Baptiste and Kati were perfect for what I wanted to embody. There was no other option possible.” Karl shot the campaign in black and white and naturally, it’s pretty damn sexy. “I believe that perfume should be something highly sensual,” he said. “I wanted the photo to reflect this idea. You do not wear a perfume only to smell nice, but because you want to feel handsome or beautiful.”

To celebrate the launch Karl also created 30 Emojis (yes, including Choupette), enabling the whole world to text in la langue de Karl. The majority of the KL symbols are chic upgrades to the most basic Emojis, reflecting the philosophy of heightened, more stylish basics every time.

Lastly, when asked how much of the fragrance he wears every day Lagerfeld says, “a lot. But not on myself. I have a bottle in every room. I put it on the towels, on my bathrobe, on my shirts, on the jeans, on my bed, on my sheets, all over the place. But not on my skin. I also spray it on paper, which takes fragrance very well. It is a famous thing, to put perfume on letters, but you don’t only have to do it with love letters.” LOVE that.