Comme des Garçons - A Perfume Extreme

09/03/07 17:55:14

We often get an impression about a perfume based only on the way it smells. It is, of course, the right approach, yet it is not the only one. For a more refined enjoyment it is always good to get to know the perfumer before we smell it. Some perfumes, or sometimes even the whole perfume line should not at all be tried out before we first get acquainted with the philosophy of the related perfume house. Ones of those are the products of Comme des Garçons. Comme des Garçons, meaning 'Just Like Boys' was founded by Rei Kawakubo, born in 1962 in Tokyo.

Rei was studying philosophy at the Keio University and has no special designer's education. But, that is exactly what is needed for her strange style, which, more philosophical than 'fashionable', is often called 'anti-fashion'. Rei Kawakubo pays more attention to structure, than to the real look of her products and that is why the clothes she designs are so architectural and unusual: often black, grey, red or white, with no sleeves, or with sleeves unusually long, with pockets turned in-side-out, holes on it, worn together with heavy military boots…For Rei Kawakubo clothes are only the material for expressing her perception of the world. The same applies to perfumes, as she could simply not avoid such a powerful medium like fragrances.

Rei Kawakubo decided that her brand had to have its fragrant presentation, and therefore, in 1994 in Paris she launched a perfume line - Comme des Garçons Parfums – the leader in the avant-garde perfumes market. The perfumes of Rei Kawakubo, just like the clothes she designs, are indeed unusual because they do not follow trends and taste of consumers. She is too much of an artist to do so. The same way as she never studied design, about the world of perfumes she said: "I have never really been into fragrances".

The first fragrance of Comme des Garçons was eau de parfum with the same name, unisex just like all her fragrances, as gender is not so important notion in her philosophy. The first fragrance Comme des Garçons EDP is an unusual chypre full of spices. Launched in 1994 it became a real hit. Each year a new limited version of this fragrance appears with a new look and name such as Fairisle Cover in knitted piebald scabbard, or Beady Monster that looks like a black hairy monster.

A space should be given to the fragrance itself, as it does not follow the classical three-leveled perfume structure. The notes of this fragrance are autonomous and it is very difficult to classify it in accordance to olfactory groups. This perfume is a kind of very spicy chypre with dense resinous notes.

After the first one a number of fragrances have followed such as: CDG White (1996), Odeur 53 (1998), Comme des Carçons 2 (1999), Odeur 71 (2000), Comme des Garçons 3 (2000), Comme des Garçons 2 Man (2004) and their limited editions. Each of them is worth mentioning, but here we are going to give consideration to some of them only. The most important ones are so called ‘anti-perfumes’ Odeur 53 and Odeur 71.

In 1998 Comme des Garçons undertook a quest of exploration of human world and as a result, the fragrant encyclopaedia Odeur 53 was launched. Beside the fact that this perfume does not follow the classical perfume structure, it is composed of 53 inorganic odors known: desert sand, flame, India rubber, oxygen, smell of white-hot bulb, etc. Due to its structure, this fragrance opens differently to different persons, and it is very interesting to try it out together with other people. Let us mention some of the 53 notes: oxygen, red-hot metal, laundry drying on the wind, mineral carbonate, desert sand, nail polish, cellulose, mountain air, burning rubber, etc. The components are ‘nuclear’, but the fragrance is flirty, unusual and attractive.

‘This perfume people buy tu suit themselves. It has got nothing to do with sex appeal. Its aim is to create own pleasant space. This is an abstract perfume or better to say anti-perfume’, says Rei Kawakubo for Odeur 53.

Odeur 71 has increased the number of components, as well as the designer’s interest zone. Inorganic odors of the Earth ‘chaos’ live in this perfume beside the organic ones: frankincense, bay leaf, bamboo, white pepper, etc. After all that was said above the conclusion is: unusual perfume for aliens who want to get to know the olfactory side of our planet. It smells unusually, or maybe totally usually, as it perfectly features the smells we all know and which follow us throughout our lives.

Another unusual series of Comme des Garçons perfumes is PARFUMS series, the first of which – Series 1 – Leaves – was launched in 2000.

Series 1 – Leaves is dedicated to nature and includes 5 fragrances in plastic green flacons with metal stoppers:
Calamus – a plant with long narrow leaves, a symbol of men's love
Lily – the spicy green lily
Tea – hot tea
Shiso – Japanese salad
Mint

All the fragrances are green, interesting and unusual. They all match each other well, but can also be worn separately. Unfortunately, fragrances of this series are no longer being produced, therefore the first series of the collection has now become the Series 2 Red.

Series 2 Red was launched in 2001 for the event of opening of the Comme des Garçons boutique in Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Paris. The boutique interior was decorated in red color, and all components of the series are also red, hot, and warm like boiled wine. The Series Red also includes 5 fragrances: Harissa (hot red Tunisian sauce) Sequoia, Rose, Palisander and Carnation. The fragrances come in transparent red glass bottles, and are repeated in aromatic candles.

The next series, Series 3 Incense was launched in 2002 and was devoted to five main spiritual teachings of the humanity:
Avignon – Catholicism
Ouarzazate – Islam
Zagorsk – Orthodox Christianity
Jaisalmer – Hinduism
Kyoto – Buddhism and Shintoism

All fragrances were named after the cities significant for those teachings. Avignon is a city in the south of France, which was of a great importance in the Middle Ages. Zagorsk is a Russian city situated near Moscow, and is an influential centre of Orthodox Christianity. Ouarzazate is a city in Morocco, situated on the crossroad of the routes that connect Africa and Europe. Jaisalmer is a desert city in the north-east of India. Kyoto is a city in Japan. The fragrances are captured in black austere bottles.

So far, there has been 8 series of fragrances launched:
Series 4 Cologne – created by Marc Buxton, consisting of three fragrances composed by the recipes of Middle-Ages alchemists. Anbar, Vettiveru and Citrico are casual, minimalist and very much alike, but are different by their degree of warmth. The fragrances come in transparent glass bottles.

Series 5 Sherbet includes three fresh aromas, appealing not only for smelling, but also for tasting: Cinnamon, Peppermint and Rhubarb. The fragrances of Series 5 come in white bottles.

In 2004, Comme des Garçons have again declared war to natural components and launched the next series of anti-perfumes Series 6 Synthetic. The smells of a big city are captured in a transparent plastic bottle in which you can observe a garbage bag. Everyone finds something familiar, and even dear, in it, just as we like the smells of our childhood. The men drivers will for sure appreciate the fragrance Garage (with motor oil, kerosene, vetiver and leather), or the very much alike Tar (something between exhaust-pipe gases, cigarette smoke and oil derivates). To women, Dry Clean which smells like nail enamel and enamel remover, ozone, and bay leaf, might be familiar. Skai is familiar to everybody regardless of gender and sex – it includes polyvinyl-chloride (a widespread plastic), cardamom, sandal and coal. Soda is somewhat more human comparing to the previously mentioned – it is a familiar, dear and sweet carbonated water of artificial color and aroma.

The seventh series, Series 7 Sweet, is reconcilable and gourmand:
StickyCake – honey, milk, sugar syrup, almond, amber and pistachio
NomadTea – green tea with sugar and mint
SpicyCocoa – dark chocolate, citrus, black pepper and chili
BurntSugar – milk with vanilla, spiced cake, cinnamon, and anise lollypop
WoodCoffee – is a gorgeous smell of bitter coffee and intensive woodsy aroma, including spices, almond, curry and vanilla.

The last and the newest 8th series is a series of partisan-fragrance, again something unusual what only Comme des Garçons can allow itself. The collection is named Guerilla and was created in honor of special temporary Comme des Garçons’ shops with the same name. These shops are opening in the most unusual places in different parts of the world and close exactly one year after opening. For example, one of such shops was open in former butcher’s shop. This series includes two fragrances: Guerilla 1 – spicy, woods and with quite masculine character, and Guerilla 2 – sparkly fruity-floral fragrance with mild spices. The partisan-fragrances come in black bottle together with other six cardboard bottle models, although the spy is recognized at first sight.