Spring may be just around the corner, but does that explain why we seem to be so obsessed with flowers and plants in fashion these days? At Valentino, everything is roses. , McQueen’s collection was essentially made up of flowers, and Dries Van Noten literally had pictures of her garden printed on her clothes. Now I can even smell the plants on these clothes. Spring floral pattern? Groundbreaking. Meryl Streep’s eyes roll into the back of her head.
Still, there seems to be a little more to our close relationship with nature this year. Perfumers around the world incorporate wildflowers, weeds, nettles, and other earthy plants into their scents, not just the common roses and peonies. And we’re digging it.
[Hero image credit: Jo Malone. Feature image credit: Gucci.]
Jo Malone’s Wild Flowers & Weed collection is a clear example of fragrance going wild. Cade & Cedarwood has a smoky accent, reminiscent of wood burning on a grassy campsite. Lupine & Patchouli, on the other hand, carries you with a juicy, sunny citrus scent, balanced by harsh, earthy patchouli. And then there’s Nettle & Wild Achillea, which combines the raw scent of nettle with the strength of wild Achillea flowers. They’re certainly a big hit with the millennial trend for all things raw and organic.
These wild scents will transport you from the concrete jungle to a place a little closer to the actual jungle. There is very little green space around Bangkok, and home gardens are becoming fewer and fewer these days. We love these scents. Because it’s a kind of escapism.
Green-fingered Christian Dior has always turned to gardens for his famous scents. The latest collection is a botanical paradise that is more complex than his classic perfumes. Patchouli Imperial is one of our favorites of his because it reminds us of old Bangkok, before the advent of skyscrapers and digital lifestyle. Patchouli is blended with wood and spicy coriander to create a scent reminiscent of antique East Asian apothecaries.
For a more Western and wild vibe, try Leather Oud, which transports you to a landscape of saddles, dunes, and jockeys, with accents of wood fire, sand, and animal oud. These scents take us away from city life again and free us to explore a more raw, unknown and adventurous world.
The cowboy theme leads to another key appeal of wild botanical scents. In contrast to sweet florals, the flavorful Apothecary ingredients are gender-free and can be enjoyed by men as well as women. Let Tom Ford add a masculine touch. Their board His Joule combines the freshest Provence he lavender with geranium, rosemary and oakmoss for a warm, earthy feel.
Gucci presents the scent of wild botanicals with the Alchemist collection by Alberto Morillas and Alessandro Michele. The apothecary-style collection of 14 scents is inspired by raw flower essences and includes perfumes that evoke gardens, such as ‘Moonlight Serenade’ and ‘Voice of the Snake.’ Our perfumes are designed to be layerable, so you can create your own wild scent garden.
Alessandro Michele also chose distinctly organic notes for his new fragrance, Gucci Guilty Absolute. With the scent of wild blackberries growing in the forest, this new perfume is a little mysterious and a little magical. There’s also a kind of nostalgia for my childhood, when I used to run around picking berries in the garden.
In a digital world with complex politics and dire climate change, perhaps we all long for simpler, greener times. Especially now that spring is approaching, we are reminded of all the joy that nature gives us and the great loss it would be if it were to disappear.
