Spring may be fast approaching, but does that explain our recent obsession with flowers and plants in fashion? Everything was rosy and blooming at Valentino, McQueen’s collection was practically made of flowers, and Dries Van Noten literally printed photos of plants from his own garden onto his clothes. Now you can even smell the plants on those clothes. Florals in spring? Groundbreaking. Meryl Streep rolled her eyes.
Still, there seems to be a slight uptick in the emphasis on nature this year, with perfumers around the world incorporating wildflowers, weeds, nettles, and other earthy plants into their scents beyond the usual roses and peonies. And we’re loving it.
[Hero image credit: Jo Malone. Feature image credit: Gucci.]
Jo Malone’s Wild Flowers & Weeds collection is a clear example of how scents have gone wild. Cade & Cedarwood has smoky accents like burning wood on a grassy campsite, while Lupine & Patchouli leads you in with a juicy, cheerful citrus scent, neutralizing it with wild, earthy patchouli. And Nettle & Wild Achillea combines the rawness of nettle with the toughness of wild achillea flowers. These are sure to be a big hit with millennials who are crazy about all things raw and organic.
These wild scents take us away from the concrete jungle and a little closer to the real thing. There’s very little green space in Bangkok, and home gardens are becoming less and less common these days. We love these scents because they feel like an escape from reality.
Master horticulturist Christian Dior has always created his famous scents from gardens, and his latest collection is a botanical haven that is more complex than his classic perfumes. Patchouli Imperiale is one of our favorites because it evokes the old days of Bangkok before skyscrapers and digital lifestyles. Patchouli blends with wood and spicy coriander to create a scent reminiscent of antique East Asian apothecaries.
For a more western wildness, try Leather Oud, which transports us to a landscape of saddles, dunes and horsemen with accents of wood fire, sand and animal oud. These scents take us away from city life and give us the freedom to explore a more raw, unknown and adventurous world.
The cowboy theme leads to another key attraction of wild plant scents: the more flavorful medicinal ingredients, as opposed to sweet floral notes, are gender neutral and can be enjoyed by women as well as men. Tom Ford is great for giving it a masculine touch; their Beau de Jour is fresh Provencal lavender mixed with geranium, rosemary and oakmoss for a warm, earthy vibe.
Gucci showcases the scent of wild plants in its Alchemist collection by Alberto Morillas and Alessandro Michele. The pharmacy-style collection of 14 scents is inspired by fresh floral essences and includes garden-like scents such as “Moonlight Serenade” and “Voice of the Snake.” The perfumes are designed to be layered, allowing you to create your own unique garden of wild scents.
Alessandro Michele also opted for a decidedly organic scent for his new fragrance, Gucci Guilty Absolute. The scent of wild blackberries from the forest makes the new perfume a little mystical and a little magical. It also evokes nostalgia for childhood days running around picking berries in the garden.
In a digital world with complicated politics and frightening climate change, maybe we are all yearning for simpler, greener times, especially now that spring is on its way and we are reminded of all the joys nature gives us and what a great loss it would be if it disappeared.
Notes:
The information in this article is accurate as of the publication date.
