COMME des GARÇONS Parfums Unveils Odeur 10 in Honor of its 30th Anniversary

COMME des GARÇONS' fragrance brand, COMME des GARÇONS Parfums, was established in 1994. Celebrating its 30th anniversary last year, the brand launched its new fragrance, Odeur 10, with an exclusive pre-release at its flagship store in Tokyo's Aoyama district on November 20, 2024.

Following this, launch events were held at Dover Street Market Paris on December 5 and at the COMME des GARÇONS flagship stores in Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, and New York on January 9. These events featured an installation by Japanese artist Yuichi Higashionna.Odeur 10 was crafted by perfumer Natalie Gracia-Cetto, while Rei Kawakubo, the brand’s creative director, oversaw nearly every aspect beyond the fragrance concept, including the bottle design, packaging, press materials, and launch installations.

Founded in 1994 in Paris, France, the fragrance brand COMME des GARÇONS Parfums embodies the spirit and style of COMME des GARÇONS, treating its perfume line as an extension of its philosophy, much like its clothing. Its concept of "anti-perfume" rejects traditional fragrances meant to complete an outfit, instead focusing on scents designed to inspire and empower the wearer. At the time of its launch, the brand's distinctive spicy scent—departing from the conventional sweet and gentle fragrances—was praised as groundbreaking and is said to have created a new trend in the world of perfumes and its vacuum-sealed packaging also became a topic of conversation.

The new product, Odeur 10, is an eau de toilette in a rectangular, black lacquered bottle. It inherits the DNA of previous fragrances such as Odeur 53 (1998), Odeur 71 (2000), and Odeur du Théâtre du Châtelet (2019). Using a groundbreaking method, the fragrance extracts cloned aromas by analyzing scent components from nature, everyday life, and household materials. This marks the first new fragrance release in two years since Zero.

The fragrance is centered around hydrogen peroxide, referred to in French as Eau Oxygénée, which is also used as a disinfectant—a concept reflected in its name. It layers fresh aldehydes, bright white mint, and ambrette seed with a musky quality to create a scent that is entirely new yet evokes a nostalgic familiarity.

Hydrogen peroxide is not only used as a disinfectant but also as a hair bleaching, with the name "10 Volume" derived from the concentration commonly used for disinfection.This faintly sweet fragrance is clean and exceptionally pure, offering a soft yet full-bodied aroma. It evokes a sense of pristine whiteness, as if capable of taking on any color, while also inspiring a sentimental mood.

COMME des GARÇONS Parfums has produced 93 fragrances to date, including reissues and special editions. The development of its fragrance business has been significantly influenced by collaborations with various artists and brands across different genres. Notable collaborators include Stephen Jones, Pharrell Williams, KAWS, and Stüssy, among others.
30 years and innumerable, ground-breaking fragrances later, Comme des Garçons Parfums is celebrating its anniversary with a new tome, published by Simonett & Baer, revisiting the iconic perfumes and their accompanying campaigns. Odeur 10 represents Comme des Garçons’ commitment to innovation in fragrance, challenging perceptions of what a scent can be as the brand celebrates the 30th anniversary of its perfume line.

Courtesy: COMME des GARÇONS

Text: Elie Inoue