The Game of Contrasts: Dries Van Noten launches 4 New Fragrances

Dries Van Noten might have said his goodbye to fashion last June, but he is still present in the beauty game. This August, Belgian creative is expanding his fragrance collection with four unique Eaux de Parfum in his signature artlike bottles (that are endlessly refillable, of course). The new scents follow his favourite fashion principle of contrasts and impossible combinations. So all of the four newcomers have a distinct olfactive profile, as well as a visual surprise.

The first one is called “Vanilla Camouflage”. Composed by Alexandra Monet, it comes in a porcelain flacon with an eye-catching watercolour pattern (you may have seen similar poetic camouflage styles in Dries’ ready-to-wear collections) topped by transparent green glass. Here, galbanum merges with a duo of vanilla – the sweet woody bourbon pods of Madagascar and creamy vanilla Tahitensis. 

Next comes “Crazy Basil”, an ode to the vibrant colour palettes of Dries Van Noten, where a true-to-nature note of basil meets cedarwood and amber. Imagined by Jean-Christophe Herault, this fragrance comes in a matching minimalist glass bottle made of two hues of green colour: luminous and densely saturated.

Composed by perfumer duo Julien Rasquinet & Paul Guerlain, “Camomile Satin” is a nod to Dries’ savoir-faire and artisanal techniques omnipresent in his collections. One of the most unexpected combinations in this collection, here, soothing chamomile shares centre stage with gourmand and leathery vanilla beans. The fragrance comes in a one-of-a-kind bottle, mixing powder pink glass with a bronzed brocade flower pattern that wraps around brushed metal, making us think about the bridge that Dries Van Noten has built between art and fashion. 

Finally, “Bitter Splash” is an ode to travelling, fashion escapism and to the most faraway destinations that have inspired Dries Van Noten along his fashion journey. “I chose to explore a paradoxical yet balanced play of light and texture – the sparkling radiance of grapefruit veiled in the matte softness of leather,” explains Suzy Le Helley, the nose behind this chic olfactive composition, topped by additional notes of powdery iris and vetiver. The bottle is a mix of elegant contrasts too: an unexpected play of glossy yellow, nodding to a juicy pomelo peel, is combined with a decorative pattern inspired by the art of Asian woodwork. As they say magic is in the details. The perfumes are already available on the brand’s website with prices ranging from € 260 to € 295.

Courtesy: Dries Van Noten

Text: Lidia Ageeva