Why couture fragrance collections are being created by luxury brands

Inky accord Muse, YSL Beauty’s newest fragrance is the latest addition to the house’s Le Vestiaire des Parfums, the unisex couture fragrance collection that debuted 2015.

Muse: an ink accord couture fragrance

The scent created by Master Perfumer Marie Salamagne, is a smoky, woody ink accord. Top notes are clary sage, lavender and incense; middle notes are orris, bourbon vanilla and ambrette with base notes of amberwood and ink

Salamagne compares the blend to both to paper and skin. “The ink reveals enigmatic woody notes, intimate and elegant smoky facets. It veils the skin in subtle dark, metallic tones, slightly iris-y, earthy. For me, the ink takes on the colors of creativity and mystery. It stimulates the imagination.”

Salamagne, principal perfumer at Firmenich, is the nose behind a host of olfactory hits including the Alaïa fragrances, Gucci’s Flora Gorgeous Orchid, Rabanne’s Fame, Infiniment Coty’s Santal à La Vida, and, most recently, Nina Ricci’s Rouge Crush which was introduced this year.

YSL’s Beauty couture fragrance collection

The Vestiaire de Parfums with scents including Trench, Caban and Tuxedo, is inspired by emblematic items that define the house’s history. YSL Beauty describes the line as “an olfactory interpretation of the couturier’s iconic pieces, materials and emblematic addresses, crafted by the most renowned perfumers.”

The collection is crafted by some of the world’s top perfumers. Alongside Salamagne are olfactory hard hitters like Quentin Bisch, Carlos Benaim, Alberto Morillas, Amandine Marie, Dominique Ropion, Annick Menardo, Fabrice Pellegrin and Julie Massé. They hail from leading fragrance outfits IFF, Givaudan and Firmenich.

Muse is a tribute to the artists, models and friends—from Paloma Picasso to Betty Catroux and Lulu de la Falaise—with whom Monsieur Saint Laurent surrounded himself and who provided a major source of inspiration. The eponymous house founder would sketch them in ink and use said sketches as the basis for many of his collections.

“Muse brought about a unique opportunity,” YSL Beauty President Stephen Bezy told me. While previous Le Vestiaire des Parfums fragrances drew from specific Saint Laurent designs, Muse is an ode to the sources of his inspiration—confident, convention-defying women.”

The trend for couture fragrance collections

“Le Vestiaire des Parfums is crafted by the world’s finest perfumers who deeply understand the YSL heritage and are able to translate this into olfactory art,” says Bezy. “Through this positioning we are connecting with the consumer’s aspirations and sense of style. We are not just selling a fragrance; we are selling a piece of YSL history.”

Operated under licence by L’Oreal, when it launched Le Vestiaire in 2015, YSL Beauty was an early adopter of the trend for unisex, high end ‘haute couture’ fragrance collections that highlight the codes of their respective fashion houses—further aligning the ties between the fashion and perfume arms of the businesses making for stronger brand equity overall.

The movement has since gained exponential traction with notable launches in 2024 from Valentino, Fendi and Rabanne.

Valentino’s Anatomy of Dreams featured seven juices by different master perfumers housed in flaçons with caps of studded glass echoing the house’s emblematic metal rivets and canvas labels like the fabric of haute couture boxes. A highlight is Fabrice Pellegrin’s Sogno in Rosso—a blend of black pepper with milk foam accord.

La Collection Rabanne’s eight scents by six master perfumers celebrate dates, places and fabrics integral to the maison. For instance the lime, orange blossom and ambergris Mesh Metal by Fanny Bal recalls the house’s famous silver chain mail creations.

Likewise, Fendi’s seven exclusive fragrances each evoke a character, a place, or maison milestone such as Anne Flipo’s La Baguette, a powdery floral ode to the bag created by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997.

According to Bezy, fragrance is far more than just a scent, it’s an “extension of identity.” From a consumer point of view, he attributes the rising interest in high-end fragrance collections to a desire for individuality. “It’s about crafting a personal olfactory signature,” he says.

The allure is also down to exclusivity, he adds. “They’re carefully curated and intentionally selective in their distribution. Scarcity fuels desire, but more importantly, it allows us to elevate the entire client experience.”