Nothing exudes boudoir glamour as much as Jean-Paul Gaultier’s signature corsets, famously worn by Madonna as part of her Blonde Ambition tour in the 1990s, or more recently, by androgynous male model Andrej Pejic all of which can be admired at the designer’s fantastic exhibition at The Barbican (on until August 25).
Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique Eau de Parfum Intense
But few places is Gaultier’s corset motif more prominent or iconic than on his bottle for the fragrance Classique – a fetching dressing table addition if ever there was one. Today sees the launch of the Eau de Parfum Intense version, where said corset has been designed in gold, cementing the original perfume’s iconic status since it launched in 1993. The hyper-feminine bouquet of orange blossom, rose and vanilla made it the spritz of voice for alpha females not ashamed of their sexuality (such as a corset-clad Madonna for example) and bucked the trend for 90s androgyny.
Rianne Ten Haken in the new campaign for Classique Intense
This latest version packs a similar punch, created by Francis Kurkdjian (who was responsible for Gaultier’s Le Male fragrance). It boasts a dazzling bouquet of tiare flowers and jasmine, with the same undercurrent of orange blossom and a good measure of patchouli to accentuate the intoxicating vanilla accord of the original. In true Gaultier-style, it’s a celebration of femininity and empowerment – think of Intense as being the audacious prima donna to the original Classique’s sexy chorus girl. Oh and it looks great on a dressing table too.
Read our exclusive interview with Classique’s creator Francis Kurkdjian here.
by Viola Levy
Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique Eau de Parfum Intense is £80 for 100ml available now at Boots (nationwide from July 28).