KARL LAGERFELD – “Perfume is Fashion for the Nose”

He cannot smell perfume anymore, so he wears overdoses of it. He splashes it on… On his shirt, not on his skin. According to fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld, it is impolite not to smell nice…

FASHION&TRAVEL How do you feel launching new fragrances after so long? Especially a duo; how important was it to launch both at the same time?
KARL LAGERFELD I love fragrances… For me it’s something very important. I did in the past and I’m happy to do it again in great conditions. I’m against too many at the same time, but one for men and one for women; it’s a different story. So I think there’s no reason to wait for 6 months or a year to bring out another fragrance. The big market may be women’s. But men’s fragrances are today as important as women fragrances. The fragrance is the fragrance… The gender problem is something one can see later.

F&T The advertising campaign is very sexy and sensual. How did this visual come to life?
KL I wanted this photo to be sensual because in fact the fragrance should be something very sensual. You don’t use it only because you have a better smell. It’s because you want to smell beautiful.

F&T What’s the connection between fashion and fragrance? The inspiration behind the new fragrances?
KL Today fashion is not just clothes. It has to be everything. Not only handbags or sunglasses… And the perfume; it’s very important in the universe of the label of a brand to have a fragrance. I think fragrances are as important as clothes are. It’s what’s new to your skin.

F&T What was the inspiration behind the new bottles?
KL At the same time they are both high-tech and classic. It’s a mix of both of them, that’s what I think is the right moment to do that. The high-tech touch and the very classical glass touch of the beautrfuly shaped bottle.

F&T What do fragrances represent for you, in your day to day life?
KL I don’t even imagine that could be a daily life without all fragrances, because it’s like washing your face for me. So, in today’s life, one has to use a fragrance because it’s impolite not to have a beautiful smell. I love perfume, I love fragrances, I love them for women, I love them for men, and I think that makes life in a way, more beautiful. It’s the fashion for the nose.

F&T Do you have a fragrance ritual?
KL I like to use overdoses of fragrances because I don’t smell them myself anymore. So sometimes maybe I use too much, because I like to splash around a big splash. It’s something I adore, spray is ok and today people only use spray but I love to use it like if it was water. After all, it’s an Eau de Toilette! But I splash it not on my skin, mostly on my shirt, on my sheets, on my towels, wherever…

F&T On the skin?
KL I use it directly on my skin only sometimes… Also after a bath, but mostly on my shirt.

F&T What scents do you like the most?
KL I love Iris, I love touches of leather and fruit, and even tobacco. I its a mix of all that, what I like. I like tangerine as a scent, too. I don’t like too much when it smells like rose or something like this, these very basic classic things. There’s enough perfume like this, and that’s not my taste. I like this very modern approach to perfume, that is new and modern today. There are beautiful old classics of course but nobody is waiting for me to make a beautiful old classic.

F&T The best memories you have on a scent?
KL The best memories I have on a scent, is the memories of my childhood, but then I have to talk about other brands, and I’m not a promoter of other brands.

F&T Should every woman have a signature scent or should they mix it up?
KL “The smell in the minute” should be her signature. I think that’s more important. That’s the same problem for men, I don’t know why you asked that sexist question…

F&T How did you choose the models for the fragrance campaign?
KL Baptiste and Katie… We needed a boy and we needed a girl. I think they are perfect for what I wanted to represent. He does the head for Lagerfeld; she will do the next campaign. So I think they were the perfect choices. There was no second option.

F&T Can you define the Karl Lagerfeld brand?
KL Yes I can. Finally with the most expensive clothes in the world, I think it’s very important to do something also that is not that expensive. And this is always what I wanted to do with my name. I’m quite popular. So, make something people can wear and can buy without having a problem with the credit card.

F&T What are you constantly inspired by?
KL You want me to remain pretentious? Myself. My, me, my taste and my way of seeing things.

F&T What’s the one clothing item every woman needs?
KL I think that’s important for everybody: jeans, a beautiful shirt and a jacket. It’s what everybody needs, girls, boys, older ladies, older men, everybody… The basic is that today… A beautiful shirt, t-shirt, jean, nice jacket and if you’re a girl, perhaps a skirt because I’m not accrediting skirts for men.

F&T What KL fashion accessory finishes someone’s look?
KL I like watches, but everybody looks at their phones to see what time it is. But watches are beautiful like jewelry now, important… They don’t have to be that expensive or high line. I’m very happy wearing watches because I think they are beautiful, they are modern, they are really great looking, for me they are kind of modern jewels.