Galliano launches fragrance

Posted in FASHION by MelanieHick on Jul 14, 10:58AM

John Galliano, he of the fantastical Dior couture events and outrageous frothy gowns, has produced his first fragrance 20 years after he launched his eponymous label. The fragrance, developed with perfumer Christine Nagel, includes notes of rose, peony, powdery iris and violet.

As one would expect from Galliano, the bottle will be outlandish, delightful and complex - much like his volumous gowns. The pink and black bottle's neck was inspired by the collars which appeared in his first fashion collection, Les Incroyables. The bottle is topped with the Galliano gothic G and appears to be swathed in fabric. To develop the shape, Galliano researched antique fragrance bottles and draped these in actual couture silks, then handed sketches of these shapes to his manufacturers.

The fragrance's outer box is designed to look like a book, inspired by the inspirational travel diaries the designer makes before creating each fashion collection. The collaged face on the box is actually model Guinevere Van Seenus.

The scent will be launched at the end of September in the U.K. and Europe while the rest of the world will have to wait until 2009 to buy a bottle. The label says just 3,000 stores worldwide will stock the fragrance, yet they estimate sales of US $30 million in the first year alone. A house fragrance is a popular way for couture houses to turn a profit. After all, there are very few people in the world able to afford their incredible gowns. A drop of perfume at 150 euros or so a pop is much more attainable.