English Version | Olfactory divinity

The feminine is often thought of as a mere adjective, a word that describes a world of expectations and rules. But behind the shackles of rationality lies the true value of this word. Femininity is synonymous with the divine. Although many remain ignorant of this fact, others embark on a mission to highlight this almost spiritual connection. Jean Paul Gaultier is in the latter group. The French designer has made his career a tribute to the feminine. Since 1976, Gaultier has dressed some of the most divine women on the planet, celebrating the mythological power of their presence. But it's not just with icons like Madonna or Arielle Dombasle that the designer has shared his charisma. Through his fragrances, Gaultier manages to convey the same message of empowerment through a simple spray. With the latest addition to his (growing) family of iconic perfumes, Gaultier Divine, there is no room for doubt: the feminine is divine.

In 1993, Jean Paul Gaultier launched his first fragrance, a classic in the Olympus of fragrances, aptly named Classique. In addition, the scent, inspired by the women who raised the designer, this was also the debut of the classic silhouette of the Maison's fragrances. The shape of the female body is elevated to an artistic level through the iconic bottle, a decision that goes beyond the mere objectification of women and comments on the value of the essence that dwells within the body. The shape of Gaultier's fragrances remains even thirty years after their launch, and is reinvented with Gaultier Divine. The mythology of the feminine not only informs the exterior of the fragrance, it is also the source of inspiration for its scent. Created by the iconic perfumer Quentin Bisch, Gaultier Divine explores the tension between traditionally feminine perfumes and new interpretations of the same category. To a floral tone from a bouquet of lilies, softly sweet like a meringue, is added the complexity of a sea breeze. It's with the taste of sea salt in the mouth that images of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus appear, an intentional connection in a perfume that is an ode to femininity.

The reformulation of a classic, such as a floral perfume, is not surprising for a brand that defines itself by its ability to reinvent the past. The Gaultier Divine bottle alludes to Jean Paul Gaultier's DNA, adorned with a corset and the iconic cone bra. The corset, one of the brand's images, was interpreted for centuries as an element of female oppression, but through the French designer's vision, it was revolutionized and the garment became a symbol of women's freedom and sexuality. Helped by icons such as Madonna, Gaultier turned the corset into an allegory for the divine power of femininity. It's only fitting that it should feature as a decorative element in Gaultier Divine, an olfactory ode to the feminine gender. With its mesmerizing golden hue, the fragrance bottle is a manifesto in itself. It is out of respect for this artistic object that Jean Paul Gaultier offers the possibility of purchasing refills. As well as materializing his commitment to reducing his ecological impact, the initiative is also a way of conveying the value of Gaultier Divine. The fragrance bottle seems to harness solar energy, becoming vibrant even in the dark. A beam of light that evokes feminine divinity.

*Originally translated from The Fame Issue, published October 2023. Full credits and stories in the print issue.