I’ve been a fan of Dsquared² fragrances since I first came across them with the introduction of Dsquared² Intense He WOOD. But with the release of the new Dsquared² WILD, I think my favourite has shifted.
If someone asked me to describe Dsquared², I think I would simply show them this fragrance - the bottle, the juice, the scent are all signatures of the Dsquared² DNA and are wrapped up neatly in WILD.
“It’s a raw roll in the hay — the whole idea is to be a bit raw. Even the bottle is kind of harnessed”, said Dan Caten to WWD.
Seeing the brand’s olfactory journey continue, WILD sees the Dsquared² man engaging with the environments around him, both urban and in nature, representing “the freedom for a man to express his sensuality, his passion and his deepest desire.”
Utterly masculine, WILD is a woody and earthy scent. Created by noses Daphne Bugey and Annick Menardo, Dsquared² WILD opens with notes of santolina and a resin accord that gives way to a free-riding heart of neolabdanum (an opulent, tenacious note used in many amber fragrances for its fragrant leather smell) and opoponax (which is warming, sweet and balsamic). The dry down is made up of vegetal amber and a humus accord.
And Dan was half wrong, the bottle isn’t ‘kind of’ harnessed, its LITERALLY harnessed! In a fetish-frenzy of leather that’s just too kinky to pass by.
I was lucky enough to get to do an online interview with Dean and Dan Caten, the founders of Dsquared², about their new scent for Harvey Nichols.
NT: Your fragrances mark a journey for the Dsquared² man; can you explain where he is right now with WILD?
DC: Wild is an evolution of Dsquared²’s olfactory journey but also the Dsquared² man’s consciousness. It’s linked to a self-sufficient personality that works and plays within the paradigm of modern life and urban society. Wild represents the expression of a more mature man that approaches life with a strong mood and sense of freedom.
NT: Why should men wear a fragrance?
DC:Because it defines a man’s personality, it tells something more about him. It’s like an ‘olfactive story’ that you tell without having to say anything. It’s definitely an emotional connection with who you are!
The accompanying campaign an explosion of sexuality and masculinity, symbolising the intensity, freedom and sensuality that the Caten twins describe the fragrance - it’s just bloody hot. Starring model and ex kite surfer, Silvester Ruck, the campaign was shot by Steven Klein.
The range features Edt bottles at 50ml (£43.00) and 100ml (£59.00) as well as a deodorant stick and spray (£22.00) and aftershave lotion spray (£39.00).
Dsquared² WILD is available from harverynichols.com
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