Legendary luxury brand Dunhill have released a new men’s fragrance aiming to be a new ‘Icon’. It’s Masculine, classic, confident, and stylish – and I’m just talking about the bottle!
At first glance the design for Dunhill Icon is clear – this is a men’s fragrance built for purpose, to sit comfortably and confidently alongside your signature watches, leather goods and executive toiletries. It holds all of the hallmarks of the Dunhill brand: the sleek silver casing (designed by Mark Eisen) has a classic, understated styling – reminiscent of timeless motoring & classic 50s cinema. This is a fragrance for men, not boys.
Created by noted perfumer Carlos Benaim (the man behind scents such as ‘Polo Ralph Lauren’ and ‘Pure Poison’) with Dunhill’s Creative Director John Ray, ‘Icon’ seeks to define Dunhill’s vision of a ‘self-assured, sophisticated urban gentleman’.
The Icon campaign stars none other than Mr. Diet Coke himself, Andrew Cooper, who is as charming and friendly as he is handsome. The slick shoot was helmed by none other than Annie Leibovitz, it was very clear how major this launch is for the brand.
At first, you take in the citrus (bergamot & neroli oil) & spicy (black pepper) top notes – a fresh intake to sharpen the senses, followed by a blend of cardamom and sweet lavender, levelled out with base notes of oud wood, vetiver and leather. ‘Icon’ is a play of spicy & sweet, taking the cue of established luxury fragrances, into a slightly newer field.
The result is a scent that feels decidedly masculine with a confident softness of touch – like fine leather. Well balanced tones prevent any from overbearing. Ray’s initial brief was that this wasn’t to become a standard vetiver scent, it had to be new and modern. The healthy amount of neroli oil lifts, lightens and freshens the fragrance from its strong base of wood and leather, making it a truly versatile scent for day and evening wear.
This is a cocktail mixed to be a fresh take on well-established ingredients, a classic with a twist, and maybe even an icon.
Dunhill ICON is available at harveynichols.com
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