Patrick Guedj

MadlyKENZO is the new sparkling fruity floral fragrance by KENZO, created by perfumer Aurélien Guichard. The sensual oriental eau de parfum and the juicy eau de toilette are more youthful and coquettish than clean classic FlowerByKenzo and the seductive Kenzo FlowerTAG.

MadlyKENZO was designed to cause ‘love at first scent’ and was inspired by Aurélian Guichard’s admiration of freedom in women around him. Guichard has already created three fragrances for KENZO and is also the nose behind Gucci Guilty, Comme des Garcons Play, Diane von Furstenberg Diane, new fragrances for Robert Piguet and this year’s Issey Miyake Pleats Please.

The face of MadlyKENZO is up-and-coming British actress Amber Anderson and the vibrant campaign was shot in Argentina by director Patrick Guedj.

The eau de parfum is warm and spicy with top notes of orange blossom, a heart of heliotrope flower and rose and a base of cedar, incense and vanilla. The eau de toilette is a lighter, summery affair, created in collaboration with Francois Demanchy. It opening with pear and litchi, leading to heliotrope flower and jasmine and a dry down of cedar and musks.

Designed by Ron Arad, the sculptural, ergonomic glass bottle was inspired by a butterfly wing in motion and features a flash of colour – magenta pink for the eau de toilette and violet purple for the eau de parfum.

I found the eau de toilette to be a romantic, warm, luscious and sweet fragrance. It evokes memories of Mediterranean summer holidays and walking through tumbling cherry blossom.

MadlyKENZO is available exclusively at Debenhams now and nationwide from 1 August. For more information, visit: www.madlykenzo.com

eau de parfum is priced £39 (30ml), £54.50 (50ml).
eau de toilette is priced £32.50 (30ml), £49 (50ml), £60 (100ml).

FlowerByKenzo is an iconic fragrance that has endured over the years and hold court alongside modern classics such as Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue or Thierry Mugler Angel.

Releasing a new ‘interpretation’ of a classic fragrance can be an arduous task and this summer, the brand has launched Kenzo FlowerTAG. At first glance, I thought it might just be a slightly lighter fragrance with cool new packaging, but in fact, its very individual and almost a completely different scent.

Kenzo FlowerTAG is inspired by the personal expression of tagging, with the idea of the signature Kenzo poppy emerging spontaneously on the urban landscape, like graffiti – transient and full of creative energy.

The fragrance first hits you with a youthful rush of tart fruitiness with notes of Rhubarb, Blackcurrant and Mandarin. This is swiftly followed by a fresh, intoxicating floral blend of Peony, Lily of the Valley and Jasmine.

The fragrance stays sparkling and bursting with florals, but it is gradually warmed by Tea Note, Vanilla and Musk.

Kenzo FlowerTAG is an effervescent, sexy, vibrant scent that is all about youth, rebellion and passion. It’s unconventional and a real departure from Kenzo Flower, which reflects the quirky side of intelligent – in fashion terms, much like Prada or Marni.

I was also drawn to FlowerByKenzo but for very different reasons. It’s a clean, powdery fragrance that reminds me of fresh linen, parma violets and elegant lilies, but with a slight edge of fresh greenery. It shares some of the same notes as its younger sister, but its unique aroma comes from Parma Violet, Hawthorn, Cassis, Bulgarian Rose and Opoponax.

With FlowerByKenzo there is a touch of androgyny, but Kenzo FlowerTAG is a very feminine fragrance and is definitely aimed at a younger wearer. The fiery red bottle echoes the shape of the original long, leaning bottle but features white graffiti with the words ‘flower flower flower’ inscribed.

Kenzo FlowerTAG artistic director Patrick Guedj said that the product conception was based on “the idea of reclaiming this spirit of love and generosity in the graffiti. The challenge was to give tags a feminine touch, a really poetic vibe.”

This made me think of French graff-artist André’s Love Graffiti (he is commissioned to graffiti lovers’ names on a secret location in Paris) and how beautiful graffiti can be when there is meaning.

In a way, Kenzo’s influence is tagged all over the streets of Paris (ever since Kenzo Takada settled there in the ’60s), so Kenzo FlowerTAG is a very appropriate homage to the legacy of the maison while looking to the future.

Kenzo FlowerTAG launches September 2011 at The Perfume Shop and nationwide and is available from £31 for 30ml to £63 for 100ml (all Eau de Toilette).

Personalised the ad film and tag your messages on www.kenzo-flowertag.com

KENZO Launches New Fragrance MadlyKENZO

New Fragrance: Kenzo FlowerTAG