"I think I am perhaps almost unique in the world of perfumery by having an advertising campaign in which the woman is wearing clothes. Most perfume ads seem to be full of people who are naked!" |
World famous designer and all-round style guru Jeremy Scott bounces into the press conference, resplendent in Moschino from head to toe—quite literally, as he's sporting a Moschino crown on his bonce. Pointing at the video wall behind him showing the TOY campaign on a loop, a woman walks down a runway with a circle of teddy bears attached to her off-the-shoulder black dress. In a way, this outfit is quite restrained for Moschino, and certainly compared to Scott's incredible outfit today, silver leather trousers gleaming as the cameras flash, brightly colored cartoon like imagery covering his jacket. Not known for his self-restraint in the face of fashion, Scott was the perfect choice for a harmonious marriage with Moschino, and TOY perfume is an extension of that pop-culture romance. The 'packaging' if you can call it that is a perfect replica of a cute teddy bear, realistic down to the brightly colored plastic and cardboard box he's housed in; the main difference being that you are positively encouraged to twist off the bear's head to get at the juice inside—not something one normally does (in public, anyway) with one's teddy.
American designer Jeremy Scott began his career in the late '90s, with one particular show wowing the crowds at Paris Fashion Week in Spring 2000, leading Vogue magazine to champion his work, and claiming the collection was "... a witty reply to all his detractors, who had accused him in the past of producing outlandish clothing that no one would wear." Scott has always been known for his cheeky reinterpretations of iconic childlike imagery, with a particular fondness for teddy bears, and working with stars such as Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani, to name but a few. There really couldn't be a better pairing of house and designer for this collaboration, and a perfume was the natural next step in their relationship.
Jeremy Scott has had quite a day of it already, even before the press conference began—many hundreds of fans flocked to the iconic London department store to see their idol in person, some of them even travelling in from Singapore or getting there for 3am especially for the launch. Scott was his usual gregarious and generous self with his fans, stopping to pose for selfies and chatting with the crowds, some of whom were screaming and moved to tears by the occasion. Not your average perfume launch, that's for certain, and not your average perfume, either, come to that.
TOY is unisex, surprisingly less sweet than you would imagine for such a knowingly cutesy flacon. I had thought it would be sugary, soft and child-like in nature, but on being handed a blotter on which to smell the fragrance at last, I was pleasantly shocked at the mossy, ferny lightness that greeted my nose. It starts out quite overtly masculine, I think, and then settles down for a snuggle that becomes softer and sweeter in the heart before going for a full-on bear-hug at the base. I suppose I should have foreseen that all would not be what it first seems, for this playful, flirtatious nature with a chic edginess is, after all, the byword of the Moschino brand. Making fashion fun for adults is what sets Moschino apart, and this ethos has definitely transferred perfectly to their latest fragrance release.
Munching on macarons and sniffing at what have to be the most darling fragrance blotters ever, we listened as Scott talked about his influences and asked for questions from the gathered beauty press basking in his warmth and delighted smiles.
Jeremy Scott: "I like the idea of making things that people will want to keep or cherish even once there's no fragrance left in the bottle—hopefully even the box itself. You know, something nice to keep."
I asked Jeremy if his design represented putting some fun back into the world of perfumery, which can take itself very seriously at times ...
Jeremy: "I hope so! That's kind of been my goal in everything I do, in fashion, alldesign, even my footwear. I like the idea of giving a bit more humor to something that is usually a bit more serious. I mean when you look at this video, even though the woman's wearing a high fashion and sophisticated outfit, at the end of the day she's actually wearing a teddy bear dress! As I said, most perfume campaigns are full of naked people, so I am somewhat revolutionary having someone clothed."
TOY features notes of juniper berries, mandarin, cardamom and bergamot, with a heart of lavender, violet petals and hawthorn, with base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, mountain tree moss and acacia; finishing with woodsy notes that nod to the origin of the teddy bear's home in the forest.
Jeremy: "I wanted something that would smell correct for coming from a teddy bear. I also felt it would be cool to have something unisex. Even if it's in one way playing with a traditional campaign by having a woman front it, if you divorce the image of the teddy bear and the packaging, it's genderless. So this is something I could wear and that lots of my fans would like, but would also be good for a woman to wear. You know, women are quite lucky style wise because they can pick up and borrow things from men in fragrance and in fashion and make it their own, whereas it's a little bit more difficult to do that the other way. I wanted to make something light and in between. The image of the bottle was what I had in my head first, to tell you the truth, and the scent was built around that. I'm a visual artist first and foremost, not an olfactory artist by nature; so it was always going to be visual for me at first. The difficult challenge is then going on to articulate a feeling into a scent and something that felt new and fresh and exciting and different, but which could be gender neutral."
"Scott shares his unabashed love and icon-ization of teddy bears with the house's famed founder, Franco Moschino, who devotedly used stuffed animals to cover dresses, coats and hats in his fall-winter 1988 collection. Just as cheeky, and perhaps even more lovably snuggly, Jeremy Scott's teddy comes armed with a heart-warming smile and a T-shirt that states, 'This is Not a Moschino Toy.'"
Jeremy: "I'm launching TOY first at Harrods because I love London so much. I have a really wonderful relationship with the British press as well, they've always been so encouraging of everything I have done. I've always felt really supported by them, so when I was asked about locations to do the launch, to me there was no doubt that I wanted to do it here in London, and it had to be Harrods. For me they are the benchmark for fragrance launches. I'm just do happy we could do it this close to Christmas, too! The bear wasn't specifically made for Christmas but I just feel he'd make a great present, so it's great that it all came together at the right time."
Talking about the uber excitement of his fans who had queued for hours just to catch a glimpse of him, Jeremy said he was delighted by their reaction to the fragrance.
"Everyone was super lovely—I can't believe that people were flying in from Singapore or Hong Kong, that's just amazing! There are so many people who took time to come and see me, that makes me so happy."
When asked if there would be future editions of TOY, perhaps featuring other outfits to buy for the bear, Scott beamed and said he very much hoped so. "I'm really into accessorizing, as you may have noticed, so it would thrill me to design other outfits for him all day long! I'm not sure my team in the studio would be quite as thrilled if I spent all my time designing for him, though ... But I'd like for him to be able to accessorize himself!"
Jeremy Scott was asked if he'd shown the bear to Miley Cyrus, a star he has worked with on many occasions; Scott revealed that she hadn't yet seen it, but that as soon as he flew back to the States next Sunday, "... it will be her birthday, so I'm literally going from the airport to my house to drop off my suitcase, then straight to her birthday party, so I'm going to take her a TOY for her birthday present."
A number of people have cited Cyrus as a "muse" for Scott, but he explained that, "... I have many muses, in all shapes and sizes, in many forms and for different reasons. I don't feel like it's always just aesthetic, it's an intangible quality. Sometimes it's my friends like Miley, who's a musician, sometimes it's a friend who isn't well known at all. Sometimes it's a fan that I'vd met that's just inspired me and I think of them when I'm designing something, because I think of how much they love something I have done or something that's inspired them, too. At those times I just try to rise to the occasion and do something to earn their love."
The adulation of Scott's fans leaves no doubt of their continued love for their idol, and his genuine respect and affection for them really shines through as he talks. TOY is revolutionary in many ways, and Scott can be certain that he has risen to the occasion once again.
TOY launches exclusively at Harrods, in store and online, until November 23rd as well being available at Moschino.com. The fragrance will then roll out to department stores and Moschino boutiques worldwide in the coming weeks. RRP: Eau de Toilette 50 ml - £80.00
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