《LANVIN @ AVANT GARDE》

 LANVIN AVANT GARDE is the new fragrance for men. This emblematic juice bears all the hallmarks of LANVIN menswear, which Alber Elbaz, the brand’s artistic director, eloquently defines as “the use of elaborate raw materials, a preference for detail, modernity, excellence, the expression of clean lines and comfort”.Just like LANVIN fashion, wearing “AVANT GARDE” fragrance is like being part of a dream, initiated by a unique olfactory style: elegance and sophistication, discretion and refinement, sensuality and boldness - this instantly recognisable signature is the contemporary embodiment of French masculine style.

The bottle design reflects the aesthetic perfectionism of LANVIN menswear. Its fundamentally simple lines joyfully embody the house’s chic, streamlined and contemporary style. With its ergonomic shape, refined curves and sensual touch, it is an elegant reinterpretation of an evening suit. Its corpulent body is a well-worked matt black, intersected by a band of metallic grey-green with a raw seam. The house engaged its unique expertise to find the right mix of colours and materials, as the ready-to-wear stylist Lucas Ossendrijver describes: “the LANVIN man loves exclusive fabrics with a delicate shimmer, deep blues, false blacks, dark greens, an array of greys. It is all about the shade, the palette, and the emotion”. To create these subtle tones and contrasting textures, the bottle was first lacquered in blue-green, then in metallic silver, before being relacquered in matt black. The ultimate detail of the laser cutting posed a  major technical challenge. By creating a clear band to set off the unique grey blue reflection, the transparent juice is made to  vibrate. The LANVIN logo is printed onto the aluminium lid in black silk screen. The top notes of this woody oriental combine the freshness of Italian bergamot with the spiciness of Madagascan black pepper, pink peppercorns and juniper essence. Beat wildly with an armful of lavender, sprinkled with fresh spices (nutmeg and cardamom) and then gathered together by beeswax to give the juice its honey inflection. In the base notes vetiver mixes its savage intensity with the enveloping warmth of benzoin, the ecstatic spirals of a tobacco accord and the woody amber facets of the AVANT GARDE Georgywood.  The key note leaves both an intense and tender, dense and chic, round and structured note on the skin. Decidedly addictive. Available in April 2012.