Fashion

Marc Jacobs' New Scent Is A Showstopper

by Tyler Atwood

If you haven't yet chosen your fall fragrance, look no further than Marc Jacobs' new perfume Decadence, whose packaging, advertising, and top notes are, well, decadent. Women's Wear Daily reports that Jacobs sought to fashion a different scent entirely with Decadence, an eau that appeals to a very different consumer than the designer's previous fragrances. And indeed, the perfume is a horse of a different color.

Packaged to appear like one of Jacobs' coveted handbags, Decadence appears gloriously adorned in sumptuous green python leather with a gilded chain strap and cheeky tassel to boot. If you don't peer at the bottle closely enough, it could easily be mistaken for a next-generation cross-body bag. By way of explanation, Jacobs related to Women's Wear Daily that he “wanted something that evoked the sense of a bag, with python and gold chain and a black silk tassel, so it had a kind of opulence and glamour and became an object of desire."

Appearance aside, the perfume packs a punch in terms of aromatics, utilizing floral notes including Bulgarian Rose, Iris and Jasmine to counter Vetiver, Saffron, and Plum. Unlike Honey, Dot, Daisy, or any of Jacobs' previous scents, Decadence is decidedly sophisticated and urbane. The scent is inarguably an intoxicating cocktail, and who better to represent such a sensuous scent than model Adriana Lima? Lima's election as spokesmodel for Decadence became abundantly clear when she graced the Met Ball red carpet on Jacobs' arm, clad in one of the designer's oxblood column gowns.

It seems that grandeur with an edge is on the brain for Jacobs. "I felt like the next story to tell was one of this indulgence of pleasure and luxury, because that’s what decadence is. And I had to tell that in a way that was irreverent..." Jacobs related to Women's Wear Daily. It would appear the glitterati have a new signature scent.