Trench

To embody the mystery of the mythical YSL trench coat, the Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas and the Senior Perfumer Amandine Marie chose one of the most elevated materials of the perfumers’ palette, worth more than its weight in gold: orris butter. Also known as iris concrete, it is drawn from the roots of Iris pallida rather than the flower, dug up after maturing three years, then aged for three more years before it develops its characteristic scent. As powdery-soft as the bare skin that wears it, the elegant ingredient unfolds its complex woody, violet and suede tones in TRENCH. In a radiant fragrant rainfall, drops of bright citruses add their sparkling notes to the sophisticated blend. The Inspiration It is one of the most iconic looks in the cinema of the 1960s: Catherine Deneuve, clad in a black vinyl trench coat, in Luis Buñuel’s scandalous Belle de jour. Designed by Yves Saint Laurent, this piece of subversive bourgeois chic, drawn from the 1966 Saint Laurent rive gauche collection, was another example of the couturier’s signature gesture. Initially worn in the trenches by English officers, hence its name, the trench coat was redesigned in 1962 by M. Saint Laurent to enhance the curves of a woman’s body. Worn over a suit, an evening dress, or, sexily, nothing at all, the assertive elegance of YSL’s trench coats contrasts a sharp and stately cut with intuitive sensuality. The trench’s sensuality lies in its masterful play on duality. The structured silhouette, with its sharp lines and defined shoulders, hints at a powerful, almost masculine strength. Yet, the cinched waist creates a distinctly feminine curve perfectly blending the iconic contrast that defines YSL style. Whether it’s the traditional gabardine, supple leather, or fluid silk, the texture against the skin adds a tactile dimension, the couturier endowed it with a strong sensual charm that gave off a whiff of danger and of the forbidden.