Richard Herpin: 2 posts

After months of media buzz, Lady Gaga Fame has finally been launched.  You probably know by now how this celebrity perfume thing works.  Some celebrities—like Sarah Jessica Parker—get down and dirty in the design process, vetting the concept, going through the mods, arguing for dirtier musk, losing argument for dirtier musk, announcing that next time things are going to be different.  Then there are those under whose noses you presume a scent strip has passed, but who have not attended that endless cycle of developmental-phase meetings.

Lady Gaga appears to be of the assertive former type.  Early reports had it that the singer wanted her perfume to be based on blood and semen.  These notes, which might seem shockingly brave, are not new: Etat Libre d’Orange has already done both in Sécrétions Magnifiques.  But as happened with Parker’s dirtier musk, these notes didn’t make the final cut.  Instead, Fame, billed as “the first ever black eau de parfum,” contains “pulverized apricot, crushed heart of Tiger Orchidea, and tears of belladonna.”

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka have long been the darlings of Hollywood celebrities and publications such as Vogue, which named them among the “Top 10 American Designers.” The classical silhouettes of their glamorous gowns, their predilection for luxurious, yet understated embellishments and their ability to distinguish between good taste and wanton excess is what garnered loyal support for the duo’s collections. It is therefore not surprising to discover that Badgley Mischka has pursued a union of fashion with fragrance via their eponymous release created by the Firmenich perfumer Richard Herpin.

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