Page 37 - Sharp Winter 2024

A NEW ERA
CELEBRATING A MODERN AGE OF MASCULINITY, BOSS REINVENTS ITS FIRST EVER MEN’S FRAGRANCE
By David Stol
SILVER MAY BE THE TRADITIONAL GIFT FOR A 25TH
anniversary, but the stopper of BOSS’ latest eau de parfum glimmers gold. Commemorating the quarter-century of the fashion house’s original men’s fragrance, the new BOSS Bottled Elixir Parfum Intense is an exciting prospect, launched to celebrate the consistent quality of the brand’s colognes during recent decades, but also to herald a new era for modern masculinity.
Whether perfumers or designers, the creatives at BOSS have never been willing to drift idly by on the laurels of the brand’s rich heritage. Instead, looking to the 1998 release of Hugo Boss’ original Boss Bottled eau de toilette for inspiration, BOSS Bottled Elixir Parfum Intense is a bold reinvention of that first fragrance — and the most highly concentrated of the brand’s entire collection.
Even its name — “Elixir” — suggests something special, out of the ordinary, and almost ethereal or mystical in nature. And yet, the development of the new scent has been as disciplined and considered as ever, with BOSS maintaining its time-honoured commitment to excellence by entrusting the task to master perfumer Annick Ménardo, who created the original scent 25 years ago.
“There actually was no specific brief at that time,” says Ménardo of the initial fragrance. “I had to rely on my own instincts and
creativity. I strongly believed in the idea of a gourmand scent and more specifically, the apple strudel association: cooked apple, cin- namon and vanilla were notes that I thought would appeal to the BOSS man of the time, reminding them of the comforting smell of home-cooked meals.”
Collaborating with talented perfumer Suzy Le Helley, Ménardo has refreshed the fragrance for a modern market. It ushers in a new chapter for BOSS, with aromatic notes of incense and cardamom, a heart of vetiver, and a musky base of cedarwood and labdanum.
These rich, robust notes establish BOSS’ revised brand of “modern masculinity,” recently a common watchword in the world of men’s luxury. The German brand has long been at the forefront of this identity revolution, from encouraging men to live more sustain- ably to spearheading its landmark global rebrand last year with the prominent #ManofToday campaign. Such commitment to the bold reimagining and evolution of masculinity has become a core part of what the brand — and its new signature fragrance — stands for. Balancing tradition with contemporary notions is a delicate act, yet Ménardo is confident that this latest fragrance honours the strong legacy of that initial 1998 launch.
“I wanted to approach the gourmand family 25 years later in a more contemporary way,” says Ménardo of creating BOSS Bottled Elixir Parfum Intense, “with an overdose of vanilla notes sophisticated by a strong patchouli signature and a rich ambery background.”
Its presentation is equally enlightened. The new fragrance is contained within a midnight-black glass perfume bottle, or “flacon,” which has been designed to glow a translucent gold at its centre. It’s a physical embodiment of the scent’s mission statement: encouraging men to “find their inner light.” Topped with that brushed gold cap, the scent exudes elevated elegance and proves that, even after 25 years of brilliance, there is always room for reinvention.
SHARPMAGAZINE.COM
WINTER 2024 • GUIDE 37
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