Greg Lauren on His Foray Into Fragrance

With his fifth ready-to-wear collection behind him, the 43-year-old L.A. artist-turned-designer Greg Lauren will make his fragrance industry debut on Tuesday, when his namesake unisex fragrance hits shelves at the Barneys New York flagship on Madison Avenue. “I thought this would have the same emotional themes that I’d want to express in my collection, which never feels like a fragment is made for men and another for women,” said Lauren, a nephew of Ralph Lauren. The exclusive scent is the second in the luxury department store’s designer fragrance collection, which started in 2012 with a L’Wren Scott creation. Made by the New York perfumer Ralf Schwieger, whose work includes Lipstick Rose by Frédéric Malle and Eau des Merveilles by Hermès, the blend’s sweet aroma is built around tonka beans, vanilla and coconut, offset by a musky veil of sandalwood, amber and moss.

“In working directly with an artist, it is up to me to translate his ideas and emotions into a scent,” said Schwieger, who used a visit to Lauren’s showroom as a jumping-off point for the fragrance. “Once I have a feel for the scent and the basic structure is in place, I have to fine-tune it, like working on a sculpture.” And the final product is a work of art, literally: Lauren decorated each bottle so that no two are the same. Here, he reflects on what he learned from the process, his favorite ingredients and whether he plans to expand his new footing in the beauty industry.

What was your first experience with fragrance?
 It was absolutely Ralph Lauren Polo. That was the first time I was exposed to the power of something. The imagery is so iconic and so classic. It’s one of the greatest smells out there. I later used my wife’s perfume Comptoir Sud Pacifique in the Vanille Abricot or Vanille Extreme scents, which she has been wearing for 15 years. Right now, I’m going through the Greg Lauren for Barneys New York prototype tester bottles. It’s funny, I’ll think: “Yeah, this one had too much pear, but I’m gonna go with it.”

Full Interview Can Be Found Here