“Thank you all for coming to celebrate with us. This is a big moment for our brand — a big one,” said Simona Cattaneo, Coty’s chief marketing officer, as we sat down for the Calvin Klein launch on Wednesday evening. What a great opening.
With a series of panels and workshops led by female leaders in their fields, it was clear from the start that this launch was going to be something special. That being said, Calvin Klein Women is an extraordinary fragrance.
Not only is it the brand’s first women’s eau de toilette in 13 years, it’s also the first CK fragrance to come from Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons. Why now? Women’s fragrances should draw inspiration from the multifaceted realities of modern female identity. Spearheaded by an all-female team, everything about Calvin Klein Women was developed by women for women.
During a panel discussion at the launch event, award-winning actress Saoirse Ronan spoke to us about what it was like working with award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o and world-renowned visual artist Anne Collier, who shot the campaign.
“This was a true collaboration for all the women involved. While the idea of celebrating iconic women with this fragrance was always there, both Lupita and I were asked to bring our own vision and ideas to the concept. Neither Anne, Lupita or I come from a fashion background, so we believed in this project.”
As a result, the actresses appeared without makeup in the shoot, showing their most natural selves: listening to their favorite records, sketching and reading – a celebration of their true selves. And, thanks to the talents of master perfumers Annick Menardo and Honorine Blanc, we finally have a fragrance that they say is “for us, not for others.”
The perfumers worked tirelessly for six months to break the boundaries of gender-specific fragrances to create a “disruptive fragrance” that echoes the new disruptive chapter of Calvin Klein under Raf Simons.
A careful combination of eucalyptus acorn, Alaskan cedarwood and orange blossom creates a beautifully rich, fresh and refreshing fragrance.
Calvin Klein Women was also born out of a wider call to action. Just as Saoirse Hepburn and Lupita Calvin were asked: “Which iconic woman has influenced you the most?” Calvin Klein invites you to think about how women past and present continue to pave the way for us in contemporary society.
Saoirse Hepburn chose Nina Simone and Sissy Spacek because they were authentic and strong (and because they “reminded her of her parents”), while Lupita chose Katharine Hepburn and Eartha Kitt.