Every item in Carrie Bradshaw's Sex and the City closet has been meticulously catalogued and studied by the show's fans over the last two decades. Her fragrance collection, meanwhile, isn't as clear-cut. (From haphazard screengrabs, it looks like her fictional West Village countertop includes Jo Malone and Hermès bottles.) Bradshaw could have found a signature scent in the new designer perfume line that's dropping today, based on her handbag collection alone. The reason? It's partially inspired by one of her favorite bags: the Fendi Baguette.
Fendi has just unveiled its first-ever fragrance collection, a lineup of seven scents the label says are inspired by members of the Fendi family and its recognizable leather bags. Each scent is housed in a refillable glass bottle with an early sunset palette.
Scent profiles range from a fresh pink pepper and incense blend (called Perché No) to a "second-skin" bergamot and orange blossom (called Siempre Mio). Perfumers Quentin Bisch, Fanny Bal and Anne Flipo collaborated with Fendi artistic directors Kim Jones, Silvia Venturini Fendi, and Delfina Delettrez Fendi on each fragrance.
Silvia Venturini Fendi said the collection expresses the brand's design codes from a different point of view, swapping leather, cotton, and hardware for a mix of highly concentrated fragrance notes. "Today, at Fendi we can readily say that we have explored and used all the senses," she said in a press release. (Samples were not available for testing ahead of Fendi's aromatic debut, but editors will update this post with an honest, in-depth review as soon as we can.)
Fashion obsessives will most likely gravitate toward La Baguette, a blend of French iris, Madagascar vanilla, and leather. The scent comes in a bright, sunny shade that coordinates with Fendi's current assortment of Baguette bags.
These days, Fendi is best known in fashion circles for its leather goods and accessories. Its "accessorize now, ask questions later" ethos carries over to the fragrance launch with upscale twists on perfume storage. Shoppers can order a set of three scents with a studded, top-handle trunk coated in Fendi's interlocking F print. Or, they can lean into one of summer 2024's biggest accessory trends with a dainty perfume carrying case that clips onto the handle of another bag. These add-ons imply that Fendi's fragrances aren't supposed to sit on a shelf at home—they're meant to travel.
Fendi's debut perfumes arrive amid a luxury fragrance boom. Other Milan and Paris Fashion Week regulars are gearing up to release their first-ever scents or re-enter the category after an extended hiatus. Bottega Veneta plans to unveil its first-ever perfume this fall, while Miu Miu will send a Miuccia Prada-approved fragrance to market in 2024. A few highly anticipated luxury scents have already hit shelves, like Acne Studios's debut scent, created in partnership with Frédéric Malle.
The launch of Fendi's fragrances is poised to make a significant impact on the perfume market. While it's too early to predict if they'll revolutionize the industry like the iconic Baguette bag did for purses, the stylish start is certainly promising.
Fendi's perfumes arrive in Fendi stores and on Fendi.com on June 20.
