Extending the radical universe of Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons Parfums invented conceptual perfumery. Under the direction of Christian Astuguevieille, the house dares what no one else attempts: to bottle the scent of tar, hot metal, oxygen, or concrete. It's an artistic approach that aims to stimulate the mind rather than simply seduce.
But behind the concept lies an absolute mastery of precious materials. From the iconic pebble- shaped bottles to cult series like Incense (Kyoto, Avignon...) or the woody collaborations with Monocle (Hinoki), the fragrances are complex, spiritual, and resolutely unisex. A perfumery with character, for those seeking a unique olfactory signature.
About this selection
When Rei Kawakubo decided to venture into perfumery in the early 1990s, she applied the same radical philosophy to olfaction that governs her fashion collections: a categorical refusal to produce what is expected, pleasant, or comforting, in order to explore sensory territories no one had yet dared to map. Under the artistic direction of Christian Astuguevieille, a sculptor and visual artist whose artistic sensibility is at odds with the conventional codes of luxury perfumery, Comme des Garçons Parfums literally invented a new genre, that of conceptual perfumery, in which the scent is not designed to immediately seduce but to provoke, question, and leave a lasting memorable impression.
The approach is as simple as it is radical: to bottle smells that traditional perfumery considers unworkable or commercially unviable. The smell of hot tar under the summer sun, oxidized metal, damp concrete after the rain, or pure oxygen at high altitudes become, in the hands of the house's perfumers, compositions of astonishing complexity and depth, revealing unexpected facets with use and evolving differently according to the warmth and chemistry of each skin. The pebble-shaped bottles, now iconic, visually embody this philosophy: smooth, minimalist, and without hierarchy between top and bottom, they reject the visual codes of conventional luxury with the same conviction that the scents reject olfactory codes. The Incense series, whose Kyoto and Avignon variations are among the most sought after by niche perfumery enthusiasts, and the woody collaborations with Monocle around Japanese hinoki, demonstrate an ability to explore very different olfactory registers while maintaining remarkable artistic and intellectual coherence.
At Actuel B, we offer a selection of Comme des Garçons perfumes, available in our stores in Avignon and Arles, as well as on our website. Pebble bottles, Incense series, and exclusive collaborations are presented by teams trained in the house's unique olfactory universe, with the time and attention that the discovery of such singular perfumery deserves.