It’s not often that you catch Thierry Mugler on the back foot. In fact, as far as its fragrance range is concerned, I don’t think there’s ever been a time that the brand has reacted to other creators’ trends, as opposed to forging its own. But one of its most recent scent developments is rather surprising: a high-price-tag, ‘exclusive’ range. It’s available only at a few outlets across the world. It comes in standard bottles. It’s sold as unisex. And the names of its scents make overt references to specific perfume families or materials. In short, it’s the very thing several other brands have been doing for quite a few years. And that’s a description that’s rarely applicable to the house that has given us Angel, Alien and Womanity.
Then again, as I’ve said before, nothing is ever quite as it seems on Planet Mugler. Whereas other companies – notably Dior and Chanel – have used their ‘limited distribution’ collections to showcase somewhat more specialist wares and project the sense that only discerning connoisseurs will appreciate them, the effect of the Exceptions scents from Mugler might be rather different. The brand’s mainstream scents are already pretty unconventional. Indeed, I don’t know of many brands that would’ve been happy to release something as challenging as Womanity. So I wonder if, with typically Mugler-esque perversity, the Exceptions might come to be seen as the house’s ‘easier’ offerings. Will they form a bridge to the black-hole weirdness of Alien or the dubious fishy-ness of the aforementioned Womanity?
Linking osmanthus with oud is an idea we’ve seen before – notably in Mona Di Orio’s Oud – but the confidence of the fruit note (courtesy of osmanthus’ peach/apricot/plum facet) is what makes Hérault’s Woodissime thought-provoking. It’s almost as though he wanted not so much to create a super-woody composition – as its name would suggest – but to find the extreme edges of the boundaries between heavy, syrupy fruit and the barks of various trees. By and large, he’s succeeded, even of Woodissime‘s drydown gets too close to the realm of 80s, furniture-polish-inflected masculines.
Fougère Furieuse (2014)*
* sample provided by the brand
** sample obtained by the author
Thanks for pointing out this line Persolaise. I wasn't aware of it (and probably won't be able to try it anyplace soon).
Since Mugler's gourmand scents are not my cup of tea, I might like some perfumes from this line. Over the Musk, Chyprissime and Woodissime sound lovely to me. Do you know the price range?…hmmm, do I want to know it…?
Neva, in the UK, they're £135 for 80 ml. Not cheap! Chyprissime is worth checking out, I'd say.
This line sounds great! Leave it to Mugler to be different by being less different! Do these have the incredible staying power of Alien and Angel?? And like Neva, I'm dying to know the price. Thanks for the heads up on what sounds like some great fumes.
Celeste, your question about staying power is a good one. I'd say that, no, they probably don't have the ridiculous tenacity of Angel and Alien, but they do last pretty well.
In Canada they are $185 for the 80 ml bottle. The exclusive retailer for Canada since their release in 2014 is Hudson's Bay.
— Lindalo
Lindaloo, thanks very much for this 🙂