Gender-free fragrances allow the nose free rein.By
RUTH LA FERLAPublished: March 23, 2006
WHEN it comes to fragrance, Trevor Mitchell is an equal opportunity sampler. Mr. Mitchell, a professional tenor, is not averse to a spritz of citrus or musk now and then. But neither is he shy or furtive about misting himself with essence of jasmine or tuberose.
Gender-free fragrances allow the nose free rein.
Not everyone shares his evenhanded approach. Mr. Mitchell is an ardent fan of an effusive rose scent by Creed called Fleurs de Bulgarie. The first time he bought it, he recalled, "the people at the fragrance counter just assumed I was buying it for someone else."
He chafes at such typecasting. "I decided a long time ago I would buy and wear what I like to smell," he said. "It has nothing to do with gender, sexuality or any of that."
Mr. Mitchell is a member of a small but influential (and sometimes persnickety) clan, fragrance lovers — youthful, sophisticated, affluent and, increasingly, male — who thumb a nose at artificial gender distinctions. They are men bored by the industry's conventional interpretation of manhood as a blast of lime, leather or musk. They are women who prowl men's fragrance counters when shopping for a scent, heading without bias where their noses lead them. Increasingly they gravitate to scents and brands that are blended, positioned and marketed without regard to sex.
"We're finding that when it comes to fragrance, old sensibilities and tastes are breaking down," said Lucy Perdomo-Ruehlemann, the vice president for global marketing for Jo Malone, the British fragrance house. Today industry insiders recognize that to more and more customers, buying fragrance by gender is a notion as quaint as gaiters.
To embrace those consumers, Jo Malone, and houses like Fresh, Creed and Bond No. 9, are simply sidestepping the issue of sex altogether, letting the customer decide what is appropriate. A few of these brands are claiming their own store real estate, a neutral environment set apart from the men's or women's fragrance counters.
They also avoid being typecast by offering neutral packaging: bottles and labels that look as though they might contain premium vodkas. Neither stereotypically masculine nor feminine, their notes are unexpected, often sharp or crisp and darkly sensuous at the same time, as in a blend of mandarin spiked with nutmeg and softened with vanilla or musk.
Gender-neutral fragrances appeal to Austin Cohen, a real estate investor in his 20's who likes to douse himself with Bleecker Street from Bond No. 9. "Basically my rule is don't wear something you'll smell on a lot of people," Mr. Cohen said.
Bleecker Street may have a conventionally feminine aura, redolent of violet leaf, jasmine and vanilla, but it passes his sniff test as a preferable alternative to sprays mass-marketed to young men. "I don't want to show up at the party in Drakkar or Obsession, something that I wore in puberty," he said.
For similar reasons Elizabeth Lawton has backed away from pronouncedly feminine scents, heady floral or powdery notes, which she regards as dated.
"I love to wear something quite natural with a citrus base," said Ms. Lawton, 27, a writer. "Men love it. It's not cloying, and it doesn't remind them of their Great Aunt Lily or marzipan."
Perfumers are betting that even the most tradition minded shoppers will not be put off by scents with neutral-sounding names like Jo Malone Lime Basil Mandarin or Pomegranate Noir, the fragrance world equivalent of Chris or Leslie. They appeal pretty much to both sexes, Ms. Perdomo-Ruehlemann said. So do L'Eau d'Hiver, Musc Ravageur and Bigarade (made by Éditions Frédéric Malle); Silver Mountain Water and Impériale Millésime (Creed); Premier Figuier and Thé Pour un Été (L'Artisan Parfumeur); and L'Eau d'Orange Verte (Hermès).
Bleecker Street, Wall Street and Little Italy, gender-free offerings from Bond No. 9, also appeal to all, said Laurice Rahmé, the impresario behind them, and account for about 50 percent of its sales. Ms. Rahmé argues that to her customers, separating perfumes by sex makes no more sense than doing so with food or wine. "Those pleasures, too, are genderless," she said.
