Givenchy Beauty has relaunched its classic fragrance L’Interdit for a new generation.
The original L’Interdit was created in 1957 exclusively for Hubert de Givenchy’s friend and muse Audrey Hepburn; when Givenchy asked Hepburn if he could commercialise the scent, she reputedly joked “je vous l’interdis!” – “I forbid you!”
The Breakfast at Tiffany’s star also fronted the campaign for L’Interdit and became synonymous with the fragrance.
For the 2018 iteration, Givenchy Beauty (LVMH) was inspired by ‘crossing the line’ and the ‘thrill of the forbidden’.
A floral woody composition, L’Interdit combines an elegant white flower accord of orange blossom, sambac jasmine and tuberose with an intense ‘black’ accord comprising patchouli, vetiver and ambroxan.
Said to provide an edgy contrast between chic and shocking, the fragrance has been inspired by Givenchy’s habit of shaking up the fashion industry; his first collection, for example, broke new ground in 1953 when he introduced interchangeable ‘separates’ and used cotton – a material previously overlooked in couture. At the time, other fashion houses designed only total looks.
The revamped bottle is a tribute to the 1957 one and is designed to have a soft squareness, symbolising the chic androgyny of both Hepburn and the new face of L’Interdit: actor Rooney Mara.
It is available from October 2018, in 30ml, 50ml and 80ml sizes, starting at £51.
