Scent of A Woman

Kenneth Goh finds out that a woman’s prime weapon of mass seduction is neither a come-hither wink nor a flash of skin, but the fragrance that surrounds her

I am standing in the lobby of the Mandarinn Oriental in Milan and I need to get to the press conference for Gucci’s Flora Anniversary perfume launch. But I don’t have to search for it. The entire lobby is engulfed with the scent of a summer meadow—a highly unlikely scenario considering that it is one degree outside and completely grey. Think: Fields of summer flowers with the sun’s rays streaming through apricot trees. I am here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Flora print, encapsulated in this floral scent that was first launched in 2009. It now has over 10 permutations and is as synonymous with the Italian House as its interlocking GG’s, the matching logo print and the gilt horsebit.

As the famous story goes, Flora came about in 1966 when Princess Grace of Monaco visited Gucci’s Milan store to buy a Bamboo handbag and to meet Rodolfo Gucci (a fellow actor himself). Honoured by her visit, Gucci insisted she accept a gift, and the princess chose a scarf. He decided to create a floral version especially for her and commissioned artist Vittorio Accornero to design a collage of motifs—of 43 coloured blooms and nine insects, to beprecise—and named the design Flora.

Then, in 2009, the House took Flora to a new level: With its 43 flowers serving as a source of inspiration, it made the leap from print to fragrance. Complex and alluring, the scent of fresh mandarin and pear are the first notes that hit you, followed by the vibrancy of pepper. Blended with other flowers like peony and rose, this limited edition Flora also has a touch of leather to bring sensuality to this floral bouquet, blending beautifully with Cedarwood, musk and patchouli.