Donatella Versace & Bruce Weber

The Legendary Designer Connects With the Iconic Photographer to Reflect on Their Latest Visual Collaboration: an Action-packed Film and Feats of Strength Series of Images for the House’s Dylan Blue Scent.

BRUCE WEBER: Dylan Blue, for me, has always been about expressing the personal journey of being on the verge of manhood. 

DONATELLA VERSACE: It is more than just a fragrance! It stands for a character: his passions, his vulnerability, and his power. When I was creating the scent, it was almost like I was falling in love. I knew I loved him from the beginning, and, as the fragrance came to life, it was like I loved him even more. Does it sound crazy to talk about a fragrance like it’s a person? Well, it’s true. For me, that is what makes Dylan Blue so special. It has life, it has soul. In the creation, it was also as if there was a movie in my mind, and there was only one person that could bring that movie to life. That person is you, Bruce.

WEBER: The moment when a person believes in himself enough that he can look in the mirror as a way to show some encouragement for standing alone is, for me, the heart of the scent.

VERSACE: It is deeply masculine, with evocative woody notes. There is the intensity of the fresh opening notes—the sensuality of musk and patchouli. It is all these different complex characteristics that come together to create the way that men are today.

WEBER: The fragrance reminds of a time when all my friends were working out and training in the gym and I was at home reading movie magazines. I always knew that someday those two worlds would come together.