via Jean Paul Gaultier
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its immensely popular ‘Le Mâle’ fragrance, Jean Paul Gaultier has unveiled a special Pride edition of its bestselling parfum. The striking ‘Le Mâle’ bottle was first unveiled in 1995 and caught immediate attention for its sculpted appearance. The bottle is shaped in the form of a toned male torso, and is traditionally coated with Russian Navy sailor stripes. However, for summer 2020’s special edition, the brand have opted to trade the nautical features for a Pride rainbow flag.
Gaultier has consistently used his label to overtly engage with homosexuality and gender fluidity long before they were ever topical in mainstream discourse. It is befitting that the ‘Le Mâle’ fragrance should receive a special Pride edition given that the bottle’s sailor stripes are a nod towards the 1982 erotic-drama, Querelle. The film’s sailor protagonist undergoes a journey of homosexual self-discovery which has resulted in him being seen as a hypersexualised queer symbol.
The special Pride edition parfum combines scents of lavender with orange blossom, cinnamon and cumin. These foregrounding scents are backed up by those of wood, musk, amber, vanilla and tonka bean giving a fragrence that the brand believes perfectly represents love, freedom and Pride,
The special PRIDE edition of ‘La Mâle’ is exclusively available at Flaconi.