Would you pay US$10,000 for Formula One’s first perfumes – marrying citrus and spice scents with the smell of burnt rubber?
Motorsports fans might already be divided by F1’s decision to produce an official fragrance – but likely to prove more divisive still is the five-figure price tag for Designer Parfums’ scents which are bottled in three exoskeletons designed by Ross Lovegrove – Agile Embrace, Fluid Symmetry and Compact Suspension
Looking to expand its fan base by introducing new and innovative entertainment and lifestyle offerings, Formula One launched its first perfume collection in collaboration with Designer Parfums at the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the season. The catch? The perfume comes with a US$10,000 price tag.
The collection comprises five different scents representing the best of haute parfumerie by perfumers Emilie Coppermann, Alexandra Carlin, Aliénor Massenet, Louise Turner, Fabrice Pellegrin and Pierre Gueros working for fragrance producers Symrise, Firmenich and Givaudan.
One mixes citrus with leather, burnt rubber and a salty accord, while another marries the heat of black pepper with the coolness of juniper around narcissus and soft, mineral orris. Another interpretation matching citruses, woods and spices is built around a champagne accord to embody the thrill of victory celebrations.
Available with a choice of three hi-tech 3D-printed exoskeletons conceived by acclaimed Welsh designer Ross Lovegrove – Agile Embrace, Fluid Symmetry or Compact Suspension – each bottle comes in a limited and numbered edition of 20. Marking a design revolution in the conservative perfume sector, they were previously impossible to manufacture as the technology did not exist. Every piece is made to order, and customers may register interest at designerparfums.com.
On March 15, 2020, a more affordable US$250 premium edition housed in a digital light synthesis 3D-printed technopolymeric resin exoskeleton will be introduced at the Australian Grand Prix, before reaching retailers globally from April 2020.
Parag Vidyarthi, managing director of Designer Parfums, says, “The luxury US$10,000 editions are perfect for collectors who want exclusive, limited-edition pieces of art. Inspired by the form and lines of Formula One cars, our Ross Lovegrove designs are equally of interest to motorsport and F1 aficionados and lovers of exquisite fragrances, art and design alike.