Monocle Launches Comme des Garçons Fragrance Scent Three: “Sugi”

Global-affairs magazine Monocle recently introduced its third collaboration with Comme des Garçons, Scent Three: Sugi. Following the worldwide success of debut Scent One: Hinoki in 2008 and Scent Two: Laurel in 2009, this long-awaited addition launched in all five Monocle Shops, plus in Dover Street Market in London and Tokyo.

Created in Paris by Comme des Garçons head perfumer Antoine Maisondieu, the light, energizing and sophisticated fragrance is inspired by the sugi – also known as Japanese cedar – which is a popular ornamental plant in Japan. It’s a refreshing unisex scent, beginning with top notes of Mediterranean cypress and pepper from Madagascar, followed by iris from Florence and cedar from Virginia and finished with pine and Haitian vetiver.

“We’ve been working with Comme des Garçons for four years on Sugi and wanted it to bring a new dimension to our fragrance range,” says Monocle editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé. “Sugi sits seamlessly alongside Hinoki and Laurel as a distinctive Monocle scent but brings an added clean, fresh and delicate appeal.”

With Hinoki & Laurel consistently in the top ten of Comme des Garçons bestseller list – and stocked by the likes of Colette, Liberty, Corso Como, Selfridges, Au Printemps and all Comme des Garcons stores worldwide,  Adrian Joffe, CEO of Comme des Garçons, has every confidence in Sugi.

“From the amazing yellow box, to the graphic design and the fragrance itself, this is one of my all time favorite perfumes we have ever done and we’ve done nearly 70 different fragrances up to now,” says Joffe. Every element of Sugi’s packaging was created by Monocle creative director Richard Spencer Powell and his London design team to reflect the sophisticated and intelligent values of both the magazine and Comme des Garçons. The scent comes in a bold yellow matte-glass bottle (50ml) with similarly distinctive yellow packaging, again featuring Monocle’s highly recognizable font and design.

Scent Three: Sugi is available now.