FREDERIC MALLE
ACNE STUDIOS
2024
PERFUMER
Suzy Le Helley
aldehydes
floral notes
rose
sandalwood
white musk
The smell of fresh laundry is the first to hit from the scent, and Malle points out that fabric softeners have their own classical roots. “What people don’t know is that many of those fabric softener scents are inspired by classic French perfumery,” he says, calling out “very comfortable, very clean, very crisp” connotations in peoples’ minds. “The warm feeling that an Acne scarf can give,” is what Le Helley describes the final version, and knowing that Johansson’s team is already wearing it “it’s a good sign,” she says, adding that when someone rebuys a scent, you know it works. “It’s kind of connected to fashion in a weird way,” says Johansson of fragrance’s ability to creating a signature. “We never really set out to do perfume here at all. It’s just based on having the opportunity to work with Frédéric, otherwise I don’t think it would happen.”’ – Vogue
REVIEW
If I’m being really honest, I feel like this review could easily be just two sentences: ‘If you like clean laundry musk scents, this is an excellent version of that. If that idea doesn’t excite you, Acne Studios won’t excite you either’.
Acne Studios Par Frederic Malle is the brand’s latest collaboration release, with fashion brand Acne Studios. It follows the somewhat controversial Uncut Gem (which is my least favorite Frederic Malle to date) and the lovely Heaven Can Wait. As much as I liked Heaven Can Wait, I heard from many people in my circle that they were underwhelmed by it and I have a hard time imagining the same audience reacting more positively to Acne Studios, even though it is a very well-executed fragrance.
At least, I found it hard to get excited over Acne Studios Par Frederic Malle. It is by any means a lovely, soft and clean musky scent that smells straight up like a newly washed, crisp white shirt in Spring or Summer for the first two hours, give or take. Lovely, but very minimal and one dimensional. The scent leans towards the pink and purple hues a bit; airy violet, some heliotrope maybe to my nose. It is aldehydic, but more subtle than I was expecting; not the sharp, acidic or fruity tinges that sometimes come with aldehydes.
The drydown is a similarly soft, but a slightly sweeter sandalwood, and that shift is about the only development I get from Acne Studios upon first wearing it. This is my favorite part of the wear and it reminds me of Lorenzo Villoresi Musk EDT; which is also part of the issue, as that is an easy and more affordable recommendation over Acne Studios in my opinion.
What really stands out about this fragrance is the texture. Musks, which are commonly referred to as ‘soft’, are not always as advertised, and are actually often quite harsh and sharp. Here, they are indeed comfortable, soft, velvety and the fragrance just wears beautifully and effortless.
Mind you, that all of this is exactly as advertised by the brand, so you should be able to go in with the correct expectations and by default, it’s hard to criticize a fragrance for doing what it sets out to do. Besides, I assume it matches the design language of Acne Studio’s fashion. So frankly, I can’t scrutinize this fragrance, nor do I find wearing it an any less than positive experience. It’s just not making any impact or lasting impression. It’s one the most utilitarian fragrances in the Malle collection and I am hoping for something more eccentric in their next release.