Karl Lagerfeld KL EdT bottle by Emmanuelle

“Luxury is the ease of a t-shirt in a very expensive dress” – Karl Lagerfeld

I don’t know what was Karl Lagerfeld’s image is in the United States, but in France he was considered a real star. Firstly by his inimitable style – his gender bender outfits, his sunglasses, his ponytail and his leather gloves. Karl Lagerfeld spoke perfect French, (very aristocratically despite a deep lisp). The French always admire foreigners (he was German) who master their language and its grammar nightmare. But above all, he’s the man who, in 1983, took over Chanel’s art direction, a French brand inherent to our national heritage By modernizing shapes, while making a point to use excellent quality materials, Karl Lagerfeld quickly turned Chanel into a global blockbuster.

Karl Lagerfeld in Paris – Copyright Getty images

A workaholic, Mr. Lagerfeld was not only at Chanel, he collaborated with Fendi, and, as his popularity increased, he launched his eponymous Lagerfeld branded products. One of them was a perfume, simply called KL, a perfume that holds very special meaning in my family.

Emmanuelle’s mother display case – picture by Emmanuelle

In 1985, my mother had just experienced a real upheaval in her life: she had divorced my father, was separated from me (my father had my custody), and had new life with a new man. At 39, she was at a turning point, ready for new challenges. What never changes was my mom always loved perfumes that weren’t for everyone. She had a lot of affection for “Aromatics Elixir” (Clinique) but my father decided it was as great on his skin and literally stole it from her. So she turned to Cinnabar (Estée Lauder) and Opium (Yves Saint-Laurent).

My mom was shopping at a Chloé boutique, and the saleswoman offered her a sample of this famous KL, released 3 years earlier, just before Karl Lagerfeld was appointed to Chanel. A few days later, she decided to wear it on an outing with her new man (my stepfather to be), a doctor by profession, but also a distinguished competitive shooter. He fell in love immediately with Karl Lagerfeld KL. So much so that on their return, he asked her what was this powerful but not heavy nor vulgar perfume.

Karl Lagerfeld KL EdT bottle in a target, photoshop by Emmanuelle

And suddenly, he  made a strange but spontaneous comment: “There you are! I knew that this perfume made me think of something! It reminds me of the smell of grease  which new guns are coated with”. Don’t be shocked: coming from a gun specialist, that was a real compliment. He no longer wanted my mother to wear any other perfume. That scent was her. He loved it so much that he had given it a funny nickname: “Flingue Neuf” (New Gun). Alas, Karl Lagerfeld KL was discontinued at the end of the 90’s. For a few more years, I managed to find it through foreign websites, because my stepfather could not imagine that my mother would not wear it anymore. And then one day, we couldn’t find any more. Fortunately, my mother had carefully kept her last bottle. It has now found its place in a display case full of old memories, surrounded by delicate objects that also belong to the past.

 KL Eau De Parfum ad

Karl Lagerfeld KL was launched in 1982. Some stories says that it was to be named “Fanatic”, because the choice of Mr. Lagerfeld’s initials wasn’t well received. My mother always wore the eau de toilette version, the one with the grey fan-shaped cap. The eau de parfum version you can see on the magazine advertising had its bottle in the shape of a fan, making it an object of extreme sophistication. The choice of the fan was of course no accident for Karl Lagerfeld. It was one of his favorite accessories, which allowed him to fan himself, of course, but also to mark his words with an elegant gesture. He was also a great collector. The master adorned himself with an accessory that has become obsolete, but associated with French aristocracy. Strangely, the scent is different from what one might expect: the dandy and Rococo spirit of Lagerfeld could lead one to believe it is a flowers orgy … it’s not. If the nickname given by my stepfather sounds scary, it is nevertheless closer to reality. KL is, what is called, a spicy oriental.

 

 photo by Emmanuelle

Quite in line with the perfumes of the 80s, Karl Lagerfeld KL does not hide: it is heady while remaining chic. There is an evolution over the hours, it quickly gives everything it has in the belly in the first 15 minutes: bergamot is at the top, but which immediately tinted with clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ylang-ylang and labdanum. KL is a real fragrant fireworks display which thrills the senses. It is very sensual and even erotic (fortunately softened by rose and jasmine) which stays on the skin for a long time. Then amber, myrrh and civet come to settle in, lending animalic nuances, without losing a sophistication that prevents KL from becoming  off putting. On the contrary, its sensuality is only increased. Benzoin and patchouli invite themselves after a few hours. The animal aspect has calmed down, but the power of the spices is still present. Thus mixed, the final notes of the perfume give it a warm and comforting aspect. KL by Karl Lagerfeld was awarded a “Fifi Award” from the Fragrance Foundation in 1984.

 Karl Lagerfeld KL K was launched in 1982 and  the nose is Roger Pellegrino (also nose for “Anaïs Anaïs” – Cacharel, “Nocturnes” – Caron, “Macassar” – Rochas.

Top notes: Bergamot, tangerine.; Heart notes: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, orchid.; Base notes: Civet, ambergris, sandalwood, patchouli, myrrh, benzoin.

Emmanuelle Varron, Contributor

Disclosure: My mother’s bottle, opinions are my own

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