“At the turn of the millennium, Parisians were wearing less perfume than ever and while shoppers had once ducked into a charming apothecary for a tailored experience – a bell to alert their arrival to the talented Nose in the back – mass-market scents manipulated by consumer testing had become order of the day.

Malle has always approached making perfume like the editor of a publishing imprint, curating masterpieces encased in bottles revealing the names of their ‘authors’ – including the likes of Dominique Ropion and Jean-Claude Ellena. It’s this democratic and deeply respectful way of working that makes the brand one of the most interesting and unconventional makers of perfume today – and a philosophy that imbues each of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle’s diverse personalities.”

“Each fragrance reveals its distinct world visually, through a red lacquered bottle that mirrors the ubiquitous Louboutin sole. Crowned with a playful silver-tone cap, every bottle evokes the curious tchotchkes Louboutin collects wherever he goes. Designed in collaboration with close friend and illustrator Helene Tran, these charms include a Lucky Cat, a Mexican calavera skull and a punk pineapple.

Louboutin imagines the Loubirouge scent (warm spices, cardamom, vanilla) in particular being worn by a Parisian woman whose “perfume suits her identity so well that she doesn’t want to share her secret.” A relatable, slightly selfish bind any fragrance fanatic finds themselves in when hearing the words “What are you wearing?””