Philipp Plein’s $520 The $kull Collector Fragrance

Philipp Plein’s $520 The $kull Collector Fragrance

Only seven of these $520 rare Parfum Art Edition bottles are coming for the entire country. Here’s the story and interview behind the fragrance.

Calling a fragrance enthusiasts & rare bottle collectors! Philipp Plein’s The $kull Fragrance is autumn’s most buzz-worthy collector bottle and is already selling out in Europe. The multi-faceted black lacquered glass flacon is ideal for anyone who loves skull designs and motifs. Even better, the spicy woody-leathery fragrance for men, blended by Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, just happens to be one of the best men’s fragrances of the year. It’s remarkably sexy. Scent Lodge is thrilled to give you an exclusive first look at the fragrance and the fascinating story behind the creation.

To start, Philipp Plein is a German fashion designer renowned for taking streetwear-inspired clothing and accessories and making them luxury pieces packed with bling and attitude.

Based in Switzerland, Plein sells a jet-set dream lifestyle of private planes, sports cars and sprawling private estates – all of which he chronicles in detail on his Instagram account “philippplein” for his 2.1 million followers.

His flagship stores dot the globe including such hot spot as: Milan, Paris, New York, London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Las Vegas. Each one boasts a massive Swarovski crystal skull in the centre of the store. If you’ve ever had to catch a connecting flight in Frankfurt or Munich, you’ll know the skull makes an immediate impression to travellers racing to make their connections. What you may not know is Plein won GQ Germany’s Man of the Year in Fashion in 2016 for his skill at proportion and adding luxury detailing to streetwear items like sneakers, aviator jackets and puffy coats. He’s a skilled artist.

To mark the launch of his “No Limits” fragrance, a sexy spicy-woody scent for him, the designer has crafted the ultimate fragrance bottle – a multi-faceted, tridimensional black lacquer glass factice in the shape of a skull, the signature emblem for the Philipp Plein brand. The Skull Fragrance as it is called, is an ultra-luxurious, potent version of the “No Limits” scent boasting 25% essential oils. It’s the ultimate luxury. The bottle is sculpted like a black diamond out of a block of black lacquered glass.

Perfumer Alberto Morillas set out to create a sexy olfactive tattoo, one that leaves a powerful and addictive imprint on the skin and a potent trail behind the wearer. The spicy, woody-leathery fragrance for him features notes of black pepper, cardamom, watery notes, leather, dark woods, Bourbon vanilla and black amber. Parfum, is the most concentrated form of fragrance today and contains the most expensive essential oils – in this case 25% of the concentrate.

Scent Lodge was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with the acclaimed designer recently.

Scent Lodge: To start, tell us about the scent.

Philipp Plein: This scent reminds me of James Bond landing from a parachute in a perfectly ironed suit ready to jump on a motorbike to go to a dinner – a modern hero with a unique sense of style. Mr. Morillas made this fragrance tailored to me. He started by developing four non-existing elements and mixed them together for a unique result. I’ve always had a great attraction to fragrances and I always wear intense versions. Anyone who works with me knows that I always leave a parfum trail…you can just tell when I arrive. The $kull is one of the most incredible fragrances I have ever smelled. I am very proud of it.

SL: How do you describe the fragrance to your friends?

PP: It is the combination of four pillars that form a rich and powerful scent: power, money, sex and energy. A kind of Momento mori just like the skull which should encourage people to live life to the fullest. It’s eternity in a bottle.

SL: You said you wanted to shake up the parfum sector. How?

PP: The perfume industry is a very conservative sector, regulated by price. When I started working on The $kull bottle, I was told I was crazy, that nobody would pay as much for a perfume and that it would be too complicated to produce and store. But I held on and I was right because only a few days later after the launch, we sold out online in Europe. People bought it without even smelling it.

SL: What was it like working with Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas?

PP: Alberto is a GENIUS, a winner, he created to most incredible fragrances over the years and he has a gift for putting together fragrances creating emotional and iconic essences. Generally you do many tests before putting together the finale juice, but he perfectly understood my vision, my lifestyle and my brand. When I first had the chance to smell the fragrance I was blown away. It’s a dream coming true, this parfum perfectly embodies the PHILIPP PLEIN man. It tastes like sex, money, energy and muscles.

Alberto showed me his laboratory in Geneva, where the most incredible fragrances were born. Such an exciting experience! It’s a room full of thousands of little bottles containing all the possible existing smell in the world… For NO LIMITS he did not mix something already existing, yet created 4 different perfumes and mixed them together. The process was so fascinating to me, this is the first PHILIPP PLEIN parfum and making it in collaboration with the best nose in the industry it’s an honor. Alberto and I really respect each other and it’s one of the best collaborations we did.

SL: What is your vision of fashion?

PP: I have a democratic approach to fashion, I am inclusive. My shows are meant to be parties, meant to be fun and I am happy to open the doors to thousands of people normally not invited to shows. (Yes, Plein’s most recent fashion show in Milan was staged in an airport hangar and featured a jet fighter and a helicopter.)

Exclusive Opportunity:

Scent Lodge newsletter subscribers get the special opportunity to order one of these collector bottles first. If you are interested, email: sales@krikorian.com and mention you are a Scent Lodge newsletter subscriber. The team will answer all your questions and reserve one for you.