It’s here- Marc Jacobs’ highly-anticipated men’s fragrance; Bang…which also happens to be his first new men’s scent in a decade. For the first time, Marc Jacobs appears in his own ad campaign, lying naked on a silver Mylar bed – with only an oversized bottle of Bang covering…ahem…his privates. As reported by WWD, this is just one of the many projects the designer has planned, with men’s and women’s underwear as well as colour cosmetics in the making?!
Jacobs said posing nude was business partner Robert Duffy’s idea, “Robert and I work closely with Coty on these projects, and he said, ‘Marc, you look so great now – you should be the model for men’s fragrance.’ My immediate reaction was, I don’t know. But then I came to see that it made sense. Men’s fragrance, unlike women’s in a certain way, is very personal. It’s a layer on top of skin – for women, it can be like changing a makeup colour, but not for men. Once I agreed to be the model, I couldn’t see what I would wear to express this. We tried it with clothes, but it didn’t work. Then Juergen [Teller, who shot the campaign] had the idea for the silver Mylar, and it all came together. The silver Mylar also gives it that flash, that bang.”
Why Bang you may be wondering (just like me)? “The name came to me first,” said Jacobs. “We had been approached by Coty to do another men’s scent – we did one many years ago – and I was in the gym, and the name Bang came to me. As a word, it has so many connotations, including a sexual connotation. And I loved the immediacy and the sound of the word. For me, fragrance is always a multilayered process – Bang was the catalyst for how this fragrance came to be. You’re drawn to try it, to experience it.”
“This fragrance ad isn’t about some chiseled face on a beach – that approach wouldn’t be in line with what we’re doing,” said Jacobs. “This fragrance is for a contemporary guy, who, even if he isn’t young, has a younger spirit.” However, he’s realistic about how widely the almost-full monty ad will be shown. “I think more people are going to see [the Midwestern] version of the ad,” he said with a laugh.
The fragrance itself was developed at Givaudan in collaboration with Ann Gottlieb with top notes of black, pink and white peppercorns, a heart of primal masculine woods and a drydown of hypnotic elemi resinoid, aromatic benzoin, vetiver, white moss and patchouli. We’re already guessing that it’s a spicy whiff and if you want to get bangin’ then you might just want to get your very own bottle of Bang! Exclusively sold at Bloomingdale’s and in Marc Jacobs’ official shops in July, Bang will be available worldwide from September 2010 onwards. You’ll have to wait a bit for the Bang I guess!
“I love to take things that are everyday and comforting and make them into the most luxurious things in the world.”
Credits to: WWD
