Le Male is a men's fragrance created by Francis Kurkdjian for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995. "Le Male" is very close in scent profile (Some would say it's a clone/homage) to Cuba Gold (Paris) which was introduced in 1979, It has been manufactured by Puig since 2016, and was previously manufactured by Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International from 1995 until 2015. The fragrance was developed as a counterpart to the women's fragrance Classique, which was introduced in 1993.
| Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fragrance by Jean Paul Gaultier | |
| Top notes | |
| Heart notes | |
| Base notes | |
| Released | 1995 |
| Label |
|
| Flanker(s) | List of flanker fragrances |
| Website | Le Male |
A number of flanker fragrances have since been released on the strength of the Le Male name. The most recent fragrance, Le Male Elixir, was launched in 2023.
Conception and scent
"The idea for Le Male was based on a men's hairdresser in the '50s – these were full of the smell of lavender, which is where the perfume's main lavender accord comes from. It's reminiscent of a very good-looking man taking care of himself; kind of preppy, but in a Fifties and Sixties kind of way."
— Kurkdjian discussing the inspiration behind the fragrance, 2004[1]
Le Male is described as an oriental fougere men's fragrance, a classification which is identified by the combination of "warm, woody, and spicy notes" and aromatic notes.[2] The fragrance contains top notes of artemisia, mint, cardamom, and bergamot; middle notes of lavender, orange blossom, cinnamon, and cumin; and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, cedar, tonka bean, and amber.[3]
Kurkdjian described the Le Male bottle, a male torso wearing a marinière, as "a motif to put it in the 'Gaultier universe'" that represents "[Gaultier's] idea of what men are about – being seductive, being sexual, [and] being adventurous."[1] The fragrance is packaged in an aluminum can, a motif Gaultier has used in his collections since 1980.[4] Kurkdjian recalled believing that the fragrance "[was] not going to work at all" upon seeing the overall packaging because "the bottle not looking like a bottle" was "very unconventional" in the 1990s.[1]
Release and impact
Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International distributed Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, including Le Male from launch in 1995, through a license agreement that was to extend from 1991 through June 30, 2016.[5] On January 1, 2016, Puig acquired the fragrance license from Shiseido for $79.2 million and compensated the early termination of the license for $22.6 million.[6] With this purchase, Puig now holds control of both the fashion and fragrance divisions of the Jean Paul Gaultier brand.[7] A new advertising campaign was premiered in Paris during a relaunch party held by Puig on January 28, 2016, in which a joint commercial for Le Male and Classique retains the "Casta diva" aria from the original commercial and American model Chris Bunn portrays the male sailor.[8]
Le Male has since been regarded as a classic men's fragrance by a number of publications, including Forbes,[9] GQ,[10] and Men's Health.[11] Graeme Campbell from Highsnobiety wrote that "like Polo Sport, Diesel Plus Plus, and Versace Blue Jeans, [Le Male] was one of those scents that was simply everywhere at the time [for] anyone who grew up in the '90s or early '00s"; he added that "along with unisex newcomers such as CK One, it blindsided a market dominated by beefier, more masculine fragrances [and] was sexy and fell right in line with the '90s 'metrosexual,' so much that it wasn’t uncommon for women to wear it".[12]
The brand's fragrance general manager Thomas James acknowledged Le Male and Classique as "the flagship of the brand [that] represent all the Jean Paul Gaultier values [and will] continue to be an emblematic and historical pillar" at the launch of the women's fragrance Scandal in 2017.[13]
Products
- Eau de toilette spray – 2.5 fl oz (75 ml)[14]
- Eau de toilette spray – 4.2 fl oz (125 ml)[14]
- Eau de toilette spray – 6.7 fl oz (200 ml)[14]
- Aftershave balm – 3.4 fl oz (100 ml)[15]
- Aftershave lotion – 4.2 fl oz (125 ml)[16]
- Deodorant – 2.5 oz (75 ml)[17]
Flanker fragrances
- Indicates repackaging of the original fragrance
| Year | Name | Concentration | Perfumer | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Le Male Jean Paul Cool | Eau de toilette | |||
| 2004 | Le Male Eau d'Ete 2004 | ||||
| 2005 | Le Male Les d'Ete 2005 | Francis Kurkdjian | |||
| 2006 | Le Male Kilt | ||||
| Le Male Stimulating Body Spray | Francis Kurkdjian | ||||
| 2007 | Fleur du Male | Francis Kurkdjian | |||
| Le Male Scuba Diver | |||||
| Le Male Tonique Cologne | |||||
| 2008 | Cologne Tonique Le Male Summer 2008 | ||||
| La Cologne Fleur du Male | Francis Kurkdjian | ||||
| 2009 | Le Male Limited Edition 2009 | ||||
| Le Male Summer 2009 | |||||
| 2010 | Le Male Prestige Edition | ||||
| Le Male Summer 2010 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| Le Male Terrible | Aurelien Guichard | ||||
| Super Le Male Collector | |||||
| 2011 | Le Male Love Actually | ||||
| Le Male Shaker | |||||
| Le Male Silver My Skin | |||||
| Le Male Summer 2011 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| Le Male Terrible Shaker | Eau de toilette | Aurelien Guichard | |||
| 2012 | Le Male Gladiator | ||||
| Le Male Summer 2012 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| 2013 | Le Beau Male | Eau de toilette | Francis Kurkdjian | ||
| Le Male Couple | |||||
| Le Male Summer 2013 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| 2014 | Le Beau Male Capitaine Collector | Eau de toilette | Francis Kurkdjian | ||
| Le Beau Male Edition Collector | Eau de toilette | Francis Kurkdjian | |||
| Le Beau Male Summer 2014 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| Le Male Capitaine Collector | |||||
| Le Male Edition Collector | |||||
| Le Male Pin-Up Collectors Edition | |||||
| Le Male Summer 2014 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| 2015 | Le Male Pirate Edition | ||||
| Le Male Summer 2015 | Eau de toilette | ||||
| Ultra Male | Eau de toilette intense | Francis Kurkdjian | |||
| 2016 | Le Male Essence de Parfum | Eau de Parfum | Quentin Bisch | ||
| Le Male Popeye Eau Fraiche | Eau de toilette | Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |||
| 2017 | Le Male Collector Edition 2017 | ||||
| Le Male Superman Eau Fraiche | Eau de toilette | Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |||
| 2018 | Le Male Collector Edition 2018 | ||||
| Le Male Eau Fraiche André Edition | Eau de toilette | Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |||
| Le Male Eau Fraiche Gaultier Airlines | Eau de toilette | Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | [18] | ||
| Le Male In the Navy | Eau de toilette | Quentin Bisch | [19] | ||
| Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |||||
| 2019 | [20] | ||||
| Le Male Collector's Snow Globe | |||||
| Le Male Supreme Edition | Eau de toilette | Francis Kurkdjian | |||
| 2020 | Le Male Aviator | Eau de toilette | Christophe Raynaud | ||
| Le Male Airlines | |||||
| Le Male Pride Collector | |||||
| Le Male Le Parfum | Eau de Parfum | Quentin Bisch | [21] | ||
| Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |||||
| Le Male X-Mas Edition 2020 | |||||
| 2021 | Le Male On Board | Eau de toilette | Christophe Raynaud | ||
| 2023 | Le Male Elixir | Parfum | |||
| 2024 | Le Male Lover | Eau de Parfum | Bisch, Quentin|Quentin Bisch} | Nathalie Gracia-Cetto | |
| 2024 | Le Beau Paradise Garden | Eau De Parfum | |||
References
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