CELEBRATED Italian luxury fragrance house Xerjoff have forged a creative alliance with British band Duran Duran to create a duo of perfumes inspired by their music. This isn’t the band’s first venture into olfactory collaborations, however, as, in 2018, they released a limited-edition fragrance collection celebrating four decades of their music with New York niche brand DS&Durga.
NeoRio by Duran Duran X Xerjoff Eau de Parfum (50ml) £265
Originating in Birmingham, in the UK, and emerging from the New Romantic scene in the 1980s, Duran Duran grew to become huge global superstars. And now, over 40 years later, the four members have worked with Xerjoff founder, Sergio Momo, to create NeoRio and Black Moonlight – fragrances which represent facets of the band.
Luckily, for us, Glass managed to get some sample phials of the two intriguing perfumes.
Black Moonlight by Duran Duran X Xerjoff Eau de Parfum (50ml) £265
Black Moonlight is a rich, boozy, intoxicating and hypnotic scent inspired by Wild Boys, Hungry Like the Wolf side of the band.
It’s an homage to a darker mysterious world that Duran Duran so often explore through their music and videos, with an overdose of patchouli, tolu balm, tonka bean that oozes intrigue and sensuality.
As an added attraction Black Moonlight’s flacon and coffret have lead singer Simon LeBon’s handwritten signature.
Duran Duran with Xerjoff founder, Sergio Momo
Presented in bright and fun neon colours, NeoRio has more of a pina-colada drinking, free-spirited, poolside vibe as soundtracked by Girls on Film, Rio, Planet Earth. It opens with a wonderful rich pineapple plume through which emerge lively and bright notes of absolute rum, Spanish cistus oil; maple syrup, rose oil saffron over rich balsam of Peru, patchouli and tonka bean.
As perfume-ist Sarah McCartney of fragrance house 4160 Tuesdays has quipped, these two scents definitely implore you to “please, please smell me now”.