On working together to create the perfect AllSaints fragrance collection…

AllSaints: We wanted the bottle to be distinctively AllSaints, so we used leather as the wrap and a bolt as the cap. And we wanted the fragrances to have all the elements of what an AllSaints product is – once you spray it, it reiterates the edginess, the grittiness, but also the luxury of the brand. And with your help, Gabriela, we have created an incredible line.

Gabriela: I can say that it was very clear what your goal was. I think that’s the key to developing fragrances, understanding the brand DNA. And in the way that AllSaints has such a signature in terms of fashion – the feeling and the look – it was easy for me to understand you. Developing the fragrances seemed like a very smooth process.

On creating a unisex fragrance…

AS: When we first briefed you, we didn’t want it to be, this is a fragrance for a woman, or this is a fragrance for a man. It didn’t matter – it was just about creating three gorgeous fragrances.

Gabriela: Yes, I’m really happy to see the evolution in perfumery, where we don’t think about creating fragrances for men or women. It’s definitely old-fashioned, and it was a bit of a marketing tool at the beginning. The origin of fragrance was that we didn’t have masculine or feminine, we just had fragrance It allows me to grow my creativity, to explore even more notes, because I can do unexpected combinations between flowers and woods and leather and spices, and I don’t have to think, oh, is this for a man or is this for a woman? I was just thinking about what you were trying to achieve – to have a beautiful leather fragrance, a beautiful rose fragrance. The rose for me was really one that crosses the genders in an unusual way. There’s edginess in the rose, a lot of spiciness. A rose is not just a pretty flower.

On comparing the fragrances to an AllSaints piece…

AS: Shoreditch Leather is obviously a leather jacket, or any leather piece, basically. It makes you feel the same way as wearing a beautiful piece of leather does. And, just like leather moulds to your body the more you wear it, the fragrance develops throughout the day as you’re wearing it.

Gabriela: When you put a leather jacket on, you transform. It’s like a superpower. When I put a leather jacket on, I feel like I am much more confident. I feel like I’m much cooler. Something about my attitude completely changes. So, when I thought about the fragrance, I wanted it to have the same effect of that transformation, of becoming confident but in an effortless way.

AS: And then for Ravaged Rose… we’re well-known for our prints, they’re all created in-house, we’ve got amazing illustrators, and Ravaged Rose is like a beautiful, dark rose-print piece – it has an element of edge, and it’s definitely on a black background. You get that from the fragrance, that sort of edge, yet it also has the beautiful soft tones of the rose.

Sunset Riot is a beautiful cotton shirt, or a floaty embroidered dress. The whole idea of Sunset Riot Intense is, you can just picture it on a beach as the sun is setting.

On layering the fragrances…

AS: For example, Shoreditch Leather, you could wear that all day, but then layer on Sunset Riot Intense for the evening because it’s a bit more going out, a bit more glamorous. Or, if you wanted to go somewhere really sophisticated, I would probably layer it with Ravaged Rose, because it’s more delicate. It’s an opulent restaurant with crystal glasses and rich velvet drapes. It was the idea to be playful with mixing. We’ve been doing it for years with make-up, why can’t we do it with fragrance?

Gabriela: Absolutely. It’s not putting on more of the same thing, but changing the tone, changing the mood. And it’s quite playful. I want people to really own the entire collection and just be creative and play with it and discover new combinations that even I didn’t think about.