Where did your inspiration for the fragrance come from?
“To create Black Opium’s unique signature, we wanted to respect the idea of addiction expressed in the original Opium franchise by creating a new addiction. There was already a lot of sweet addictions on the market, including praline and vanilla scents, so we sought something truly original. Black Opium, by its name and intention, focused on the colour black. This eventually inspired us to think of coffee. We sought to translate that smell of coffee steaming up from a cup into fragrance. We wanted to play with the contrast between black and white, darkness and light, so we juxtaposed the coffee with a white floral bouquet of orange flower and jasmine. The coffee scent remains the heart of the fragrance, but we also added black vanilla bean and mysterious woody notes of patchouli and cedar to frame the darkness, as well as pink pepper and pear to the enhance the lightness. This delivers a new addiction that isn’t sweet, but is natural and universal. Contrasted with the original calm addiction of Opium, Black Opium is that addictive shot of coffee in the morning, that boost of adrenaline, that modern energy that you need and share.”
How do you think it makes people feel when they wear Black Opium? How do you want people to feel?
“There is a boldness, a mix of both rock and glamour in this first floral coffee fragrance, both addict and addictive. Black Opium for me is a shot of adrenaline, energy and addiction that a woman needs in her everyday life. It is for women who follow their desires and instincts, who choose to break the codes, assume their individuality, and live their lives according to their own rules. There is something full of desire and hypnotizing in the Black Opium story.”