Comme des Garçons (CDG), the fashion brand launched by enigmatic creative Rei Kawakubo in 1969, brought avant-garde designs to the global market in an astounding flurry of gravity-defying constructions, all-black uniforms, and dizzying print designs. Kawakubo presented a visual identity that defied traditional norms of proportion and silhouette and rejected the idea of cookie-cutter aesthetics.In 1994, the brand began its reign in the fragrance department. During this time, aside from Annick Goutal or L’Artisan Parfumeur, there was little niche representation. The market was dominated by players like Thierry Mugler, Calvin Klein, Clinique, Giorgio Armani, Issey Miyake, and Estée Lauder. The ethyl maltol blast of Angel aside, most formulas were focused on harmonious compositions rather than experimental notes and advertisements featuring idyllic visions of romance, cool, and sensuality. Comme des Garçons Parfums looked to take perfumery to a more abstract place: the fragrance bottle as an artistic experiment—less looking to sell a dream and more to sell a creative concept or statement. That evergreen ideal retains relevance and impact to this day.The brand’s debut scent was Original Eau de Parfum, a warm chypre fragrance by Mark Buxton with notes of cardamom, coriander, rose, incense, and sandalwood—a spicy antidote to the sea of lightweight citruses, fruity florals, and gourmands of the era.The composition featured a spin on the traditional fragrance pyramid, with traditional top notes like pepper in the base notes, or a base note like cedar in the middle notes.