Guy Laroche Aftershave & Men's Fragrance

Guy Laroche is a French fashion company founded in 1957 by the designer of the same name. In the fashion world they are best known for their women's ready-to-wear collections and haute couture but most will know them by their famous fragrances like Fidji (1966) and the unmistakable Drakkar Noir (1982).

Laroche himself travelled to Paris as a young man to learn the art of hat-making, or millinery. He remained in the hat business for many years, designing custom-fitted hats for his esteemed Parisian clientèle. Guy Laroche travelled to the US after the second world war to learn his trade in New York. Returned to Paris in late 40's where he moved on from just designing hats to creating dresses and other forms of clothing. By the time he opened his own shop in 1957 he was mostly known for his elegant pant-suits and dresses. The company grew and with time became a complete fashion house. The brand has a long history of fostering creative talent. Designers like Issey Miyake and Valentino Garavani of Valentino worked for Laroche in their younger days. Laroche passed in 1966 but the company has continued on, taking the brand into the future but always with one foot in Laroche's ideas and designs.

When it comes to scents most will recognise the name Drakkar Noir. This was actually a darker and more mysterious version of the original Drakkar from 1972. This was an aromatic fougere fragrance with notes of lemon, bergamot, verbena, lavender, pine tree, and patchouli. While the scent was a success, it was nothing against Drakkar Noir, which was released in 1982. This iconic 80's fragrance is easily recognizable with its dark bottle and box and crisp white logo. The scent inside is reminiscent of the original Drakkar aftershave but turns up the freshness and adds herbs like wormwood and juniper as well as coriander and cinnamon on a wood base. The result is a masculine and intensive scent that has stood the taste of time. Apparently the name was inspired by Viking longships and this is certainly a ravishing fragrance! The Drakkar Noir cologne has been released in many versions since the original release, including Drakkar Dynamik (1999) as well as the modern Drakkar Essence (2014).