Black is many things. One of those things is a positive number on a balance sheet, the opposite of red. That may be the thinking behind BLACK, Comme des Garçons' fragrance started in 2009 “In response to the general negativity engendered by the recession and to counter the feeling of things being blocked or stopped because of the crisis.“
Four years later, the brand marks the concepts anniversary through the launch of BLACK Eau de Toilette, an emergency, guerrilla-like, spiced-up new scent, which Rei Kawakubo, never one to shy away from literalism, has infused with Madagascar black pepper and Somalian incense, with essences of leather, licorice, birch tar and pepperwood. The result? A swoon-inducing trip into the smokey, spiritual world of incense, touched by the solar warmth of pepper and cedar wood. The licorice note adds a touch of cleansing 'eternalness' and, at times, feels uplifting. And in the end, we're left in a dizzying spell of delight. Dark and mysterious, yet ultimately calm and reassuring.