Classique (originally JPGaultier Eau de Parfum) is a women's fragrance created by Jacques Cavallier for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1993. It has been manufactured by Puig since 2016, and was previously manufactured by Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International from 1995 until 2015. The men's fragrance Le Male was developed as a counterpart to Classique, and was introduced in 1995.
A number of flanker fragrances have since been released on the strength of the Classique name. In 2021, the fragrance La Belle Le Parfum was launched.
Conception and scent Classique is described as an oriental floral women's fragrance, a classification which is identified by the combination of a "sweet, warm, powdery base" and flowery or spicy notes. The eau de parfum Classique contains top notes of rose and rum; middle notes of narcissus and vanilla orchid; and base notes of vanilla, amber, tonka bean, and sandalwood.
The bottle design, a female torso wearing a pink corset, has been compared to the corset Gaultier designed for Madonna for her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. The fragrance is packaged in an aluminum can, a motif he has used in his collections since 1980; Gaultier felt that "it was in some way a kind of a provocation to put it in something very industrial," and noted that some perfume shops did not offer the fragrance because it was "scandalous". Media personality Kim Kardashian was accused of copying the Classique bottle design for her KKW Body fragrance in April 2018. She claimed that "[Classique is] iconic and celebrates the woman’s body, but [that her] inspiration was a statue [and] wanted [hers] to be really personal with [her] exact mold." Gaultier responded that "[he] couldn’t put [his] body [for a women's perfume], so [he] put a different body. She did her own body, so it's different."
Release and impact The fragrance was released as JPGaultier Eau de Parfum in 1993, and renamed as Classique in 1995.
Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International distributed Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, including Classique from launch in 1993, through a license agreement that was to extend from 1991 through June 30, 2016. On January 1, 2016, Puig acquired the fragrance license from Shiseido for $79.2 million and compensated the early termination of the license for $22.6 million. With this purchase, Puig now holds control of both the fashion and fragrance divisions of the Jean Paul Gaultier brand. A new advertising campaign was premiered in Paris during a relaunch party held by Puig on January 28, 2016, in which a joint commercial for Classique and Le Male retains the "Casta diva" aria from the original commercial and Dutch model Daphne Groeneveld portrays the lead female figure.
The brand's fragrance general manager Thomas James acknowledged Classique and Le Male as "the flagship of the brand [that] represent all the Jean Paul Gaultier values [and will] continue to be an emblematic and historical pillar" at the launch of the women's fragrance Scandal in 2017.
Products Eau de toilette spray – 3.3 fl oz (100 ml)
Flanker fragrances Indicates repackaging of the original fragrance
+List of Classique flanker fragrances Year Name Concentration Perfumer 1997 Jean Paul Gaultier Summer Classique L'Eau d'Ete 1998 Classique Robe Velours Eau de toilette 2001 Classique La Robe Chinoise Eau de toilette 2003 Classique Eau d'été 2003 Eau de toilette Classique Limited Edition 2003 2004 Classique L'Eau d'Ete Sans Alcohol 2005 Classique Bien Roulee Classique Corset Couture Perfume extract Classique Les d'Ete 2005 Classique Rock Star 2006 Classique Alcohol Free Summer Fragrance 2006 Classique Autumn Winter Classique Prestige 2007 Classique l'Eau d'Ete 2007 2008 Classique Gold Collection Eau de toilette Classique Summer Fragrance 2008 2009 Classique Summer Fragrance 2009 2010 Classique Charm Edition Eau de toilette Classique Summer 2010 Eau de toilette Classique X Eau de toilette Classique X Extrait Perfume extract 2011 Classique Love Actually Classique X Jewel Edition Classique Silver My Skin Classique Summer 2011 Eau de toilette Classique X Love Actually 2012 Classique Summer 2012 Eau de toilette Classique X Eau de Parfum Eau de parfum Classique X L'Eau Eau de toilette 2013 Classique Belle en Corset Classique Couple Eau de toilette Classique Summer 2013 Eau de toilette 2014 Classique Edition Collector Classique Intense Eau de parfum Classique Summer Edition 2014 Eau de toilette 2015 Classique Collector Glam Edition Classique Intense Collector Glam Edition Classique Pirate Edition Eau de toilette Classique Summer 2015 Eau de toilette 2016 Classique Betty Boop Eau Fraiche Eau de toilette Classique Essence de Parfum Eau de parfum 2017 Classique Eau de Parfum Collector 2017 Eau de parfum Classique Eau de Toilette Collector 2017 Eau de toilette Classique Wonder Woman Eau Fraiche Eau de toilette 2018 Classique Collector Edition 2018 Classique Eau Fraiche André Edition Eau de toilette Classique Eau Fraiche Gaultier Airlines Eau de toilette 2019 Classique Cabaret Eau de Parfum Eau de parfum Classique Collector's Snow Globe La Belle 2020 Classique Pin Up Classique Airlines Eau de parfum Classique Eau de Toilette X-Mas Edition 2020 Eau de toilette 2021 La Belle Le Parfum Parfum
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