Dua Lipa returns as the face of the fragrance for the new campaign, with stills shot by photographer Tyler Mitchell and a short film from Grammy-winning music video director Jenn Nkiru. Lipa takes on the anthemic George Michael song ‘Freedom’, updated for the TikTok generation.
WWD
Come into the beautiful world of Yves Saint Laurent.
French Maison Yves Saint Laurent is launching a new pillar fragrance. Yves Saint Laurent Libre is designed for strong, bold and free women who experiment with their freedom, as stated by the French Maison.
Free. That’s one word that defines Yves Saint Laurent. Always on edge. Experimenting. Breaking boundaries. Turning the tuxedo into provocative women’s evening wear in the sixties. For today’s women, freedom is the ultimate luxury. It’s a state of mind. A way of playing by your own rules.
The idea of freedom, as an important part of the DNA of this fashion house, served as the inspiration for the new concept. The fashion designer himself is seen as revolutionary by dressing women in suits and safari jackets and transparent wide-fitting blouses, and he was surrounded by women who fought for their freedom and position.
Created by perfumers Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaïm, the composition is developed to contain fougere elements. The duo represents two sides of the same coin, reversing traditionally masculine and feminine accords to create Libre. A reinvention of the floral perfume, it combines lavender essence from France with the sensuality of Moroccan orange blossom, for a unique floral fusion complemented by a daring note of musk accord.
Top Notes: tangerine oil, lavender oil, blackcurrant, petitgrain
Heart notes: jasmine, orange blossom, lavender oil
Base notes: cedarwood oil, ambergris, musk, vanilla extract
A gender-bending riff on fougère, the traditionally masculine fragrance category that is heavy on herbaceous lavender and earthy oakmoss. Thanks to an infusion of hyperconcentrated Moroccan orange blossom, and a proprietary note exclusive to Yves Saint Laurent called – wait for it – Diva Lavender, which isolates the freshest elements of the aromatic purple flower, any overt muskiness is effectively tempered.
The bottle was designed by Suzanne Dalton, who reinterpreted the Yves Saint Laurent logo for Libre. Here, the familiar ‘YSL’ Cassandra logo is flipped to its side, giving the bottle an unusual yet alluring shape. The flacon is a couture statement, it reflects the same gender-bending duality of the scent and also references the sleek tailoring of an Yves Saint Laurent suit.
Intrepid opposites are outstandingly attractive – the bottle design defends this ethos.
Suzanne Dalton
The flacon featuring a black asymmetric cap. It also features a gold chain on the neck, that are reminiscent of the iconic YSL it-bags, completed with the timeless Yves Saint Laurent logo.
The new campaign is fronted singer songwriter Dua Lipa, who was recently named as a Next Generation Leader by Time Magazine. Known for hits such as ‘New Rules’ and ‘One Kiss’, Dua Lipa was nominated for five different categories during the 2018 Brit awards. She won the awards for ‘Best British Female Solo Artist’ and ‘Best Breakthrough Act’ to name just a few.
To be free for a woman in 2019 goes without asking, we live life by our own rules.
Dua Lipa
The campaign film was directed by filmmaker Nabil Elderkin who said: Dua Lipa is an inspired choice to embody this boldly defiant woman”. He added, “Young and edgy, with an uncompromising sense of self and a willingness to speak her truth, she is exactly the sort of ambassador who can exude a perfectly calibrated blend of liberated sensuality and inner strength that embodies the no compromise, write-your-own-rules YSL woman”.
Yves Saint Laurent Libre is available as 30, 50 and 90 ml Eau de Parfum. Come into the beautiful world of Yves Saint Laurent.
A Next Generation Idol: Since her debut album in 2017, Dua Lipa has amassed a loyal and large following that she has become the most streamed female artist in the world. She has sold over 40 million singles and over 3.4 million albums worldwide, is a Grammy winner and a contemporary style icon – all by the age of 23. Now the singer, songwriter is to follow in the footsteps of Cara Delevingne and Jessica Chastain by becoming Yves Saint Laurent newest fragrance ambassador.
I connect so much with the campaign because of its fearlessness. I stand for the importance of being confident, strong and powerful and of not compromising on who you are, what you do and what you believe in, of always being proud of the things you do, and I feel that goes down very well with the same philosophy behind Yves Saint Laurent’s new fragrance.
Dua Lipa
It has been Lipa’s ability to move comfortably across style genres, while still retaining a distinct sense of self, that has made her the perfect partner for Yves Saint Laurent. As the statement from the French Maison reads: “She embodies today’s liberated, no-compromise, write-your-own-rules YSL woman. Because her fierce brand of freedom and sensuality expresses the fiery legacy of Yves Saint Laurent”.
Dua Lipa’s collaboration with the French Maison will begin by being the face of a new fragrance, to be unveiled later this summer.
Yakymour 