Maison Margiela
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The black pepper assaults first with bright, almost biting clarity, accompanied by cinnamon leaf's herbal pungency. Within moments, the leather emerges—a soft, dusty suede that immediately grounds the spice's volatility, suggesting cigarette smoke and aged fabric.
The cypriol ascends, adding a dark, smoky tobacco quality that deepens the leather's character considerably. The Virginia cedar provides architectural support, its dry woody character preventing the composition from collapsing into murk whilst the labdanum's warmth begins whispering beneath.
What remains is primarily leather and resinous base notes—the oud becomes a shadowy presence, barely perceptible but distinctly animalic. The fragrance becomes increasingly skin-like, intimate, fading to a whisper of labdanum sweetness and leather's memory on the fabric of your shirt.
Under the Stars arrives as a nocturnal leather study—austere, slightly austere, and profoundly tactile. The black pepper and cinnamon leaf ignite immediately, creating a peppery snap that borders on aggressive before the heart's cypriol and Virginia cedar arrive to temper the spice with woody restraint. This is where the fragrance reveals its true character: a leather accord so prominent it feels like the scent's entire skeleton, rendered in soft suede rather than patent shine. The cypriol—that earthy, smoky tobacco-leaf material—amplifies the leather's smoky underbelly, whilst the Virginia cedar adds structural dryness, preventing the composition from becoming cloying.
The base anchors everything in resinous depth. Labdanum contributes a warm, almost honeyed sweetness that contrasts beautifully with the oud's animalic whisper, creating an unexpected tension: sweetness versus animalic shadow. This is not a fragrance for those seeking comfort or accessibility. It's introspective, almost hermetic—the olfactory equivalent of standing beneath a starlit sky in formal dress, watching the world from a distance.
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4.3/5 (140)