Of all the celebrities willing to loan their face to a fragrance (see Trousersnake for Givenchy, Orlando Bloom for Hugo Boss), niche brand Byredo sought the unlikely talents of one Christiaan Houtenbos, the marines-trained hairstylist who brought flat tops to the masses via Grace Jones.Houtenbos is lauded not just for his work with Calvin Klein and Stephen Sprouse, but also for the chaos he created on the New York fashion scene throughout the 1970s. Ben Gorham, founder of Byredo, says, “My choice was based on his character rather than any kind of ‘celebrity’”.
The olfactory homage, Mister Marvelous, is a classic cologne 'with a twist'. Citric top notes and a herbaceous, green heart make for a relatively classical composition... But all the action is in the amber base. “It has incredible staying power. It’s delicate but resilient and powerful at the same time,” says Gorham. Sensible on the surface but all kinds of crazy on the dry-down, Mister Marvelous is a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing - just like its muse.
The cologne has been out for a while but, in celebration of the scent's anti-hero, Byredo have created a limited edition run of 200 units, packaged in a monogrammed orange box. Get yours exclusively from Liberty in London.
Limited edition bottle available exclusively from Liberty; £130 for 100ml
