If you can’t afford the private jet, the Mediterranean villa or the suspiciously well-dressed life of a Michael Kors fashion campaign, you can at least smell like you have somewhere fabulous to be.
The American fashion house has just dropped four new fragrances inspired by the spirit of escapism, and honestly, it is hard to think of a brand better suited to the brief.
A brief history of jet-setting
Michael Kors launched his namesake label in 1981 at age 22, as an all-American sportswear line built on easy, wearable glamour. He made his runway debut in 1984, reportedly with Iman opening the show, and in 1997 he became creative director at Celine in Paris, before refocusing on his own brand. The “jet set” look stuck, and it became the brand’s calling card.
Fragrance has been part of the story for a long time too. The label’s first perfume arrived in 2000, and the brand has a long habit of bottling holidays. Its Island series was named for destinations like Capri, Fiji, Hawaii and Bermuda, and 2016’s Wonderlust turned wanderlust into a scent. So this new collection (two fragrances for women and two for men) are the latest chapter in a very long love affair with escaping somewhere nice.
Choose your holiday
Each fragrance delivers its own colour, personality and fantasy. So the only decision you need to make is which destination you dream of escaping to!
Violet Sunset Pour Femme
The vibe: golden hour, somewhere expensive.
Violet Sunset is the sophisticated one, inspired by that fleeting bit of the day when the sky turns violet, berry and gold.
It opens with sparkling raspberry leaves before things get considerably more delicious with a blueberry muffin accord.
Yes, blueberry muffin.
The gourmand note is balanced with cedarwood, Ambrofix, Sylkolide and vanilla, giving the sweetness a warmer, more polished finish.
It is the fragrance equivalent of putting on a silk dress at 6pm and deciding you are absolutely going to have “just one drink” before dinner.
Pink Horizon Pour Femme
The vibe: new day, new passport stamp.
Pink Horizon is the brighter, more playful sister.
Mandarin and pomelo bring the initial citrus hit, followed by jasmine and magnolia, before vanilla, Ambronova and musk create a creamy, warm drydown.
The inspiration is daybreak – specifically that pink, optimistic bit of morning when everything feels possible.
Which makes this the obvious choice for anyone whose idea of a fresh start involves booking a flight.
Green Infinity Pour Homme
The vibe: Mediterranean holiday, but make it rugged.
Green Infinity takes its inspiration from high-altitude landscapes and endless horizons, with a distinctly Mediterranean feel.
Lime and green melon give it a crisp, almost aquatic opening before cardamom and geranium bring a sharper herbal quality.
Oakmoss and vetiver anchor the fragrance at the base.
It smells like someone who owns excellent sunglasses, knows where to find the best coastal road and somehow never looks sweaty in linen.
Blue Dusk Pour Homme
The vibe: the city after dark.
If Green Infinity is sunshine, Blue Dusk is what happens when the sun disappears.
The amber woody spicy fragrance opens with plum, moves into cinnamon and smoky cypriol, then settles into tonka bean.
The inspiration is that deep indigo moment after sunset when the city starts to feel slightly more interesting.
Basically, this is the bottle for dinner that turns into drinks that turns into “we’ll see what happens”.
Bottles on brand
The scents aren’t the only part of the collection getting the jet-set treatment.
Each fragrance comes in luminous transparent glass, with the saturated colour of the juice visible through the bottle.
And then there’s the hardware.
The bottles feature a new interpretation of Michael Kors’ signature chain motif, turning one of the brand’s most recognisable fashion codes into a piece of the fragrance design.
That feels particularly on-brand for a label that has always treated accessories as part of the fantasy.
The Michael Kors world has long revolved around the idea that you can be glamorous without looking like you tried too hard. The brand describes its aesthetic as a combination of stylish elegance and a sporty attitude, with its collections designed to evoke a jet-set lifestyle.
And perhaps that is why the colour story works so well. Instead of giving you one generic idea of luxury, the four bottles let you pick your version of the fantasy.
Sunset or sunrise? Mediterranean coast or city after dark? Sweet or woody? Day or night?
Or, if you’re anything like us, you simply choose based on which bottle will look best sitting next to your perfume collection.
The new Violet Sunset Pour Femme, Pink Horizon Pour Femme, Green Infinity Pour Homme and Blue Dusk Pour Homme are available now in 100ml Eau de Parfum for $160 at Myer stores nationwide and Myer.com.au.
Sydney perfume obsessives can also experience the collection in person at the Michael Kors Pitt Street Mall pop-up from Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October.
Because sometimes a holiday starts with a boarding pass.
And sometimes it starts with a spritz.
