Unisex perfumes, a trend with a lot of history

If you were to ask any perfumer about the gender of perfumes, you would unequivocally receive the same answer: perfumes have no gender. But by custom, fragrances have been classified as "feminine" and "masculine" to help consumers choose the scent that, in principle, most closely fits the gender labels. Today, this classification is changing and more and more brands are venturing to present their gender-free olfactory compositions. We invite you to discover them and learn about the history of unisex perfumes.

Since the end of the 19th century, when the first synthetic molecules emerged that allowed the development of modern perfumery as we know it today, gender distinctions began to appear. However, there are such brilliant lapses as Guerlain's Jicky (1889), considered one of the first modern perfumes which, despite being created for women, was of great interest to male consumers at the time.
Until the 1990s, the genders in fragrances were very marked: most feminine fragrances were floral and masculine fragrances had aromatic notes that evoked cleanliness.
Perfumer Ramón Monegal points out that the emergence of fashion brands in the perfume business influenced the gender distinction in perfume. "It imposes gender, seasonality, that women have to smell of flowers and men of wood… These are all marketing concepts that do not correspond to the values of perfume," he explains. And this, moreover, is only true in the West, because in the Middle East there is another relationship with perfume and men smell, for example, of roses. For this reason, Monegal understands that one of his commitments as a perfumer is to be a "guardian of perfume" and to be committed to quality fragrance, without labels.

The first unisex perfume launched on the market as such is considered to be Calvin Klein's CK One (1994), a fresh, clean-smelling fragrance combining citrus and a hint of tea, which was a milestone in the history of perfumery, celebrating gender neutrality and becoming a symbol for a generation of young people who wanted to break with social norms.
But also, during the 1990s, niche perfume brands began to gain prominence, offering fragrances built around an ingredient, an olfactory story… rather than a marketing concept, and characterised by unisex scents: L'Artisan Parfumeur, Diptyque, Serge Lutens and Comme des Garçons.
This is a time of contrasts, a decade in which perfume marketing still uses and abuses sex for marketing: seduction is served in a perfume bottle and advertising campaigns show hyper-sexualised images.

In the early 2000s, the approach to gender began to be questioned. We are facing a generational change led by young people, first millennials and, later and more strongly, generation Z, who understand another way of expressing themselves outside the canons traditionally established for men and women. Thus we arrive at the concept of "gender neutral" or "gender free" which has become established, above all, in signature perfumery and which vindicates the power of emotions through fragrance.
We cannot overlook what the 2020 pandemic meant for society: months of introspection indoors where the power of perfume to create positive and calming sensations was valued more than ever, and an awakening to social life, once the epidemic was over, which gave fragrance a new role in empowering the individual. Consumers opened their minds to a new relationship with perfumes, more willing to try new olfactory proposals that allowed them to express their personality and mood, regardless of the concept of seduction of the opposite sex that had previously prevailed in the industry.

Following the trend set by niche brands, major brands have also launched exclusive collections with a unisex focus. Some of the best known are Les Exclusifs by Chanel, Hermessence by Hermès and Armani Privé by Giorgio Armani.
The interest in niche and artisanal brands, even among young people, who have gained access to the higher end of perfumery thanks to viral content on social media, is driving unisex offerings.

The search for authenticity and exclusivity in order to feel different has increased the popularity of independent and signature brands, whose creations develop personal stories, evoke memories and arouse emotions. They are often distinguished by more complex olfactory compositions that shy away from classic structures and rely on rare or highly prized ingredients. But this is not the norm. What they do agree on is to make the scent the protagonist, without massive advertising campaigns and, normally, with presentations in simple bottles that fit in with a silent and more sustainable luxury. The aim is to convey an artistic and creative vision and offer consumers a high-quality product that helps them reaffirm their personal identity.
In this new wave of niche brands with unisex positioning we find Aesop, Le Labo, DS & Durga, Escentric Molecules and Byredo, to name but a few.

That is the question Givaudan has asked itself in 2024 in the "What is love?" project, in which the fragrance and fragrance company explores the new codes of love and love relationships among the young people of Generation Z. The challenge for the perfumers is to decipher a new genderless approach that expresses what love and attraction means to this prejudice-free generation.