The first incarnation of Boudicca’s Wode perfume came in a spray can, and appeared blue but dried invisibly on the skin. Perhaps more about art than perfume counters, it was tribally exciting and seminal; our can was used sparingly to make it last.
Since then, Boudicca have been working away on Wode, and a close collaboration with perfumer Geza Schoen (the anti-fragrance rebel and nose behind Escentric Molecules and The Beautiful Minds Series), consultant, Susan Irvine, and graphic pioneers, Me Company, has produced a new manifestation of the cult couture duo’s dramatic fragrance.
So what does a fragrance created by two of the most exhilarating, independent fashion minds around smell like? Imagine a fragrance that has all the darkness and depth of oudh but with a richer, more sensual radiance. Wode’s fierce erotic charge comes from accords where rare black hemlock and raw opium interlace with saffron and tuberose, and musk and amber blend with jasmine, blonde tobacco and cumin. In its multi-layered structure, a heart of voluptuous warmth is shot through with resins and woods that evoke shadowy northern forests.
Wode is perfect for Boudicca devotees; a tribe of fearless expressionists dedicated to the adventure of a multi-sensory experience. The name is derived from woad, the intense blue plant extract used by the ancient Britons to paint themselves with tribal markings and of course made famous by the Iceni queen that gave the Boudicca house its name. “Scent too marks you as one of a tribe,” says Boudicca’s Zowie Broach, “but its uniqueness is that it marks you invisibly.”
For Me Company, who designed the packaging, “Wode is the future of tribalism.” The bottle for the fragrance is vibrant jewel-blue while the box is stamped with tribal tattoo patterns, laser-etched into a micro-textured foil for an exquisitely-layered, hyper-modern take on luxury.
Boudicca’s Wode is available from Harvey Nichols and Liberty (EDP 50ml £69). www.boudiccawode.com
