Andy Warhol once said, “My favorite smell is the first smell of spring in New York," and now someone has stepped in to capitalize on the scent (good thing he didn't say summer in New York). Along with the Gap now using Warhol's "hot dead celeb" status to sell khakis; Laurice Rahmé, creator of Bond No. 9, launches her latest neighborhood fragrance (in collaboration with The Warhol Foundation) this month: Andy Warhol Union Square.
The perfumer drew olfactory inspiration from Warhol's Flowers silkscreens (which appear on the bottle) and 33 Union Square West, where he created the works in his second Factory location. The scent is being described as "seductive green floral."
The product isn't the only thing that's gone green, the company is asking that everyone bring their empty perfume bottles (their own or anyone else's) to Saks Fifth Avenue so they can recycle them. However, when we received their press package in the mail it reeked of wastefullness, containing: 4 large glossy photos, an 8-page press release (one-sided), a 2-page press release touting how "green" they are (also one-sided) and a bubble-wrapped envelope with perfume samples...all in a heavy duty folder embossed in gold print. None of which seemed to be on recycled paper.
Bond No. 9 will certainly be pulling in some green though, as that bottle doesn't come at a low price. If you want to smell like springtime in New York it'll cost you $195 for 100ml and $135 for 50ml. This is still cheaper than the company's other Warhol scent, Silver Factory (which launched around the same time as their Coney Island one), but you may just want to try rolling around in the Union Square grass come spring and see if that works.
