Le Male Explained

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
Endorsed By:Jean Paul Gaultier
Type:Men's fragrance
Flankers:List of flanker fragrances

Le Male is a men's fragrance created by Francis Kurkdjian for Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995. "Le Male" is very close in scent profile (Some would say it's a clone/homage) to Cuba Gold (Paris) which was introduced in 1979, It has been manufactured by Puig since 2016, and was previously manufactured by Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International from 1995 until 2015. The fragrance was developed as a counterpart to the women's fragrance Classique, which was introduced in 1993.

A number of flanker fragrances have since been released on the strength of the Le Male name. The most recent fragrance, Le Male Elixir, was launched in 2023.

Conception and scent

Le Male is described as an oriental fougere men's fragrance, a classification which is identified by the combination of "warm, woody, and spicy notes" and aromatic notes.[1] The fragrance contains top notes of artemisia, mint, cardamom, and bergamot; middle notes of lavender, orange blossom, cinnamon, and cumin; and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, cedar, tonka bean, and amber.[2] Kurkdjian stated that the fragrance was simple to develop because it is a very close interpretation (Some would say clone/homage) of Cuba Gold which was released in 1979.

Kurkdjian described the Le Male bottle, a male torso wearing a marinière, as "a motif to put it in the 'Gaultier universe'" that represents "[Gaultier's] idea of what men are about  - being seductive, being sexual, [and] being adventurous." The fragrance is packaged in an aluminum can, a motif Gaultier has used in his collections since 1980.[3] Kurkdjian recalled believing that the fragrance "[was] not going to work at all" upon seeing the overall packaging because "the bottle not looking like a bottle" was "very unconventional" in the 1990s.

Release and impact

Shiseido subsidiary Beauté Prestige International distributed Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances, including Le Male from launch in 1995, through a license agreement that was to extend from 1991 through June 30, 2016.[4] On January 1, 2016, Puig acquired the fragrance license from Shiseido for $79.2 million and compensated the early termination of the license for $22.6 million.[5] With this purchase, Puig now holds control of both the fashion and fragrance divisions of the Jean Paul Gaultier brand.[6] A new advertising campaign was premiered in Paris during a relaunch party held by Puig on January 28, 2016, in which a joint commercial for Le Male and Classique retains the "Casta diva" aria from the original commercial and American model Chris Bunn portrays the male sailor.[7]

Le Male has since been regarded as a classic men's fragrance by a number of publications, including Forbes,[8] GQ,[9] and Men's Health.[10] Graeme Campbell from Highsnobiety wrote that "like Polo Sport, Diesel Plus Plus, and Versace Blue Jeans, [Le Male] was one of those scents that was simply everywhere at the time [for] anyone who grew up in the '90s or early '00s"; he added that "along with unisex newcomers such as CK One, it blindsided a market dominated by beefier, more masculine fragrances [and] was sexy and fell right in line with the '90s 'metrosexual,' so much that it wasn’t uncommon for women to wear it".[11]

The brand's fragrance general manager Thomas James acknowledged Le Male and Classique as "the flagship of the brand [that] represent all the Jean Paul Gaultier values [and will] continue to be an emblematic and historical pillar" at the launch of the women's fragrance Scandal in 2017.[12]

Products

Flanker fragrances

Indicates repackaging of the original fragrance

List of Le Male flanker fragrances! Year! Name! Concentration! Perfumer!
2003Le Male Jean Paul CoolEau de toilette
2004Le Male Eau d'Ete 2004
2005Le Male Les d'Ete 2005
2006Le Male Kilt
Le Male Stimulating Body Spray
2007Fleur du Male
Le Male Scuba Diver
Le Male Tonique Cologne
2008Cologne Tonique Le Male Summer 2008
La Cologne Fleur du Male
2009Le Male Limited Edition 2009
Le Male Summer 2009
2010Le Male Prestige Edition
Le Male Summer 2010Eau de toilette
Le Male Terrible
Super Le Male Collector
2011Le Male Love Actually
Le Male Shaker
Le Male Silver My Skin
Le Male Summer 2011Eau de toilette
Le Male Terrible ShakerEau de toilette
2012Le Male Gladiator
Le Male Summer 2012Eau de toilette
2013Le Beau MaleEau de toilette
Le Male Couple
Le Male Summer 2013Eau de toilette
2014Le Beau Male Capitaine CollectorEau de toilette
Le Beau Male Edition CollectorEau de toilette
Le Beau Male Summer 2014Eau de toilette
Le Male Capitaine Collector
Le Male Edition Collector
Le Male Pin-Up Collectors Edition
Le Male Summer 2014Eau de toilette
2015Le Male Pirate Edition
Le Male Summer 2015Eau de toilette
Ultra MaleEau de toilette intense
2016Le Male Essence de ParfumEau de Parfum
Le Male Popeye Eau FraicheEau de toilette
2017Le Male Collector Edition 2017
Le Male Superman Eau FraicheEau de toilette
2018Le Male Collector Edition 2018
Le Male Eau Fraiche André EditionEau de toilette
Le Male Eau Fraiche Gaultier AirlinesEau de toilette[17]
Le Male In the NavyEau de toilette[18]
2019[19]
Le Male Collector's Snow Globe
Le Male Supreme EditionEau de toilette
2020Le Male AviatorEau de toilette
Le Male Airlines
Le Male Pride Collector
Le Male Le ParfumEau de Parfum[20]
Le Male X-Mas Edition 2020
2021Le Male On BoardEau de toilette
2023Le Male ElixirParfum
2024Le Male LoverEau de Parfum

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oriental Fougere  - Perfume Group. Fragrantica. March 24, 2020.
  2. Web site: Le Male Jean Paul Gaultier cologne  - a fragrance for men 1995. Fragrantica. March 24, 2020.
  3. Web site: 10 things to know about Jean Paul Gaultier. Birrell. Alice. Vogue Australia. March 9, 2016. March 19, 2020.
  4. Web site: The Shiseido group started negotiation with Puig to sell IP rights of Jean Paul Gaultier regarding fragrance products. Shiseido. March 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: Puig and Shiseido to terminate Jean Paul Gaultier fragrance license. Noor. Hibah. DutyFree Magazine. February 9, 2015. March 17, 2020.
  6. Web site: Puig takes on JPG scents and targets €2bn. Rozario. Kevin. TRBusiness. January 5, 2016. March 17, 2020.
  7. Web site: Puig and Jean Paul Gaultier turn on the glamour in Paris. Pawson. Helen. The Moodie Davitt Report. February 1, 2016. March 24, 2020.
  8. Web site: The Best Classic Fragrances For Men. Dao. Dan. Forbes. September 9, 2019. March 17, 2020.
  9. Web site: 10 Classic Colognes That Will Never Let You Down. Hurly. Adam. GQ. December 3, 2018. March 17, 2020.
  10. Web site: Best Men's Fragrances and Colognes (Plus, How to Choose the Right Scent for You). Chiudioni. Riccardo. Men's Health. September 26, 2019. March 17, 2020.
  11. Web site: Gaultier;s Le Male Scent Is a Supreme Collectible for the Ages. Campbell. Graeme. Highsnobiety. April 9, 2019. March 19, 2020.
  12. Web site: Notes on a Scandal: Puig unveils new Jean Paul Gaultier feminine fragrance. Pawson. Helen. The Moodie Davitt Report. June 26, 2017. March 19, 2020.
  13. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Eau de Toilette Natural Spray. Nordstrom. March 17, 2020.
  14. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier Men's "Le Male" Soothing Alcohol-Free After Shave Balm, 3.4 fl. oz. & Reviews. Macy's. March 19, 2020.
  15. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier Men's "Le Male" After Shave Lotion, 4.2 oz & Reviews. Macy's. March 19, 2020.
  16. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Deodorant. Nordstrom. March 17, 2020.
  17. Web site: Puig launches Jean-Paul Gaultier travel exclusives. Pentol. Andrew. TRBusiness. June 18, 2018. March 16, 2020.
  18. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier's iconic Le Mâle scent joins the Navy. Turner. Charlotte. TRBusiness. February 8, 2018. March 16, 2020.
  19. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier's Classic and Le Mâle reborn for Belle & Beau scents. Turner. Charlotte. TRBusiness. September 25, 2019. March 16, 2020.
  20. Web site: Jean Paul Gaultier  - Le Male Le Parfum. Parfumo. June 21, 2020.