Birthed in 2010 and now a House legacy, the Gucci Guilty fragrance has evolved over the years and the time has come for its new chapter. Whatever you wish to call it—remake, revamp, revival, reawakening, reboot—a whiff of fresh scent is inevitably in store for this pristine beginning of the well-loved and iconic perfume.

The exciting tale opens with a lavish global campaign, synchronising with Gucci’s ongoing renaissance under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele. A true maverick who has ushered in a new attitude for the Gucci universe, his redefined narrative for the House is refreshingly inclusive—driven by a nonconformist and emancipated vision, and unfettered by rules, labels and boundaries.

The Spirit

A modern declaration that espouses self-expression and fearlessness, and celebrates the joy of being truly liberated. Encapsulated by the powerfully loaded statement #ForeverGuilty, it’s an ironic play on the word “guilt” of being led by a guilt-free sensibility—free to be whoever you want to be and to do whatever you desire in life and love.

The Setting

Entering into a new episode of expression, Gucci Guilty for men and women are beautifully united in the #ForeverGuilty campaign. The story begins in Los Angeles, a place where dreams and reality enjoy a magical dalliance, and where the perfect and the imperfect create a captivating tapestry of life. In this melting pot of cultures, eclecticism is feted and people are accepted as they are.

The Cast

Jared Leto and Lana Del Rey front the new #ForeverGuilty rendition of Gucci Guilty. Life meets art here as the two bold and talented artists known for their individualistic sensibilities and choices now pair up as a screen duo in the campaign. Portraying the epitome of Hollywood retro glamour, Del Rey enjoys a lighthearted romp around the City of Angels with her Gucci Guilty partner and freewheeling kindred spirit, played by the creative and intrepid Leto. Courtney Love joins them in a cameo role, appearing as a waitress in a diner—the quintessentially mid-century Rae’s Restaurant with its bright red booths—where Del Rey and Leto’s characters hang out.

The Storyboard

Director Glen Luchford captures a day in the lives of Gucci Guilty’s carefree, offbeat couple. Against the lush cityscape of Los Angeles featuring the essence of Americana with scenes in a motel, car, laundromat, beauty salon, supermarket and diner, the adventure showcases the protagonists’ bohemian tendencies in living their lives outside of social conformism, while evoking playfulness and a sweet sense of nostalgia. Topping off the cinematic backdrop are iconic Hollywood landmarks such as the famed Hollywood Forever Cemetery, replete with verdant grounds and ostentatious tombstones, and which also gives the campaign its #ForeverGuilty moniker. Last but not least in true Gucci fashion, the surreal appearance of an assorted menagerie—a tiger, ostrich and snake—adds a quirkily charming effect.

The Bottle

Gucci Guilty Pour Femme and Pour Homme come into alignment with a transformation of the former’s bottle silhouette to echo that of the latter, in sync with the borderless realms for men and women in the new Gucci paradigm. The slender, sensuous shape is wrapped in gold-hued metal with a matching cap, a perfect match with the rose-tinted perfume within for the Pour Femme that comes in matte ivory packaging stamped with gold interlocking G logos. In parallel fashion, the Pour Homme’s gunmetal-clad bottle and cap complement the warm purple-gray scent, boxed up in silver-logoed black packaging.

The Scents

Gucci Guilty Eau de Parfum Pour Femme

The embodiment of liberty is what Gucci Guilty stands for. For its new mood headlined by the #ForeverGuilty episode, the Gucci Guilty Pour Femme undergoes a rebirth. Morphing from the original eau de toilette into a vibrant and noble eau de parfum, the Oriental Floral version is now stronger and more intense, and softly enriched with superior floral notes and natural fragrances.

It opens with top notes melding fresh citrusy mandora with the smoothness of natural bergamot and pink pepper. At the heart of the evocative perfume lies a complex and nuanced bouquet lent by lilac, with contrasts of rosy and violet notes and layers of geranium oil. Defining the EDP is its enduring quality made up of a deep, natural base from a duo of patchouli oils—Patchouli Coeur and Patchouli oil Micro-Distillation—fused with ambery notes. The use of pink pepper, traditionally found in masculine scents, echoes Gucci Guilty’s embrace of the notion of gender fluidity in this eau de parfum that transports you back to the romance of old-school, vintage Hollywood with a modern, sensual twist.

Gucci Guilty Eau de Toilette Pour Homme

A classic from Gucci’s first fragrance family to be created, this Aromatic Fougère evokes decadence and hedonism. Opening with the fervency of pink pepper, the eau de toilette is invigorated by Italian lemon notes. In the same vein as its Pour Femme counterpart that blurs the gender-specific divide, the heart of the Pour Homme eau de toilette is created with ingredients associated with romantic, female-centric ideals—orange blossom absolute, white floral with honey tones, neroli and French lavender—in encapsulating the unconventional notion underlying both #ForeverGuilty and Gucci Guilty’s philosophy of perfume-making.

To round off this intriguing, mysterious scent is patchouli with hints of leather, green, woodiness and incense-like qualities, underscored by rich and resolute cedar wood for an unforgettable finish to a fragrance that juxtaposes the irresistibility of the past and present; feminine and masculine; convention and idiosyncracy.

#ForeverGuilty Campaign video now on www.gucci.com

This article was originally written by Tan Siok Hoon from L’Officiel Malaysia.
Images and video courtesy of Gucci.