This year, the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of ‘for her’ – an iconic fragrance that has stood the test of time, and continues to captivate a growing fan base. Created by renowned fashion designer, Narciso Rodriguez, ‘for her’ is a tribute to the grace and elegance of women, telling a story of eternal femininity that endures and evolves. Rodriguez, famous for his architectural yet feminine style, translated his vision from fashion to fragrance to create a scent that is now iconic.

‘for her’ was conceived as an intimate and powerful scent that would reflect the individuality and unique character of its wearer. At its core lies musc, a rare Egyptian oil that Rodriguez was given years prior, which had become his signature scent. He was instantly captivated by its potent power, making it a critical component of ‘for her’.

The fragrance was created through collaboration between Rodriguez and renowned perfumers, Christine Nagel and Francis Kurkdijan, with the aim of developing a luminous floral fragrance which blossoms from musc. The result is a contemporary, fresh version of a chypre fragrance, a scent that is defined by its unique alchemy of accords that encompass the signature musc note. The infusion of floral components of orange blossom, osmanthus, soft amber, and hints of tactile woods make for an exquisite synthesis.

The fragrance is just as unique as its bottle, which sprouted from Rodriguez’s imagination, namely a Chinese snuff bottle he had collected during his travels to Asia. The ‘for her’ flacon is a black rectangle suspended within translucent glass, as if it were a bottle within a bottle, which captures the essence of the fragrance. In fact, its design shook the industry up at the time, as transparency was associated with feminine fragrances, while black was typically seen in masculine scents.

Today, the ‘for her’ fragrance continues to be a trailblazer in the world of perfumery. It opened up a new chapter in the history of fragrance by introducing an entirely new style of chypre, the modern chypre musk, and its significance to women around the world cannot be overstated. Spreading out into an expansive ‘for her’ collection – ranging from eau de toilettes and eau de parfums that draw out the differences of facets of musc – such as PURE MUSC, MUSC NOIR, and MUSC NOIR ROSE. There’s no way around it, this fragrance has become a part of many women’s identities, playing off of their personality and becoming a lifelong signature.

The 20th anniversary of ‘for her’ is not just a celebration of the fragrance, but also of the journey that Narciso Rodriguez embarked on to create a scent that would capture the essence of femininity. ‘for her’ has become a timeless classic, one that has redefined the modern fragrance landscape forever. The launch of ‘for her forever’ is the latest addition to the dazzling line up in honour of this landmark anniversary.

Head here to shop the limited edition fragrance…

Read our full interview with perfurmer Sonia Constance below…

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of narciso rodriguez for her. What does this milestone mean to you?
It is hard to imagine that for her is already 20 years old. It is such a timeless fragrance, it is like it was created yesterday! On a more personal note, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to write a part of this very special perfume’s history.
And most of all, I am really excited to see how it will evolve and keep on being so successful in the 20 years to come!

You’ve said before that narciso rodriguez for her eau de toilette is the one fragrance you wish you’d created. What do you think makes this fragrance so special?
I think that what makes this fragrance so special is that it is not really just a fragrance – it is way more than that, it goes beyond a perfume. When women wear it, they get the most beautiful compliment one can receive – people stop them, not to tell them that their fragrance smells good, but that they smell good. It is as if for her were their own personal scent – they make it theirs, they really own it.

Why do you think the for her fragrances have been so successful and still have such a devoted following 20 years after the launch of the original eau de toilette?
I think the fact that for her was born out of a designer’s genuine vision, without considering any market constraints, tests, or trend analysis, is what made it both avant-garde in 2003, and also what makes it timeless in 2023. It was very ahead of its time when it was released, and thus set the trends of intimate perfumery. It is the freedom of imagination which gave birth to this creation that makes it so successful twenty years after its launch.

In a world where new fragrances are created constantly and trends come and go, what do you think it is that makes for her eau de toilette so timeless?
If you look at all the fragrances that stand the test of time, that keep on being successful twenty years after being launched, that gather a true fan base, that are supported by the most loyal consumers and keep on seducing new users every year, they all are an authentic expression of their designers’ vision. To me, that is the case for narciso rogriguez’s for her. Narciso has managed to tell his story, to show his philosophy through a fragrance, and his authenticity seduced many women around the world, who are now his most devoted ambassadors.

You have worked on many fragrances for narciso rodriguez. How has your relationship with the brand evolved and what do you find unique about working with narciso rodriguez?
I think Narciso and I have the same approach regarding women, sensuality and elegance: he draws dresses like I create perfumes, with the same ambition to sublimate women’s natural grace without transforming their authentic beauty, to make them even more beautiful and graceful. For me, it is amazing to have such an opportunity to create directly with the designer – it is very rare in the perfume industry to collaborate directly with the designer and to have direct access to him. I feel really blessed for that.

To celebrate the anniversary of for her, you have created a new limited edition fragrance, for her forever. What was the inspiration behind the new fragrance?
The inspiration behind for her forever was to create an ode to femininity, a luminescent white floral contrasted with a supple, musky chypre, to keep the iconic signature of for her and make it evolve towards even more femininity, floralcy and elegance. It is a tribute to for her, composed like an immaculate bouquet, a caress of petals warmed by the rays of the sun – soft and dense like a silky cream of flowers, and irradiated with an electrifying vibration.

How would you describe the olfactory composition of for her forever? Can you describe the structure of the fragrance in detail?
The top notes introduce the white floral bouquet that forms the signature of this fragrance, with frangipani buds and gardenia. The heart of this fragrance beats with
osmanthus flowers, tuberose and jasmine, and is supported by the most elegant, mysterious and sensual drydown, made of patchouli and the iconic heart of muscs.

How would you describe for her forever in just three words?
Immaculate, silky, and electrifying.

What kind of woman do you envisage wearing for her forever?
The for her forever woman radiates with an infinite femininity, sublimated by an unlimited sense of elegance. Her contained sensuality fills her with mystery and gives her a natural aura that glows around her and makes her somehow above and apart from others. She is special, in so many ways – just unique, just herself.

What makes for her forever distinctively ‘for her’ and distinctively ‘narciso rodriguez’?
It is the sense of contained sensuality, of femininity and mystery, embodied and symbolized by the heart of musc, common to the entire for her collection, that makes for her forever both distinctively for her and very narciso rodriguez.

And how does the fragrance differ from the original for her eau de toilette? Which notes are shared with the original, and which notes are new?
The osmanthus flower and the heart of musc that were the core identity of for her eau de toilette are still in for her forever, but it has been enhanced by white flowers and more patchouli, to convey an ultimate sense of grace, sophistication and charm.

How is the signature narciso rodriguez musc treated in for her forever?
The musc signature is still created by the iconic heart of musc, inspired by the Egyptian musc Narciso fell in love with at the beginning of the for her adventure. But as mystery is a major part of the for her woman, the composition of the heart of musc must be kept secret…

What was the most challenging aspect in creating for her forever?
It is always a challenge to be the guardian of for her’s identity. It is such an iconic fragrance, so special in the world of perfumery, that even twenty years after the first for her, I keep on doing my best to be up to it.