Leather
Spicy
Woody
Notesbirch tarblack peppercedarwoodfrankincenseleatherlicoricesmokevetiver
Tags
#beast
#fresh
#smoky
Style
unisex
Black in name, black in nature: black pepper, incense, leather, licorice, birch tar. The effect is tough but comforting — a campfire shot through with sparks of nutmeg, and more than a hint of gasoline-infused motorbike saddle.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
The register is off-duty and slightly confrontational: a leather jacket still carrying the smell of an outdoor fire, worn into a small, warm room. Pepper supplies the bite; tar and incense suggest a rough exterior, with enough warmth underneath to make the impression approachable.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on skin, allowing the pepper, tar and leather room to settle before adding more. Cool weather suits this smoky, woody profile; in warm rooms, a lighter application keeps its burnt edges from dominating. Skin application favours the warmer side of the composition.
Who it’s for
For those drawn to charred woods, dry incense and leather with a rough, tarry edge. It suits a taste for industrial textures and assertive spice rather than soft musks, bright citrus or conventionally sweet perfumes.
Release year
2013
The nose
Guillaume Flavigny. His composition for BLACK builds its character around pepper, incense, leather and birch tar, balancing abrasive, burnt-smelling textures with the warmth of liquorice and woods. It is an uncompromising interpretation of the house’s experimental approach to fragrance.
Comme Des Garcons’s story
Comme des Garçons treats perfume as a medium for experimentation rather than a set of conventions about beauty or gender. Its fragrances explore unexpected textures and associations, including smoke, industrial materials and abstract woods. BLACK expresses that freedom through a deliberately tarry, leathery palette.
Black’s concept
BLACK extends the BLACK Comme des Garçons fashion concept, introduced in 2009 as a response to the pessimism and creative paralysis surrounding the economic crisis. The fragrance renewed that impulse with an urgent, guerrilla-style spirit: a dark, spiced composition rooted in smoke, leather and burnt textures rather than conventional glamour.
Extra info
BLACK’s monochrome packaging carries the logo of the BLACK Comme des Garçons stores. It is distinct from PLAY Black, a separate fragrance with a different perfumer and release history. The official note list specifies Madagascar black pepper and Somali incense.
Notesbirch tarblack peppercedarwoodfrankincenseleatherlicoricesmokevetiver
Tags
#beast
#fresh
#smoky
Style
unisex
Black in name, black in nature: black pepper, incense, leather, licorice, birch tar. The effect is tough but comforting — a campfire shot through with sparks of nutmeg, and more than a hint of gasoline-infused motorbike saddle.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
The register is off-duty and slightly confrontational: a leather jacket still carrying the smell of an outdoor fire, worn into a small, warm room. Pepper supplies the bite; tar and incense suggest a rough exterior, with enough warmth underneath to make the impression approachable.
How to wear
Start with one or two sprays on skin, allowing the pepper, tar and leather room to settle before adding more. Cool weather suits this smoky, woody profile; in warm rooms, a lighter application keeps its burnt edges from dominating. Skin application favours the warmer side of the composition.
Who it’s for
For those drawn to charred woods, dry incense and leather with a rough, tarry edge. It suits a taste for industrial textures and assertive spice rather than soft musks, bright citrus or conventionally sweet perfumes.
Release year
2013
The nose
Guillaume Flavigny. His composition for BLACK builds its character around pepper, incense, leather and birch tar, balancing abrasive, burnt-smelling textures with the warmth of liquorice and woods. It is an uncompromising interpretation of the house’s experimental approach to fragrance.
Comme Des Garcons’s story
Comme des Garçons treats perfume as a medium for experimentation rather than a set of conventions about beauty or gender. Its fragrances explore unexpected textures and associations, including smoke, industrial materials and abstract woods. BLACK expresses that freedom through a deliberately tarry, leathery palette.
Black’s concept
BLACK extends the BLACK Comme des Garçons fashion concept, introduced in 2009 as a response to the pessimism and creative paralysis surrounding the economic crisis. The fragrance renewed that impulse with an urgent, guerrilla-style spirit: a dark, spiced composition rooted in smoke, leather and burnt textures rather than conventional glamour.
Extra info
BLACK’s monochrome packaging carries the logo of the BLACK Comme des Garçons stores. It is distinct from PLAY Black, a separate fragrance with a different perfumer and release history. The official note list specifies Madagascar black pepper and Somali incense.