Wonderwood Comme des Garçons 2010

As a young adult, fragrances were of no great relevance to me. The usual suspects from Jean Paul Gaultier or whatever was in the shower gift set was my perfume. Somehow, wearing fragrances was part of the joys of adulthood, but just as I reached for toothpaste without a second thought, olfactory pleasures were worth no more than a fleeting consideration.

Once I became interested in fashion and cared about which brands I wore - probably out of youthful narcissism - I was eager to know what Comme des Garçons was doing. Japanese fashion was, after all, the holy grail at that time, but the fragrances were not yet available in every perfumery.

Over 10 years ago, I traveled to Amsterdam and had to scour every fashion store that sold the textiles I had previously only known from digital images. The goal was to be able to sniff Wonderwood by Comme des Garçons, and a small, inconspicuous shop carried every fragrance from the Japanese fashion house.
They told us about the idea behind Odeur 53 and the concept for Series 3: Incense, and suddenly fragrances made sense. They were no longer just what young men were sold as a necessity for dating, but an art form that one sprays on their skin in a fine mist, and then came the grand debut: “Can I try Wonderwood?” I was instantly in love, a fire ignited within me that I still carry to this day.

The scent immediately transported me to an untouched spruce forest. The branches crack under my steps and the leaves rustle in my rhythm. The cypress trees invigorate the air, and every breath is full of energy. The mountain air carries the minerality to me, and the arboretum mingles in the wind. A light smoke welcomes me from afar, and what remains is a nurturing warmth of wood and wild, unspoiled herbs that never leaves my side. A fragrance that does not leave the forest all year round and always has its place.

From that moment on, I wore Wonderwood until today. It became my signature, and people associated the scent with me. Friends and casual acquaintances eagerly asked for the name of the fragrance. In romantic relationships, my pillow was in high demand during my absence. I have emptied multiple bottles and always returned to Wonderwood. The perfume lasts all day on me, and the sillage is a veil that elegantly follows you step by step.

The DNA is, as I know today, typical for Comme des Garçons. It does not have that typical synthetic alcohol note of other (cheaper) designer perfumes; it often creates a clear image and evokes specific moments and places. Even when used, you do not notice any synthetics. The fragrances are as authentic as allowed in compromise with longevity.

Wonderwood is for me what the first trip to the cinema or the first sip of wine is for many. My understanding of art was born when I smelled it. No outfit was complete unless I wrapped myself in a story from the bottle that looks as if it had spent decades in a river before taking on this form. Shaped by time and currents until it lost all its edges and corners. A sculpture that only Mother Nature could have created.

This perfume has opened my eyes and senses and will always be a part of me.