The spirit of a decade
In an economy of ambition and power dressing, perfume became a statement of self. Women's fragrances competed in strength: Giorgio Beverly Hills in 1981, a tuberose floral; Yves Saint Laurent's Paris in 1983, rose and violet; Chanel's Coco in 1984; then Dior's Poison and Calvin Klein's Obsession in 1985. For men, Yves Saint Laurent's Kouros in 1981 and Guy Laroche's Drakkar Noir in 1982 imposed dense, virile fougères. Headspace technology, which captures the scent of a living flower, developed during the decade and widened perfumers' palettes. In 1988, two launches foreshadowed what came next: Davidoff's Cool Water, founder of aquatic freshness, and Calvin Klein's Eternity, a clean, luminous floral, both paving the way for the minimalism of the 1990s. Few decades smelled so loud.
