Recently, fragrances that don’t subscribe to traditional gender labels have been on the rise, with brands offering perfumes that give attention to elevating the ability of scents as a substitute. For instance, in August 2019, Harry Styles teamed up with Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele to launch the brand’s gender-neutral fragrance, Mémoire d’une Odeur. With notes of chamomile and jasmine, the fragrance is available in a green glass bottle while the campaign also featured Harris Reed, a young designer who identifies as genderfluid along with other creatives.

Regarding the campaign, Reed expressed to Teen Vogue, “My very own interpretation of the campaign was all about a whole and utter sense of inclusivity. Pushing what it means to be a person and be different in 2019. It never felt like we were forged for this, it felt like we were really hand-picked by Alessandro to actually support the message. We were truly a part of a latest family that stood for… acceptance and inclusivity.”

In keeping with the brand, Mémoire d’une Odeur was its first “universal fragrance” or in other words, “a perfume not assigned to a gender or a time.” While that very same month, a Vogue article argued that “you may argue that any fragrance is gender-neutral” – that is something that might be seen as a natural response to the ways by which gender roles are currently shifting and the undeniable fact that younger generations are calling for more queer acceptance. 

Gucci is just one among many firms which are now offering gender-neutral fragrances. Just a number of weeks ago, Fendi introduced a scented bag with its FENDIFRENESIA, a genderfluid scent that pushes the envelope by mixing art, fashion, and sweetness while also allowing the buyer to completely express themselves using various outlets. Other brands that supply gender-neutral scents include Louis Vuitton, Bon Parfume, and Clean Reserve. 

But why is that this trend happening? “People not wish to be labelled whether its gender, age, ethnicities and as a substitute wish to be recognised for his or her individual wants and taste,” says Melissa Hago, vp of beauty at trend forecaster Fashion Snoops. “We’re seeing this in all categories, fashion, beauty, and now in fragrance.” In keeping with her, consumer demand comes from Generation Z who is asking for more options while also championing gender fluidity. 

In keeping with Meloney Moore, a professor of beauty and marketing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a part of the explanation we’re seeing an influx of gender-neutral fragrances is because today’s consumers have grown beyond the old narrative that uses stereotypical gender cues to draw the alternative sex via scent. As an alternative, consumers are latching onto other aspects that go into making the products they buy. “They need to grasp the ingredients, the provenance, and the craftsmanship behind the products they buy,” she says. Moreover, consumers have gotten more independent, meaning that they enjoy co-creating their product experience with the brand. A neutral fragrance that puts scent first offers them exactly that – with genderless beauty brands rising, including firms like Fluide, Jecca Blac, and Noto Botanics, gender fluid fragrances are the subsequent and natural item to enter the market.

“Fragrance, like fashion, is a type of communication, and just as persons are demanding more expansive language – for instance, the word “they” was Merriam-Webster’s word of 2019 – scents which are for everybody, no matter their gender identity, have gotten more common”

With this, Moore thinks gender is becoming less relevant for a more sophisticated consumer who doesn’t wish to be put right into a box. “They could not need a brand telling them what they need to wear based on their gender. In addition they may not agree with that brand’s interpretation of gender,” she says. Subsequently, as a substitute of being told what one can smell like in line with their assigned gender identity, consumers wish to buy from brands that allow them to make a decision what scents they’ll select no matter their gender.

To higher cater to Gen Z’s affinity interest in pushing the boundaries of beauty, in 2018 the university announced the primary beauty and fragrance business degree program with Moore, a former Estee Lauder marketing executive, on the helm. Accordingly, the connection between gender and smells is just one among the connections students at SCAD are addressing of their studies and artistic projects. For instance, a student by the name of Diesel Ambuter developed a gender-neutral fragranced called Moonchild, which is visible upon application and meant to function a progressive fashion statement on the skin,” while one other student named Justin Ashwell developed a gender-neutral fragrance specifically for the annual Coachella music festival.

Closely tied to memory, fragrance is a really emotional category while our association of various scents with the feminine or male gender continues to be very subjective believes Moore. “Throughout history florals have operated on each side of the gender line. An individual’s association with various fragrances notes can change based on when and where they were born while life experiences or trauma can influence one’s categorisation of certain notes.” Similarly, some fragrances may not trigger an association with gender in any respect. As an example, she says that Yankee Candle’s A Calm & Quiet Place implies a fresh scent with hints of green or marine facets. Nevertheless, the mind doesn’t naturally categorise the candle by gender – it’s the industry’s marketing efforts which have dictated to us what scents belong to who. 

Fragrance, like fashion, is a type of communication, and just as persons are demanding more expansive language – for instance, the word “they” was Merriam-Webster’s word of 2019 – scents which are for everybody, no matter their gender identity, have gotten more common. “The fragrance industry is certainly having a revamp from being pushed to being more transparent with their ingredients to creating more non-binary scents that talk to everyone,” argues Hago. 

While it’s nice brands are offering more diversity with their products, it’s also value noting how the selling of gender-neutral fragrances is also a marketing ploy by which brands that do divide their products by gender are attempting to capitalise on the rise of inclusion, as a substitute of putting in work to make their brands more inclusive from the bottom up. “It’s easier for brands like Jo Malone, Diptyque, Bryedo, and LeLabo to talk to this consumer because they aren’t grounded to a gender-based apparel line unlike other fashion houses including Gucci or Fendi,” offers Moore. 

So, while it’s natural that as equality between genders is increasing and genderfluid acceptance is rising, and there are in turn greater options, consumers might want to transcend the face value of those products and hold more brands accountable in order that the market doesn’t change into muddled with rainbow capitalism. And this is very true for a brand like Gucci that has change into famous for its genderfluid aesthetics lately. If these brands truly wish to be queer allies and break down the barriers of an industry that’s long relied on gendered attitudes, they’ll must think beyond the products they put available on the market and releasing inclusive ad campaigns. This implies hiring more queer executives and ensuring their voices are front and centre when making business decisions like releasing a gender-neutral fragrance.