One of the most enduring images of the olfactory narrative is Kate Moss for Calvin Klein’s Obsession, lensed by her then-boyfriend, Mario Sorrenti. Baby Mossy, in all her sylphlike, doe-eyed, elfin glory, fronted the campaign near-naked (full, in one shot) – with only towel-dried tresses and a bare face. It was quintessential ‘90s minimalism; pared-back, youthful, irreverent – with images of a topless and bare-bottomed young Moss catapulting not only the Calvin scent to fragrance folklore – but Moss herself.


One page from the iconic advertisement
Credit: Supplied

This month, the two central (and celebrated) protagonists reprise their role from the 1993 cult classic, taking centre stage once more in Calvin Klein’s second coming of the fragrance, Obsessed. To mark its 25th anniversary, Klein’s current prodigious son, Raf Simons, has rehashed the original tale of love, memory and obsession for a whole new generation. As Raf notes:

“I suppose you could say we were obsessed by OBSESSION. If one thing summed up CALVIN KLEIN for us visually, it was Mario Sorrenti’s OBSESSION campaign with Kate Moss. It lived in our heads for so many years and became a touchstone of sensuality when we arrived at CALVIN KLEIN. We thought about a scent that could reflect such an idea of memory and desire for today. Of male and female, of the memory of somebody else on your skin.”
What is most striking however, is the imagery. No, Kate Moss hasn’t been smoothed and ironed-out to appear some 20 years younger. It is Mossy, from 1993, shot by Sorrenti, in 1993. The campaign utilises this previously unreleased imagery for its new riff on the original fragrance; never-before-seen photos of Moss from Sorrenti’s personal, visual biography. The move – both beautiful in its unearthing of Sorrenti’s art and a commercially savvy one – instantly propels the fragrance into our scent (and pop culture) psyche.


The new campaign, featuring previously unreleased imagery of Moss by SorrentiCredit: Supplied

Such a campaign, and subsequent rehashing, got me thinking. How many iconic fragrances have been slung to star scent status thanks to a big name and an equally powerful advertisement? Plenty.

Most recently, Mini Cindy – aka Kaia Gerber – was crowned the new face of Marc Jacobs’s iconic fragrance, Daisy. With her Crawford-esque proportions and childlike virtue (she is 16 after all), Kaia was an obvious choice for the ultra-feminine, floral fragrance, previously paraded by Frida Gustavsson in the dreamy, daisy-dotted fields of photographer Juergen Teller’s visualisation.  The campaign, which marked the iconic perfume’s ten-year anniversary received the greatest birthday present it could: the ever in-demand Kaia fronting it. Kaia, dressed in an ivory-laced, prairie smock, holding a colossal-sized version of the floral flacon, is frolicking against a sunshine-saturated blue sky, arm in arm with other pretty young things (you know, as you do). Again, the campaign renders a distinct Sofia Coppola tone (she directed previous campaigns for the same fragrance), with those ethereal, airy, The-Virgin-Suicides-vibes, however this time lensed by Alasdair McLellan and directed by Katie Grand. Whilst Gerber’s is more a reintroduction to an old beloved (we’ve all dabbed Daisy on at least once in our life), such a campaign and the star sinew of Gerber have catapulted Daisy back into the fragrance-robes.


Kaia and her PYT in the Marc Jacobs Daisy CampaignCredit: Supplied

Turn back the clock, and there was Sophie Dahl’s banned YSL Opium ad. A naked and sprawling Dahl (the so-called ‘curvy’ gal) caused a histrionic stir when she provocatively slumped (OK, spread-eagled) atop plush, midnight blue velvet, hallmarking it as one of the most controversial and complained about adverts of all time (a genius move by the then newly appointed head honcho, Tom Ford). Dahl, milky white with only gilded flourishes (namely diamonds and stilettos), grabbed her breast lovingly, in a state of opiate ecstasy. Perhaps even more memorable for a beauty aficionado, was Pat McGrath’s shocking green eye shadow and acid purple lip. 


Sophie Dahl in the provocative YSL Opium advert by Steven MeiselCredit: Supplied

Or a gilded Carmen Kass, bathing in liquid gold, with everything from hair to skin dipped in the golden stuff, just as Tiiu Kuik had done before her – it was legendary in the scent-scape. 


Carmen Kass lensed by Mario Testino for Christian DiorCredit: Supplied

Kass, did a fragrance double, also fronting the ephemeral Narciso Rodriguez campaign. Serene, ethereal and baring that whimsical crown braid, the ad not only spawned a generation of For Her wearers, but an undeniable preoccupation with braids. 


Carmen Kass and those braids, shot by Inez and VindoohCredit: Getty Images 

And don’t forget the boys (we never do). Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue instantly arouses a very topless, a very tanned, a very blue-eyed and a very, erm, bulging, David Gandy, staring right into our eyes, as we float around the cobalt nooks of Capri with him. 


David Gandy fronts (literally) Dolce & Gabbana’s Light BlueCredit: Supplied

Then there’s Bruce Weber’s Acqua Di Gio campaign, with Lars someone – which we can all remember flicking through our fashion magazines, and pausing upon, salaciously. 


The Acqua di Gio campaign by Bruce WeberCredit: Supplied

Retrospectively, it’s the models who introduce us to our favourite scents, just like Moss did some 25 years ago with Obsession, and today, introduces us to Obsessed. It seems the way we spritz comes down to a mega model and a visually powerful campaign. Except in the case of Lars – he was just really, really good looking.