By Thomas
Years ago an interviewer for British GQ asked Alexander McQueen why he kept photographs of deformed people on his wall. His answer (paraphrased) was that it made him think – really think – about beauty, and question what is really beautiful. Through the years, McQueen’s design aesthetic has been called angry, perverse, and, well…beautiful.
Now that we have those terms under our belt, Kingdom is pure Alexander McQueen. It is perverse, maybe a tad angry, and eventually beautiful. The opening screams with smashed-up over-ripe fruit over mild spices and consistently makes me question my decision to wear it that day. Fortunately the fruit quiets down a bit to make way for the perversity.
I don’t know about your area, but in Texas cumin is a staple. Tex-Mex cooking relies heavily on cumin, and I personally add it to a number of dishes regardless of origin. Other people associate cumin with sweat or BO – which I am told is a bad thing. Regardless of your preferences, cumin comes roaring in over the over-ripe fruits and really turns things up-side down. I like it. Other people (such as co-workers, friends, family, strangers on the street) may stage an intervention and re-create the scrub-down scene from Dr. No.
The cumin never goes away but the fruit does, making way for beauty in the form of a big honking rose. At first the rose feels synthetic, but the mild petroleum buzz dies down and the rose becomes more natural as the day goes on. The cumin gives a bit of sour earthiness to the rose and keeps this one from getting too femme for us guys.
Is this a winner? That depends on how you like cumin (or perversity for that matter). Kingdom is a bit more sumptuous and sweet than my usual fare, but for a change of pace in the cooler months I like it very much.
Year: 2003
Perfumer: Jacques Cavallier
Notes: Orange, Mandarin, Mint, Neroli, Bergamot, Lemon, Carnation, Ginger, Rhubarb, Jamine, Celery Seeds, Rose, Amber, Musk, Oakmoss
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