The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
In 2020, Jo Malone London approached Sophie Labbé with a challenge: take two ingredients that seem unrelated and find what they share. The first was cypress, a tall, architectural note with an inherent sharpness. The second was wine grape, something warm and abundant that carries the memory of harvest. The pairing could easily have produced a clash. Instead, Labbé found a way to make them coexist, building the fragrance around their tension rather than resolving it. She worked with what each ingredient brought to the table, letting cypress provide structure while the vine note added an unexpected warmth that grounded the composition from the start. Woody notes were introduced to bridge the two, giving the fragrance a shared vocabulary that prevented any sense of disconnection.
The philosophy behind this fragrance reflects Labbe's interest in contrast without resolution. She did not set out to make cypress and vine feel like one thing. She wanted them to hold their own identities while existing in the same space. Woody notes serve as the connective tissue, their dry character bridging the gap between cypress's sharpness and vine's warmth. The result is a fragrance that feels intentional rather than accidental, built on a clear understanding of what each note contributes. For those exploring the Cologne Intense collection, this fragrance offers an alternative to the typical progression from bright to deep.
The evolution
The fragrance moves forward without transitions. Cypress arrives first, its green character immediately present, followed closely by vine notes that lend a dusky, organic quality. Woody notes develop gradually, adding a dry, slightly leathery texture that allows the composition to breathe. Throughout the wear, the fragrance maintains its core character. There is no dramatic shift from bright to deep, no moment where the identity changes. Instead, each note settles into its role and stays there, with the cypress remaining the dominant voice while woody notes and vine provide context and depth. The evolution is subtle, a slow softening rather than a transformation.
Cultural impact
The 2020 launch placed this fragrance squarely in a moment when masculine fragrance was reconsidering what freshness meant. The campaign, fronted by Tom Hardy since 2024, reinforces the tension: cool British restraint meeting unexpected warmth. Rather than leaning into aquatic or citrus territory, Jo Malone London chose green and woody.
