Avant-garde fashion designer Rei Kawakubo opened her first ad hoc clothing shop in Berlin in 2004. These short-lived Guerilla boutiques "occupy" a space in a dead area of a city not known for being a fashion hub. Not only are they off the beaten track, they are also un-advertised, apart from spreading posters around the city. The shop remains open for a year, regardless of its commercial performance. Thus far, the concept seems to be a success. Comme des Garcons has created two scents based on the rebellious nature of these shops, Guerilla 1 and Guerilla 2. Both are interesting, and like other CdG fragrances, dabble in the weird.
Guerilla 1
Notes: pear, saffron, cloves, flower of champaca, black pepper, vetyver, cedarwood, musk
The opening note is a somewhat sweet pear, followed by an odd clashing smoked plastic smell. The pear departs to become champaca flower veiled with a cucumberlike aura that doesn't quite - but almost - decends into pickle. After a few minutes, the plastic smell dissipates and hints of peppery spice can be detected on a background of light woods.
What starts out a somewhat bizarre scent, actually dries down quite nicely, and is a bit on the masculine side.
Guerilla 2
Notes: bergamot, pink pepper, ginger, red pepper, curcuma, raspberry, tuberose, vetyver, cedarwood, musk
Guerilla 2, on the other hand, is much more girly. It starts off as tart raspberry with the sharpness of pink pepper and a touch of ginger. As it dries down, the pepper fades and the tartness is joined by a barely perceptible white floral aroma. The musk comes slinking in a bit later, adding a sweet, almost vanillaic quality to the composition. Overall, this one is actually a lovely little fragrance.
