Thursday August 30, 2007
True to himself
By S. INDRAMALAR
Diddy’s first perfume, Unforgivable, stands for what the singer is, and represents.
WHEN you think of Diddy (yes, that’s his name now), one thing that comes to mind is style. The man is seriously stylish and he knows it too.
“I don’t hide the fact that I am passionate about clothes and looking good whether I am dressed in a three-piece suit or jeans. People notice personal style. When it is flawless it can only help someone’s development in an industry that’s obsessed with image.
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Diddy: ‘Never wear something that doesn’t make you feel sexy.’ |
Diddy attributes his fashion sense to his mother and grandmother.
“My mother was my model and my grandmother designed the robes for the church,” he reveals. “From an early age, my mother instilled in me a deep appreciation for having a true, personal style. Fashion has always been in my blood.”
He believes that clothing isn’t the only thing that maketh the man.
“Everyone knows it’s not just the clothing. It’s what underneath that really counts. Take care of your body; keep it toned and looking right.”
It’s no surprise then that Diddy has not only ventured into the world of fashion and fragrances, he is conquering it too.
In 2004, he was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America award for his signature collection of clothing. Unforgivable, his first men’s fragrance launched two years ago, was recently billed as the top-selling new fragrance of the year by trend-tracking firm The NPD Group Inc., the first time a man’s fragrance made it to the top.
But, why Unforgivable?
“One of the reasons I picked the name is because I am unapologetic about who I am and what I represent. When you believe in yourself, you have to live your life out loud. To some, this is unforgivable. If so, I say be unforgivable,” said Diddy.
Not being true to oneself, he feels, is absolutely unforgivable.
Diddy was very involved in the creation of the scent. It took 665 attempts (some of the sampling took place in Diddy’s kitchen) to create Unforgivable, a masculine citrus scent meant to capture the energy of the man behind the label.
“I am completely involved in everything that has my name on it. I worked with the team of creative people on the scent and the packaging. I had them flying down to my house in Miami for smelling sessions all the time.
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Unforgivable, he explains, is a scent for those who seek the finer things in life.
“It is sleek, smooth, clean, sexy rich, unique, passionate, close to the skin, breathtaking, addictive and slightly dangerous.
Seven ORPUR ingredients – Italian bergamot, lavender, Sicilian lemon, Moroccan tangerine, grapefruit, juniper and clary sage – were used in the scent. “ORPUR ingredients are naturally grown and harvested (to) the strictest standards. They provide an expensive, exclusive signature to the fragrance,” said Diddy.
The packaging is inspired by Diddy’s “favourite things” such as Ferraris, yachts, planes and his homes around the world.
It is, explains Diddy, “an extension of me and the Sean Jean lifestyle. Before Unforgivable, I never wore any fragrance.”
His success, he says, is not because he is a celebrity. It is due to hard work and dedication.
“At the end of the day, I’m an artist. My passion and drive to succeed have been the major contributing factor to the success of the Sean Jean empire. My celebrity status has only been a result of this determination. My roots are in Harlem and I never forget that,” he said.
So what does the busy entrepreneur and entertainer do when he’s not expanding his empire?
“Spending time with my sons and my family is my ultimate relaxation. I don’t get that much down-time as I am a man on the move. But when I do, it’s St Tropez or somewhere warm on a yacht. I’m all about seeking the most pleasure out of life. It’s about working hard and playing hard ... you can’t forget the latter. When it comes to vacations, I am all about luxury.”
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