Yves Saint Laurent Opium Debuts a New Look

Anne Bauso

In addition to their latest fragrance, Parisienne, YSL is also re-launching iconic Opium, a scent as complex, opulent and globally-influenced as the fashion house itself. First introduced in 1977, the alluringly spicy scent features citrusy mandarin and plum, peppery clove, coriander and bay leaf, floral jasmine and rose, and woodsy cedar, sandalwood, myrrh, and veviter. Its drug-referencing name caused a stir upon its inception 32 years ago, but the controversy led to publicity, making the perfume an all-time bestseller for the house.

YSL designer Stefano Pilati has now reinterpreted the classic scent; the original heavy glass vial package has been modernized, and there is a new advertising campaign starring British redhead Karen Elson as the sultry face on the glossy single- and double-pages. Photographers Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggott join oddball filmmaker David Lynch and powerful fashion photographer Steven Meisel as lens-men for the scent's ad campaign.

Opium will be available in the U.S. in January, but if you can't wait until then to experience a bit of Parisian pleasure, head to experienceparisienne.com, where your five favorite fashion bloggers, including StyleCaster's Meg Cuna, travel the country to help women discover their inner Parisienne.