The house of Balenciaga has finally returned to its roots in scent. After decades of silence and years of speculation, the Balenciaga fragrance collection has arrived — ten distinct perfumes that reclaim the artistry first expressed in Le Dix (1947). The launch at 10 Avenue George V in Paris marks more than a product release; it’s the revival of a legacy.
A House Reawakens
In 1947, Cristóbal Balenciaga introduced Le Dix, a violet-toned floral perfume created with master perfumer Francis Fabron. Its name came from the Paris address where Balenciaga built his couture empire. The scent embodied precision, architecture, and femininity — all traits that defined his fashion.
For decades, Le Dix became a collector’s mystery. Archivists later discovered one surviving bottle, sparking a 15-year journey that culminated in today’s rebirth. The rediscovered flacon was 3D-scanned to recreate its globular glass cap, hand-tied ribbon, and aged lacquer label. Every bottle in the new collection carries this design DNA — a bridge between Cristóbal’s couture discipline and the modern house.
Kering Beauté and a New Era
The relaunch is led by Kering Beauté, the luxury group’s beauty division formed in 2023 to bring fragrance in-house after Balenciaga’s licence with Coty ended. The move signals Kering’s ambition to consolidate creative control and align scent directly with Balenciaga’s fashion narrative.
The collection debuted first in Paris, followed by select boutiques across Europe and North America and online at balenciaga.com. A phased global roll-out continues through 2026, reaching the Middle East and Asia next — regions deeply connected to perfume heritage.
The Ten Perfumes
The Balenciaga fragrance collection is built around duality — past and present, light and shadow, restraint and rebellion. Each scent interprets an aspect of the brand’s aesthetic language.
- Le Dix – The rebirth of the 1947 icon. Iris absolute, violet leaf, and incense form a powdery floral with an aldehydic shimmer.
- No Comment – A cypress-toned fougère, crisp and enigmatic, nodding to Cristóbal’s famously private nature.
- Getaria – Salty air and vetiver evoke the designer’s Basque homeland.
- Twenty Four Seven – A warm blend of vanilla, amber, and musk, echoing the constant rhythm of modern life.
- To Be Confirmed – A study in tension; jasmine and ylang-ylang over black tea and bergamot.
- Muscara – Smoky iris with a cosmetic whisper, recalling Demna’s fascination with distortion.
- 100 % – A bold modern rose; used as the scent invitation for Balenciaga’s A/W 2025 show.
- Extra – Expansive and metallic, reflecting the excess of couture fabrics.
- Cristóbal – A resinous oud composition that anchors the line with gravitas.
- Incense Perfumum – The darkest of the set: black pepper, incense, and guaiac wood — a liquid expression of Balenciaga’s black gowns.
Bottles, Materials & Craft
Each flacon feels intentionally imperfect — textured boxes, subtle wear patterns, and ribbon collars tied by hand. The packaging uses industrial patina techniques to suggest age, embracing the beauty of impermanence. The bottles are refillable, crafted from thick recycled glass, reinforcing Kering’s sustainability goals.
The Architecture of Scent
Cristóbal Balenciaga was an architect in fabric; these perfumes echo that approach in air. The compositions unfold slowly, shaping atmosphere rather than decorating it. Wearing one feels like stepping into a space built from scent — structure first, decoration second. Each note has weight, the same way his silhouettes carried form and volume.
The creative team describes the concept as “olfactory architecture”: perfumes designed to sculpt emotion through proportion and silence. They evolve over hours, revealing unexpected harmonies rather than abrupt contrasts.
Price, Formats & Availability
The 100 ml Parfum retails at approximately AED 1,200, with 200 ml refills, a Travel Spray, a Discovery Box, and a Les Dix miniature set also available. Each perfume is housed in a custom case printed with its name in the house typeface. Distribution expands progressively across luxury retailers and Balenciaga boutiques worldwide through 2026.
Le Dix and the Circle of Time
Recreating Le Dix was never about imitation. The perfumers studied the original aldehydic-violet formula but replaced outdated ingredients with modern equivalents, using isolated iris molecules and subtle incense. The result feels ghostly yet familiar — as if history has been polished rather than rewritten.
It’s also symbolic. Le Dix was named after a location that still anchors Balenciaga’s world. Seventy-eight years later, that same address has become both launchpad and memory. Few brands manage such narrative symmetry.
A New Luxury for Balenciaga
What sets the Balenciaga fragrance collection apart is its refusal to chase trend. There’s no celebrity front, no gimmick. Instead, it offers craftsmanship and quiet boldness. In an era obsessed with noise, Balenciaga whispers — and that whisper carries authority.
The house’s creative director Demna has described scent as “the most honest form of design — invisible but undeniable.” These ten perfumes translate that idea into motion, proving that true modernity begins with memory.
Why This Matters
Perfume is once again part of Balenciaga’s language. The brand has fused its heritage with a new kind of experimental minimalism. In reviving its first fragrance, it has also revived a philosophy — that every creative discipline, from tailoring to perfumery, begins with proportion, detail, and conviction.
For Balenciaga, fragrance isn’t a side venture; it’s identity made tangible.
Frequently Asked Questions
It launched on 10 September 2025 at Balenciaga’s fragrance store, 10 Avenue George V, Paris, with a phased global roll-out across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
There are ten, including a faithful recreation of Le Dix and nine new scents inspired by Balenciaga’s heritage.
The line was created by Balenciaga in partnership with Kering Beauté, Kering’s beauty division established in 2023 to bring fragrance creation in-house.
The 100 ml Parfum is priced at around AED 1,200, with 200 ml refills, a Travel Spray, a Discovery Box, and a Les Dix miniature set also available through Balenciaga boutiques and authorised retailers across the UAE, including the Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates stores.
