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Big Fashion has long been in bed with the fragrance industry: a crowd-pleasing signature bottle, backed by a botoxed Hollywood face (or unsettlingly attractive centaur), is an essential revenue arm for designers with a behemoth parent company to keep happy.
But in an industry overflowing with ephemeral, crowd-pleasing blends, only a few make it into the collections of the true fragrance heads, and many of them come from Tom Ford.
An ode to the desert heat of the American Midwest, Ombre Leather isn’t the shoutiest scent in the designer/director's roster (one of them is literally called Fucking Fabulous, for christ’s sake), but it is the most sophisticated choice. While many veer into attention-seeking territory, Ombre Leather encapsulates Mr. Ford’s signature sexiness in the most understated way.
Tom Ford Signature Ombre Leather Eau de Toilette 50ml
Tom Ford Signature Ombre Leather Eau de Toilette 50ml
Leather scents are of course ubiquitous, but most are loaded with aggressively macho notes that don’t always transmit masculinity through a modern lens. Ford’s Ombre Leather eschews the tobacco, tonka and spices in favour of powdery florals. It’s a Western without the testosterone, Eastwood without the cigar.
In the supporting roles, raspberry lends a hint of jammy sweetness; amber and oakmoss provide a deep, lasting base. The resulting trail is buttery – less battered leather jacket, more fresh-out-the-box loafers – and sits close to the skin, meaning you’ll be able to smell it on yourself, but won’t be leaving an obnoxious olfactory trail in your wake.
Purists will always opt for the original Ombre Leather, but anyone with a penchant for florals should look to the more recent Ombre Leather Parfum: an amped-up take on the lauded original that goes big on the violet leaf and cedarwood.
Whichever you choose, it’ll work with your whole wardrobe, whether you’re a full Tom Ford leather-trouser man or not.
