Dahlia Noir Givenchy Paris

The Black Dahlia was the name given to actress Elizabeth Short, a young American actress who was brutally murdered and mutilated in 1947. The crime was never solved. And the gruesome case inspired attention both on the big and small screen.

Compelling then that designer Riccardo Tisci chose the name for his debut fragrance at the house of Givenchy.

Tisci’s Black Dahlia scent is most definitely dark and compelling; rest assured it’s more glamorous than gruesome.

Tisci’s floral chypre was apparently inspired by an imaginary flower, says the French house. In realizing that mysterious nocturnal bloom, perfumer Francois Demachy mixed rose, iris and mimosa with rich woody notes of sandalwood, patchouli and tonka bean.

The nose also concocted a second version of the fragrance, an eau de toilette with the same base but with fruitier notes of mandarin, lemon and peach, a splash of spicy pink pepper, along with sensual amber, vanilla and sandalwood.

To personify the perfume’s dark beauty, Tisci chose Italian model Mariacarla Boscono, a model he has worked with for several years, ever since their shared student days at Central Saint Martins School in London. In fact, she has been the face of Givenchy’s ads since 2005.

In the Dahlia Noir campaign—print images, and the Dahlia Noir ad film, which was directed by Fabien Baron—Boscono wears black-leather-and-silk Givenchy couture. As her raven-black hair and the black chiffon of her gown dance in the current of Baron’s wind machine, she personifies Tisci’s vision, a windswept flower in some dark and brooding dream.

Givenchy Dahlia Noir EDP, $104 (50 ml); Givenchy Dahlia Noir EDT $77 (50 ml), www.givenchy.com