ck one, past to present, going strong

By Deborah Fulsang 

The breezy, aquatic-with-a-kick-of-green-and-musk personality of Calvin Klein’s trendsetting ck one fragrance perfumed the air of beauty counters for the first time back in 1994. It was a breath of fresh air. And it still smells good.

It had brilliant marketing, too. Edgy, youthful, rebellious, the toilette defined the moment’s Grunge-loving mindset via the likes of waifish Kate Moss and the shaven, tattooed Japanese-American lesbian beauty Jenny Shimizu. It was all-inclusive, unisex, “shared.” It encapsulated a zeitgeist that embraced all individuals across the gender, race, age spectrum.

The scent, composed by perfumers Harry Fremont and Alberto Morillas, captured the attention of a generation: ck one generated $5-million within the first 10 days of launch, and at its height, 20 bottles of it were sold every minute of every day around the world.

A green-tree accord weaves its way, top to bottom, through this scent’s pyramidal composition, while violet, rose, and nutmeg in combination with a jasmine-derived Hedione, make up the heart. Its opening is fresh and almost fruity with a mix of bergamot, cardamom, pineapple and papaya. And at the base, musk and amber along with that greenness, create a sexy, signature Calvin trail.

We remain at one with the spritz. In Canada, Calvin Klein ck one continues to rank in the top 50. And in today’s ever-growing sea of scents, that classifies as a classic worth discussing. Especially on a Throwback Thursday.

Calvin Klein ck one EDT, $72 (100 ml), at Shoppers Drug Mart and The Bay, www.thebay.com