Yohji Homme 1999 by Yohji Yamamoto

Holy cow! I just scored a unicorn: an unopened 100ml of the original Yohji Homme. Released in 1999 by the Japanese house Yohji Yamamoto, back when their fragrances still bore the Jean Patou label, and designed by Jean-Michel Duriez, likely with help from the legendary Jean Kerléo. Yohji Homme became iconic and cult-favorite in the early 2000s, a status cemented by Luca Turin’s five-star rating in his first guide alongside Tania Sanchez (2008). Honestly, it’s an absolute gem; I can’t stop smelling it since it arrived a few weeks ago. I’ve worn it several times already, and it has a complex three-part structure: 1) an anise-forward fougère that lightly treads on 2) gourmand territory before settling into 3) a dark, smoky base. At first, it vaguely reminded me of Davidoff Zino and Azzaro Pour Homme: the former for the lavender and rosewood, the latter for the lavender-anise combo. But those echoes fade quickly because Yohji unfolds its secrets and takes you on a unique path to an unexpected destination. After the initial burst of bergamot, lavender, anise, and cilantro, it gains depth and warmth with cinnamon, a stronger rosewood note, and a licorice accord that carries it from fougère to gourmand. I detect geranium (or maybe carnation?), but any floral is subtle and gets eclipsed by the base, the real stars of the show: an intoxicating rum that makes you dizzy, a rich coffee that offers comfort and wards off a hangover, and a brown, fine, worn leather, slightly sweetened by high-quality tonka beans and a creamy sandalwood. A masterpiece. Yohji Homme was a pioneer and is the perfect gourmand for those who aren’t gourmand fans. It’s merely gestural in that regard and evokes nothing edible. Rum and coffee: two of the best scents in the world, especially for someone from Guatemala, like me. It was my holy grail for parties: light, fresh, spiced, warm, spirited, semi-sweet, elegant, cozy, and effortlessly interesting. No wonder it’s a legend.