Rose. Lilac. Lavender. Bergamot. Jasmine. These are stereotypical “feminine” fragrance notes. It’s not that these ingredients are tied to the word “girlhood” in Miriam Webster, but it’s been society’s prerogative to form an invisible string between the two.
It’s exactly that construct that Yara Shahidi is trying to challenge with her latest Jean Paul Gaultier Divine campaign, which seeks to rewrite the rules of fragrance families by pairing a floral, gourmand scent with the power of gold armor packaging. “We all have this shared, very particular, very limited view of what girly girlhood or feminine womanhood is,” the Blackish star exclusively tells Marie Claire. “But there’s no single way to be a girl—that’s what I love about this campaign. We’re not pushing one idea of what it is to be feminine, we’re actually showing you authenticity is synonymous with femininity.”
