The American fragrance world gathered under the golden glow of the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for what has become its most anticipated ritual: the 2025 Fragrance Foundation Awards. The air shimmered with elegance, ambition, and a bespoke scent—”Lincoln in June”—designed exclusively for the evening by none other than Lifetime Achievement honoree Daniela Andrier of Givaudan. Floral and ephemeral, it was a gentle reminder that fragrance, at its best, transcends product and becomes poetry.
This year’s celebration was, without question, dazzling. Celebrities, perfumers, founders, and fashion figures toasted to creativity across 19 categories—from olfactory artistry to packaging perfection. The crowd of 1,000 (sold out, naturally) included boldface names such as Vera Wang, Dapper Dan, Laverne Cox, and a glittering constellation of fragrance influencers and beauty insiders.
photo: @instagram.com/fragrancefoundation/
Legends and Laurels: Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement
The Fragrance Foundation wisely chose to honor two pillars of cultural influence this year: Ralph Lauren, inducted into the Hall of Fame, and Daniela Andrier, whose career-defining subtlety and elegance earned her the Lifetime Achievement Perfumer award. Accepting on behalf of Mr. Lauren was his son, David Lauren, who spoke to the enduring power of fragrance in shaping the American identity—a fitting nod to a brand that helped bottle the American dream.
Andrier, meanwhile, delivered a beautifully grounded message: a rejection of cliché, a call for humility, and a poetic defense of timeless craftsmanship over hollow modernity. One couldn’t help but wonder: in an era obsessed with virality, are we finally reawakening to the slow magic of perfume?
photo: @instagram.com/fragrancefoundation/
The Winners: A Mix of Blockbusters and Indie Gems
The night’s top honors read like a barometer of where the industry is—and where it perhaps dares not go too far. Major players like Estée Lauder Companies, L’Oréal, and Puig dominated the list with repeat wins, reinforcing a perhaps-too-comfortable status quo.
Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Luxury went to Kilian Paris Sunkissed Goddess (Estée Lauder Companies, Givaudan, Calice Becker)—a golden ode to radiance and summer skin. In Men’s Luxury, the award went to Tom Ford Bois Pacifique, another Lauder-backed creation that continues the brand’s sultry, moneyed storytelling.
The Universal Prestige and Luxury categories offered more nuanced winners: Maison Margiela Replica Afternoon Delight (L’Oréal/IFF, Carlos Benaïm) and Byredo Desert Dawn (Puig/Robertet, Jérôme Epinette), respectively—fragrances that feel more like carefully penned novellas than big-budget films.
And yes, Tom Ford again took c with Black Lacquer—a scent as lacquered and stylized as its name implies. It’s luxurious, yes. But one might ask: where are the risks? Where is the push beyond beautiful?
The Indie Fragrance of the Year, Délices des Bois by Veronique Gabai, offered a refreshing whisper of contrast. Composed by Amandine Clerc-Marie, it’s a reminder that small houses are still where innovation quietly flourishes.
Pop, Prestige & Packaging: More Than Just Pretty Bottles
On the commercial end of the spectrum, Vacation®’s AFTER SUN (Givaudan, Rodrigo Flores-Roux) took home Popular Fragrance of the Year, while Burberry Her Intense snagged the Consumer Choice – Prestige nod, and Bath & Body Works’ Platinum won in the Popular category.
Meanwhile, Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild and Diptyque’s Fleur De Peau Holiday Edition (in collaboration with artist Lucy Sparrow) triumphed in the packaging categories—testaments to fragrance’s ever-growing reliance on visual storytelling. Because let’s be honest: shelf appeal sells.
A notable win in Innovation went to D.S. & Durga’s Murder Mystery Set—a curious, cinematic concept by the quirky Brooklyn duo David & Kavi Moltz that proves storytelling in scent still has room for mischief.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
The Fragrance Foundation Awards are a spectacular homage to beauty, craft, and brand power—but also, subtly, a mirror. And if last night’s mirror reflects anything, it’s a truth the industry must confront: while excellence abounds, risk is rarer.
The ceremony is unquestionably glamorous, the craftsmanship real, and the tributes heartfelt. But with major conglomerates continuing to dominate the olfactory landscape, one wonders how much room remains for indie disruption and true experimentation in the mainstream.
Still, nights like this matter. They elevate perfume beyond trend, reminding us that a scent can be a memory, a movement, a message. So here’s to the dreamers and the disruptors, the classics and the avant-garde. The future of fragrance may still be bottled in glass—but what’s inside? That’s up to the brave.
Full List of 2025 Fragrance Foundation Award Winners:
Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Luxury: Kilian Paris Sunkissed Goddess (Estée Lauder Companies; Givaudan, Calice Becker)
Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Prestige: KAYALI Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar | 42 (KAYALI; dsm-firmenich, Gabriela Chelariu)
Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Luxury: Tom Ford Bois Pacifique (Estée Lauder Companies; Givaudan, Rodrigo Flores-Roux & Adriana Medina)
Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Prestige: Ralph Lauren Polo 67 (L’Oréal; dsm-firmenich, Marie Salamagne)
Fragrance Hall of Fame: Rabanne 1 Million Eau De Toilette (Puig; Givaudan, Michel Girard, Olivier Pescheux, Christophe Raynaud)
Fragrance of the Year – Universal Prestige: Maison Margiela Replica Afternoon Delight (L’Oréal; IFF, Carlos Benaïm)
Fragrance of the Year – Universal Luxury: Byredo Desert Dawn (Puig; Robertet, Jérôme Epinette)
Fragrance of the Year – Ultra-luxury: Tom Ford Black Lacquer (Estée Lauder Companies; Givaudan, Guillaume Flavigny)
Fragrance of the Year – Popular: AFTER SUN, Vacation® (Givaudan, Rodrigo Flores-Roux)
Media Campaign of the Year: Lancôme La vie est belle L’Elixir (L’Oréal)
Candle & Home Collection: Sunlit Yuzu & Neroli Wellness Collection (Nest New York; Givaudan, Christine Hassan & Linda Song)
Consumer Choice – Prestige: Burberry Her Intense (Coty; Takasago, Aurelien Guichard)
Consumer Choice – Popular: Platinum (Bath & Body Works; IFF, Natasha Côté, Patty Hidalgo, Laurent Le Guernec)
Perfume Extraordinaire of the Year: Balmain Beauty Ébène (Estée Lauder Companies; Symrise, Maurice Roucel)
Fragrance Editorial of the Year – Print/Digital: Justin Fenner, Robb Report – The Man with The Golden Nose
Innovative Fragrance: Product of the Year: D.S.& Durga Murder Mystery Set (dsm-firmenich, David & Kavi Moltz)
Packaging of the Year – Prestige/Popular: Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild (Coty)
Packaging of the Year – Ultra-Luxury/Luxury: Diptyque Fleur De Peau Holiday Edition (with Lucy Sparrow)
Indie Fragrance of the Year: Délices des Bois (Veronique Gabai; dsm-firmenich; Amandine Clerc-Marie)
And as always, in the world of scent: it’s not just what you wear—it’s what you remember.
