FENDI
LA BAGUETTE

2024

PERFUMER
Anne Flipo

iris
Vanilla
leather

‘A fragrance like the summer sun rising over Rome. Wheat blond like Delfina Delettrez Fendi’s twin sons, Tazio and Dardo. Delightful like their favourite afternoon snack, a slice of sweet buttered bread. For Fendi, the Baguette has always been more than a bag – it’s a beloved icon that unites generations. Now, the universal appeal of the Baguette has been captured in a fragrance by master perfumer Anne Flipo. A floral, powdery iris from France imbues it with the sophistication of the iconic bag. Behind it, a Madagascar vanilla: the indulgence of a sweet dessert, a pleasure to share. Uniting them, a sensual, velvety leather note.’ – Fendi

With a trendy, gourmand name and concept like La Baguette, this was instantly the most talked about from the Fendi collection in my circles. At the time of writing, I haven’t smelled any of the others from this collection, but I have to say, La Baguette is quite far removed from what I expected it to be. And yes, as several people have pointed out to me, it’s named after the Fendi Baguette bag, but the description also speaks of afternoon snack, sweet buttered bread, sweet dessert and wheat blond.

This is especially true for the initial sensation upon spraying it. The only listed notes are iris, vanilla & leather, but the first thing that came to my mind was… Oud Satin Mood? Fruity, floral & sweet. Now, make no mistake, this is literally seconds to minutes, before the scent changes, yet, throughout I keep finding a hint of fruitiness that really makes La Baguette un-baguette like to my nose.

After that surprising opening, a clear buttery accord comes through and it’s the only pastry-like quality I find in this fragrance. I don’t get much of a bread scent. The vanilla is very present, but not overly sweet or strong. That’s double-true for the supposed leather. Instead, it’s a soft spiciness with a, in my experience, somewhat strange and distracting fruitiness. I’m reminded of the fruitiness that I always get from Yves Saint Laurent Tuxedo, but in an ever so slightly feminine leaning way here. I was also reminded of the Sephora-esque fruity tinge that I perceive in Matiere Premiere Vanilla Powder.

Overall, the butter facet that is prominent for a while after the opening is by far my favorite aspect of La Baguette and overall, it’s a pleasant fragrance, but it’s not as literal, or as much to my taste as I expected it would be. Definitely not a bad fragrance and I can see how certain people will love it, but it left me feeling mildly underwhelmed.