Which fashion house launched Le Male, the men’s fragrance introduced by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995?

Jean Paul Gaultier launched Le Male, the men’s fragrance introduced by the fashion house in 1995. The fragrance was created by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, who was still early in his career when the composition was released.

Le Male is built around a prominent lavender and mint opening, anise and orange blossom in the heart, and vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood, and amber-like notes in the base. Its combination of aromatic freshness and sweet warmth helped define a distinctive style of men’s designer fragrance in the 1990s.

The bottle is shaped like a male torso wearing a sailor’s shirt, a visual reference to Jean Paul Gaultier’s recurring nautical imagery. The packaging is often more immediately recognizable than the fragrance name, which is why the product is sometimes casually called “the sailor bottle.”

Le Male has produced many flankers, including Le Male Le Parfum and Ultra Male. Those later releases should not be mistaken for the original 1995 eau de toilette.