logo
How to smell ‘rock and roll', according to Duran Duran

How to smell ‘rock and roll', according to Duran Duran

Telegraph26-03-2025

What did the Eighties smell like? If you were a teenager, either Anais Anais (girls), Dewberry (girls on a budget) or Drakkar Noir (boys). Like Eighties fashion, Eighties perfume was very OTT. Everybody reeked of something, not all of it pleasant.
There was no opportunity to smell like your favourite singer, actor or band; celebrity fragrance, was yet become a highly lucrative global phenomenon. But for Britain's vast army of Duran Duran fans, a new scent is set to prove that good things come to those who wait. Even if they've had to wait 45 years.
What does Duran Duran smell like? After decades of fond imaginings, Durannies (as their fans were called) are about to find out. Not content with selling 100 million records worldwide, scoring 18 American hit singles and 21 UK Top Ten songs, winning eight lifetime achievement awards, two Grammys, two Brits and two Ivor Novellos, Birmingham's most famous export (Duran Duran was formed by Brummies Nick Rhodes and John Taylor in 1978) have launched two scents that aim to bottle the band's essence, in partnership with luxury Italian perfume house, Xerjoff.
Scent is notoriously hard to describe, but Simon Le Bon, 66, is having a go. 'It's got that moodiness and I think it's quite romantic. But it's got a kind of tough side to it as well. It reminds me of going to a really great night club, and meeting somebody fabulous,' is how he describes Black Moonlight, a heavy mix of bergamot and mandarin with notes of saffron, hazelnut and jasmine. 'I'm not very good at remembering the names of the actual things that are in them, like tonka bean and oud,' he adds. 'We talked about what we liked, and I took quite a lead in that, because I'm very, very olfactory driven.'
The second scent, Neo Rio, he describes as having a 'tropical feel'. 'It's fruity, isn't it. It makes me think of opening the windows and letting a bright summer morning into your room, when the birds are really shouting at you. It's got that vibe. It's very in your face. But it's also very complex.'
'We've always liked the idea of doing things outside of the band, in the art, fashion and design world,' adds Nick Rhodes, 62, the band's keyboardist turned photographer. 'We love the idea of being able to excite a new sense – in this case, being smell – because we've mostly spent our careers with sound and visuals. We looked at it as though the project was what we would have done if we'd been a band of perfumers. The process was absolutely fascinating. We all knew the different things we liked. And just like when we're writing songs, everybody's pulling in completely different directions. Somebody wants something that's really joyful and uplifting, and somebody else wants something dark and moody and more musky. So that's exactly how the atom got split.' Better to launch two scents than cause dissent.
What would they say the Eighties smelled like? 'I think they're probably a little off after all this time,' quips Rhodes. 'I'd be very careful. People often forget that the 1980s actually began as a very dark period, particularly in Britain. Politically, it was a catastrophe. And so, as young teenagers, it was fairly natural that our instinct was to get away from this. 'Let's make something positive. Let's make our own brightness.' A lot of the 1980s came out of that, if you look at fashion, film, art. So yes, there's certainly a nod towards that period. But the fragrance itself feels very modern.'
Both miss the excesses of Eighties fashion. 'It's always difficult when you're part of something to try to be objective,' says Rhodes. 'But if I look at other people's things from the 1980s, rather than ours, I realise at this distance what a remarkable decade it was for invention and creativity.'
'There was so much freedom, and absolute, unrestrained imagination – people just taking any ideas that they had in the back of their minds and making it into something wearable,' says Le Bon. 'People would be telling stories through how they dressed. Modern fashion has become more understated, restrained and less willing to give that much away about oneself. [Social media] tends to encourage people to stay in the middle with everybody else. You don't want to stand out, or stick your head up above the parapet. Whereas in the Eighties, that's all we ever did. We stuck our necks up as far as they could go.'
How would he describe his own style now? 'That's like trying to bite my own teeth. I have an incredible stylist in the house with me, in the shape of Yasmin Le Bon. I always look to her for advice, and I've picked up a lot of her style over the years. Look, I'm a grandfather now. But I'm not called granddad. I'm called boomba. All capital letters: B-O-O-M-B-A-H - exclamation mark,' he says, spelling it out.
He and his eternally beautiful model wife Yasmin, 60, have been married for 40 years, an achievement in anyone's books, never mind in the capricious world of celebrity. Instagram yet to have been invented, they met in that time-honoured eighties pop star tradition, whereby he saw her photo in a magazine and married her a year later (in 1985). They share three daughters, and have just welcomed their second grandchild. Rhodes, meanwhile, has one daughter, whose mother is the US department store heiress Julie Anne Friedman.
Duran Duran are embarking on a European tour this summer, but don't expect them to play Glastonbury. 'Look, we're really up for it, but we're not going to play the disco tent on a Saturday afternoon,' says Le Bon. So it's the Pyramid stage or nothing? 'Well, exactly. You said it.'
Who would their dream surprise guest be? 'I'd love to do something with Charlie XCX,' says Le Bon. Brat is a great album.'
Brat summer might be over, but Duran Duran seem keen to hard launch Brat Halloween. Their most recent album, Danse Macabre (2023) is Halloween-themed: so, too, is their 'interactive' perfume launch. Held in 'Lost City' (aka a mysterious new events space in London's West End), the dress-code is Peak Eighties, with guests instructed to 'come glam, wear black or red, no heels, no perfume, be silent upon arrival'.
Less Eighties is the command to place our phones in a locked pouch. It soon becomes clear that the 'no heels' edict is on account of the narrow, dimly lit metal stairs leading down to a series of tiny rooms, to which guests are admitted six at a time. In the first room, Simon Le Bon is sitting dolorously at a bureau writing notes with a fountain pen. In the second one, John Taylor is simulating a threesome, which is to say he's reclining on a bed while two twentysomethings in front of him pretend to kiss. In the third room, a 'priest' asks us to repent our sins, before escorting us to another room, where Nick Rhodes takes our photograph (a reference to Girls On Film? Who knows?). Finally, after being held in another tiny room for crowd control reasons, a
woman dressed as a bird asks us if we've ever been to paradise. 'You will now,' she says, flinging open the double doors to a bigger room that reeks of Black Moonlight.
Whether guests are in paradise or purgatory will depend on their taste in perfume, but you've got to give the boys ten out of ten for effort. It might not smell like teen spirit (the band are all in their sixties now), but it definitely smells pleasantly of candied fig, rum, maple syrup and tonka bean - with a base note of money.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Love Island shock twist as girl brutally dumped from villa
Love Island shock twist as girl brutally dumped from villa

Daily Record

time26 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Love Island shock twist as girl brutally dumped from villa

First look into the action on tonight's episode of Love Island - as one Islander can't handle the pressure and another is sent packing... After an explosive launch episode, which saw over 1.4 million viewers tune into this year's Love Island, it's fair to say that summer has finally arrived. Last night Maya Jama announced the shocking news that one Islander will be sent home, cutting their time in the villa short, just 24 hours after they arrived. American bombshell Toni arrived and rocked the villa, leaving Shakira vulnerable and the other girls feeling the pressure to keep hold of their men. ‌ As we anticipate the outcome here is your sneak peek into tonight's episode of Love Island. ‌ The episode opens with Dejon checking in on Shakira to make sure she's okay with being left single - which leaves Meg feeling worried as she tells the other girls: "I don't have my man, Dejon's gone - that's it!" Meanwhile Shakira shows Dejon her vulnerable side, expressing: "That was a lot, it was intense, I was trying not to shake like a leaf. I've got a busy day ahead of me by the looks of it!" Later, Dejon and Meg head to the Terrace, with Dejon keen to reassure Meg. He tells her: "You haven't got anything to worry about, you're my favourite, one thing about me is I'll always be honest with my feelings." The next morning Toni and Shakira have a heart to heart, with Toni stating: "Just so you know, it wasn't personal, I'm rooting for else are you interested in?" ‌ To which Shakira replies: "Everyone!" and Toni says: "I'm telling you, I believe in you, you're not leaving." Shakira adds: "I know the boys are attracted to me on a surface level, but it's about whether we click." The singleton wastes no time getting her flirt on, as she asks Harry to join her on the terrace for a chat and things quickly heat up. ‌ The pair flirt back and forth as Shakira teases: "Haza you little minx!" as Harry jokingly replies, "It's day two come on let's keep it PG." Shakira doesn't stop at just Harry, as she pulls Conor, Blu and Tommy all for separate chats one after the other in hopes to find a connection. She confides in Tommy telling him: "I think it's best I try to get to know everyone." ‌ Shakira's chat with Tommy does not go down well with Megan as she takes matters into her own hands. With a push from Helena telling Megan to "claim your man!" She interrupts the conversation, sealing Tommy away for a chat. On the terrace, Megan confesses: "That made me a little bit jealous." But will Megan's jealous seeing Tommy with Shakira get the better of her, and push Tommy away? ‌ Later in the episode, as the Islanders get ready - with one getting ready for the final time in the villa - there is a tense feeling in the air as they know one of the girls will be going home tonight. Will Shakira's efforts be enough, or will she be sent packing? Maya makes a dramatic return to the Villa, telling the Islanders: "Your 24 hours are up, please meet me by the fire pit." ‌ At the fire pit Maya continues: "I gave you 24 hours to find a connection with one of the other boys or risk being dumped from the Island tonight, but have you done enough?" "Boys, do you wanna play it safe and stick with your current partner or take the risk and recouple with Shakira?" She then announces "Ok guys, if you feel you have a stronger connection with Shakira than your current couple, then please stand up…" As the girls watch on nervously, will any of the boys go for it and stand up for Shakira…or will it be Shakira herself packing up her suitcase?

It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell
It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell

Time Out

timean hour ago

  • Time Out

It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell

Going for dinner at a hotel is A Very American Thing To Do. Most Brits will only eat at a hotel if they are actually staying there and can't be arsed to leave the building in order to get fed. It's fitting then, that the NoMad's newly revamped in-house restaurant is a high-octane tribute to the big, ballsy American brasserie. Previously known as the slightly more descriptive 'Atrium', the roomy, well, hotel atrium's rebrand as Twenty8 NoMad also reeks of flashy New York, utilising the kind of chaotic jumble of letters and numbers that brings to mind Manhattan staples Bungalow 8 and Eleven Madison Park. It's brash, even grating, but we'll give it a pass, as it fits the aesthetic bang on, which is all Manhattan-by-way-of-the-Marais, an extravagant Yank take on the French brassiere, complete with excessively high ceilings, balustrades and balconies. 'Intimate' it is not, but cosy is overrated, and we're struggling to think of anywhere else in London that seems at once like peak Studio 54 and the ideal date spot for Romeo and Juliet. Into this truly special space steps a lavish 'raw bar', supersized-steak frites and an entire menu devoted to the martini. Our dirty vodka offering comes with a whole second helping, courtesy of a sidecar on ice, as well as three blue-cheese stuffed olives. It's the first in a carnival of oversized (read: American) offerings. A starter of crispy artichokes, which, though deep fried, are surprisingly light, and also very big boys. It's easy to see why our prawn cocktail doesn't arrive in a bowl; it's their sheer size. Veritable baby arms of seafood (even with the heads taken off), and served with a pot of humming horseradish cocktail sauce. Then comes a bowl of mussels (all of them fastidiously turned face up), in a creamy green curry sauce accessorised with bubbly, burnished roti. It might seem inconspicuous on a menu dedicated to brassiere classics, but it works through sheer dint of its deliciousness - and yes, they also seem larger than your average bivalve. Mains too are mighty, and a glossy lobster pasta is almost demonic in its execution. Using what we can only assume is an entire block of butter, a hearty grind of black pepper, smattering of chives and huge lumps of lurid lobster, the chef has created a dish worthy of beelzebub's own dinner party. It's good, but it'll send your arteries straight to hell, is what we're saying. Did we have room for dessert? Did we heck. A minty grasshopper cocktail stood in for an actual pudding, and, in true bountiful American style, we were packed off with a small box of chocolate bon-bons. Bigger isn't always better, but it certainly seems to be when you're at Twenty8 NoMad. The vibe A very good-looking hotel restaurant. The food Epic portions of French/American bistro classics. The drink There's a whole martini menu as well as classic cocktails and high-end, high-price wine. Time Out tip Far be it from us to intentionally undercut a restaurant, but the starters here are sizable. If there's two of you, it wouldn't be out of the question to order one each and then a main to share along with a side.

Outlander star Sophie Skelton's stunning London apartment that comes complete with adorable pooch
Outlander star Sophie Skelton's stunning London apartment that comes complete with adorable pooch

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

Outlander star Sophie Skelton's stunning London apartment that comes complete with adorable pooch

Sophie Skelton plays Brianna MacKenzie in the hit Starz show Outlander fans are still patiently waiting for the eighth and final series to hit our screens even though the filming for it has concluded. Cast members of the show are enjoying time at home after filming for its eighth series wrapped. One cast member who is enjoying some downtime is Sophie Skelton, who plays Brianna MacKenzie - the daughter of Jamie and Claire Fraser in the show. Even though she plays an American/Scottish character, Sophie, was born in Woodford, England. She was a child actress, first appearing in a couple of episodes of ITV drama DCI Banks in 2012 when she was about 18. It was then the following year that she played a character called Esme in the Tracy Beaker spin-off series The Dumping Ground and then Waterloo Road as Eve Boston. Some of her other roles included Doctors, Foyle's War, So Awkward, Casualty and Ren, before joining the cast of Outlander in 2016 as Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser's (Caitriona Balfe) daughter Brianna Fraser. While the end is now in sight for Outlander, the actress already has another project lined up in the shape of a psychological thriller. Entitled Row is a film about a 'failed trans-Atlantic WR attempt', when a woman washes ashore on a rowing boat and all of her crew mates are missing and presumed dead. It is then up to her to try and piece together her 'fractured memories of the ordeal to prove her innocence'. Outlander has taken Sophie all over the world but London is where she calls home. Let's take a look inside Sophie's cosy apartment... High ceilings Living room Dressing room

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store