With South African celebrities, designers, and tastemakers creating their own coveted products - namesake or otherwise - do we really have an excuse to still not be taking pride in shopping local (preference aside)?
Bonang is still filling our flutes to the brim with House of BNG, Linda Gieskes-Mwamba continues to work to ensure that Suki Suki Naturals becomes a leading global luxury beauty brand, and DJ Zinhle is making sure South Africans' wrists are accessorised with timeless pieces.
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And now acclaimed designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, in a celebration of 10 years of his eponymous brand, is also expanding his empire as he ventures into the luxury scent space with the Double Platinum Eau de Parfum, and he's foray into this new territory is already off to quite a grand start.
This passion project has been expertly crafted in the heart of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world on the French Riviera, in the same perfumerie where some of the greatest fragrances such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Dior and Balmain are manufactured.
Gert-Johan spent time in the fragrant perfume capital to educate and equip himself to create a superior product; and this collaborative process took over a year from conception to fruition.
But don't let the French noses behind the making of this fragrance have you thinking there are no African elements and sentiments attached to Gert-Johan's new EDP.
READ MORE: To all the French brands I've loved before... I'm shopping local now
The Double Platinum Parfum is described as a "cocktail of memory and emotion, and is reminiscent of Rustenburg’s signature platinum mines; where Gert-Johan grew up - the platinum coating of the beautiful bottle pays homage to his childhood. The proudly South African packaging of precious metal, enrobing the matte black crystal-like bottle, is designed to look like a magic potion, birthed from African soil."
Moreover, this fragrance is designed for the diverse South African men and women who wear Gert-Johan Coetzee’s collections. One such woman is social media personality Sarah Langa, who's been tapped as the face of Double Platinum Eau de Parfum as she "embodies the epitome of a Gert-Johan Coetzee woman – confident, kind, powerful and graceful with a sophisticated soupçon of sex appeal."
Designed to bring out every note of your essence, Sarah is said to represent the fragrance’s ability to bring out the various facets of the Double Platinum wearer.
So as a budding fragrance aficionado myself, with a slowly but surely expanding arsenal of perfume, I was eager to dab the Double Platinum sample gifted to us at the launch of the fragrance, on myself this morning for a bit of Friday pizzazz.
I really believe a good scent elevates your mood and your confidence, which is why I complete every look with a luxe spritz of something French, Indian or British. Yes, the nose has to travel even during the week. So when I took a shot'left to Rustenburg with my choice of scent today, I was pleasantly surprised.
I feel like I smelt mature and honestly... quite accomplished, which is what the fragrance was made for with its "A signature soirée of success" mantra.
I then asked people around me for their first impressions of the droplets of Double Platinum that had now oxidized rather pleasantly on my skin, and these were the words/phrases that were immediately thrown my way; "approachable", "welcoming", "not overpowering", "fresh", and "mature in a good way".
Now, isn't that what everyone with taste should smell like?
READ MORE: There's a strong winter fragrance for every girl and every kind of outfit
The fragrance note description pleads my case here:
The Double Platinum (50ml) EDP is available exclusively at Skins Cosmetics in Sandton City, the V&A Waterfront and is available for pre-order online for R3 500 at www.gertjohancoetzee.com
Additional information and images provided by Zebra Square.
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