Alexander Wang by Steven Klein

After having been named creative director of Balenciaga in December 2012, Alexander Wang is turning his attention to fragrance, announcing today his first for the house, B. Balenciaga.  ‘Each element was a process that took a lot of evaluation as to what’s been done before and what hasn’t been done before,’ he revealed to WWD.  ‘It took a lot of soul-searching, but I really wanted to do something quite pure, as I see it as a step forward for the house.

Wang explicitly sought out ways to make the fragrance iconic to the brand – The glass of the bottle is inspired by the marble floor of Balenciaga’s salon located at 10 Avenue George V in Paris, while the stopper was created to suggest the modern style that Balenciaga has cherished in fashion creations and in making accessories.

Based on green notes, woodsy accents and having at heart lily, violet and even edamame notes, B. is the result of Alexander’s work with French perfumer, Domitille Bertier, one of the noses behind Viktor & Rolf’s blockbuster hit, Flowerbomb. The inspiration comes from the walks in Paris, at sunset, and the bouquet of flowers that his friend and collaborator, Vanessa Traina, brought on his wedding day.

Wang was also responsible for the styling of the campaign, showing the model Anna Ewers hidden behind a light veil, lensed by Steven Klein, who also photographed her in Wang’s Spring 2014 advertisements. “I wanted to portray a woman, mysterious but not restrictive,” the designer says.

There’s no news yet on pricing or global availability, but, in the US, B.Balenciaga will be available in specialty stores, including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and select Sephora locations  this October.