Morocco is a magical destination—I’m so inspired by its colors and culture. I also associate it with a cover shoot by Jonathan Becker I did, along with my father, for Town & Country magazine. I love those photographs, they really capture a sense of place—I wore an amazing brown and blue Rochas dress that echoed the backdrop of desert and sky.1
That’s Aerin Lauder, talking about the inspiration for Tangier Vanille, which she released under her casual-luxe Aerin lifestyle brand last year. Of the fragrance itself, Lauder promises that it “opens a secret door that leads you into the mystery and splendor of Morocco”.
Cultural appropriation is nothing new in perfume marketing, and Morocco, of course, is fertile ground. If there is any harm done by taking a nice deep whiff of Serge Lutens Chergui and imagining yourself in an exotic / romantic Moroccan landscape that glosses over colors and culture and plenty else besides, so be it…
