MSCHF's WD-40 Cologne Is the Workwear of Fragrance
Once again, MSCHF is up to no good. Brooklyn's resident prankster art collective is back with another cheeky project, this time poking fun at the pomp and circumstance of luxury perfume. Enter: Smells Like WD-40, a fragrance modeled after the industrial lubricant.
MSCHF's "Eau de Industrie" is available at the brand's website for $48 a bottle, downright reasonable compared to the latest Frédéric Malle or D.S. & Durga drop. Of course, recreating the chemical-y smell of WD-40 doesn't necessarily require the expensive raw materials — such as oud, jasmine oil, and rose petals — often used to formulate fine fragrance.
While the thought of spritzing WD-40 on your wrists and neck might seem ridiculous at first blush, it's not a totally far-fetched idea. The concept of a WD-40-scented cologne is actually a longstanding meme.
Plus, online fragrance board Fragrantica — home to some of the internet's most dedicated perfume fans — hosts a thread on scents that mirror the subtly sweet, gasoline-like aroma of WD-40 (66 by Xyrena and Ormonde Man by Ormonde Jayne are a couple of examples provided by participants).
Given fashion's obsession with workwear, MSCHF's attempt to capture the scent of manual labor is pretty timely.
Luxury fashion brands such as Marni and Gucci are collaborating with the likes of Carhartt and Dickies, unexpected crossovers that luxurify the no-frills uniforms of blue-collar workers. It's only a matter of time before the beauty industry delivers an olfactive equivalent to fashion's appropriation of the working class wardrobe.
Until that day arrives, you'll have to pair your sacai x Carhartt with MSCHF's eau de WD-40.
