For 75 years, the panther has been a signature of the House of Cartier. La Panthère, as the famous brand calls it, symbolizes strength, elegance and unwavering determination. The origins of La Pathère date back to 1948, when the brand’s founder, Louis Cartier, affectionately called Jeanne Toussaint “La Pathère” because of her indomitable spirit. Fast forward to 2023, British actress Vanessa Kirby is chosen as the face of Cartier’s Panthère collection: watches, jewelry and fragrances. A top choice for many high fashion brands, Kirby perfectly embodies the panther’s essence with his fierce and protective personality. This draws parallels to the iconic motif that has come to define Cartier.
The inaugural campaign featuring Kirby sees the brand pay homage to its iconic animal motif by taking a journey back to its origins in a lush tropical forest. Kirby, the protagonist dressed in Cartier red, emerges from this verdant, secluded realm, guided only by instinct, and undergoes a metamorphosis into her alter ego – a feline that mirrors her personality and embodies both her predatory and protective qualities.
For this collection of perfumes, Cartier’s in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent aims to bring “the chypre family back into the limelight with a new flora-cat accord: the union of a historic chypre, a mythical animal musk and a fresh, vibrant gardenia”. As for the notes, it’s a mix of apricot and osmanthus.
“It is such an honor to become an ambassador and embody the wild feminine spirit behind the iconic fragrance of a Panthère,” Kirby said when the partnership was revealed last December. “To be aligned with a house that has a real appreciation for – and commitment to – philanthropy, women’s empowerment, conservation and arts and culture, driven by the extraordinary team at Cartier, is truly inspiring. They have become a family to me, and I am honored to be on this journey with them.”
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