Smells like `Diddy' spirit

Sean Combs' first fragrance is predictably big, bold, splashy

SAMANTHA CRITCHELL

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Sean "Diddy" Combs doesn't do anything in a small, subtle way. So when the hip-hop mogul launched a fragrance under his Sean John fashion label, it was with sexy ads of himself in bed with two women.

He also charged $300 for the first bottles of Unforgivable, which were sold in limited-edition, signed packages. The scent, produced in partnership with Estee Lauder's M.A.C brand, now sells for $55 for 2 1/2 ounces.

The ad ruffled some feathers. A more clothed version was re-shot for use in stores, although the original showing Combs nearly naked is being used in billboards and magazines.

"I had a feeling the ads would catch some people's eyes," Combs, 36, told The Associated Press. "But that's because there aren't any other ads with a young black man with fragrances and sexy poses. I'm showing the growth of the world. But sexy poses certainly aren't new to fragrance ads."

He's got a point: Perfumes and colognes are among the sexiest pitches to land in magazines. Remember the stir over those Calvin Klein Obsession ads that featured a young, naked Kate Moss?

The bed was one of several locations tested for the Unforgivable ads, but those photos were the ones "that had that unapologetic attitude" he was looking for, Combs explained.

"I always wanted two models," he said. "Everyone takes a picture with one. And I was always going to be the male model. I wanted to give Sarah Jessica Parker, Britney (Spears) and J.Lo a run for their money."

Parker, Spears and Jennifer Lopez, Combs' ex-girlfriend, splash their names across fragrance bottles, as do Antonio Banderas, Celine Dion and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

As for the expensive launch bottles, Combs said he wanted the first packages of Unforgivable to be special, adding that he would have bought early bottles of Obsession if given the chance.

Introducing a men's fragrance -- a woman's perfume is to come next year -- is a natural extension of the growing lifestyle brand, and it's something most heavyweight fashion designers do to get their products into the hands of more people.

"People are fascinated with Sean and what he is going to do next," said Estee Lauder Global Brand President John Demsey in a statement. Demsey also called Combs "the `Great Gatsby' of our time."

"When people wear Unforgivable, they will have a slice of the Sean Combs' lifestyle by wearing a fragrance he personally created -- from the bottle to the actual scent," he said.

The fragrance is citrusy-musky with notes of lemon, juniper and bergamot.

Personally, Combs is the type of guy who pays attention to his grooming routine. "I wear face creams. ...And my toiletry bag is almost as big as a suitcase, and I always take it when I travel."

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