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Yves Saint Laurent

Opium

1977OrientalEDTFrance

Yves Saint Laurent Opium bottle
Image: Nordstrom

Bottle palette

glass

cap

accent

Where to find it

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Editorial notes

  1. 01

    Studio 54 had a smell, and it was spice and resin in a red lacquered box.

  2. 02

    Saint Laurent had been collecting Asian art since the early sixties. The bottle, by Pierre Dinand, is a Japanese inrō, the small lacquered case traditionally worn at the obi to hold medicine or perfume.

  3. 03

    The 1978 U.S. launch was held aboard the tall ship Peking at South Street Seaport. Truman Capote was at the helm, beside a thousand-pound bronze Buddha covered in white orchids. Chinese American advocacy groups protested the name.

  4. 04

    Composed by Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac for Yves Saint Laurent in 1977. The 2000 Sophie Dahl print campaign drew over 700 complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Authority and was banned from outdoor posters.

Dossier

Edition · 000

Status · Active. Reformulated.

A spicy oriental.

Composed by
Jean AmicJean-Louis Sieuzac
Bottle by
Pierre Dinand
Founder
Yves Saint Laurent
Country
France

The pyramid

Top
mandarin orangeplumclovecorianderpepper
Heart
jasmineroselily of the valleycarnationcinnamon
Base
sandalwoodmyrrhopoponaxlabdanumpatchouli

The brief

Yves Saint Laurent drew on his fascination with chinoiserie and Asian art, framing the perfume as an addictive, transportive object.

NameNamed Opium to evoke the exoticism and decadence of the East, a choice that drew protests from a Chinese American advocacy group.

Why it mattered

  • Pioneered marketing through deliberate controversy, with the name and provocative ads sparking international debate that boosted sales.

The flacon

Red lacquered flacon modeled on a Japanese inrō, the small lacquered case traditionally worn at the obi to hold medicine or perfume.

Worn by

  • Truman Capote1978

    Attended the lavish 1978 U.S. launch party aboard the tall ship Peking in New York, decorated with a 1,000-pound bronze Buddha covered in white orchids.

Footnotes

  • The 2000 print campaign featuring a nude Sophie Dahl drew more than 700 complaints to the UK Advertising Standards Authority and was banned from outdoor posters.
  • The U.S. launch party in 1978 was held aboard the 1911 tall ship Peking moored in New York Harbor.

The Curator's Note

Saint Laurent invented the publicity-as-product strategy decades before influencer culture caught up.

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