FRAGRANCE | Has anything been deconstructed with Yohji Yamamoto's Deconstruction EDP?

Deconstruction by Yohji Yamamoto.

This is my first from this house, a blind buy from a fellow fraghead. Deconstruction EDP is one of six 2018 releases from Yohji Yamamoto new "Yohji" line. It's a collection that supposedly represents key values of the avant garde designer himself.

Let me start with the packaging, where the box alone already sets it apart from most fragrances by eschewing the typical cardboard material for compact foam, or whatever that material is called. All black and with just a small "Yohji" engraved in it, the box could contain anything and one probably wouldn't think it's perfume.

Inside is a long and slender 50ml bottle fitted snugly in a carved out space that mimics the bottle's shape. It's clear glass covered only by wraparound black letters that spell "Yohji." In fact all bottles from this line are like this. The only distinguishing factor that let's you know which fragrance it is is a teeny weeny sticker at the base.

The bottle fits snugly in the foam box.

Another whimsical touch on the packaging involves some statements printed at the back of those black letters. For Deconstruction it's this:

In terms of scent, I'm really not sure what's been deconstructed here or what symmetry is supposedly broken because Yohji's Deconstruction is one gorgeous and well-rounded fragrance. It's all at once warm and comforting with an overall sweet and woody accord. The woody earthiness provides the right counterbalance to the ambery sweetness, so it never gets cloying.

I also get a makeup-y iris in the opening that's reminiscent of Dior Homme Intense, along with some rose and a faint speck of citrus somewhere. However, they're blended quite smoothly with all the other notes, so they don't stand out as individual characters. What I get instead is a beautiful ensemble that envelopes you in a nice, warm embrace that lasts. Several hours later, you're left with a soft, amber-sweetened trace of leather. Love it!

On me Deconstruction lasts quite long and projects really well in its first 2 to 3 hours, surrounding me with a lovely scent cloud that I never even thought was there until a colleague complimented me when she passed by. It also leaves a noticeable scent trail, which I again only knew of when someone remarked about it after I walked around her. Well, great then!

In hindsight, Deconstruction by Yohji Yamamoto is a wonderful perfume that's worth a try. And considering the reactions from people so far, I also think it's pretty safe for a blind buy. It's a little expensive, yes, but I believe it has the performance to back it up. I'm just lucky I got it for much less.

P.S. I still don't get where the asymmetry in this fragrance lies.