FRAGRANCE

 

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner on What It's Like Launching a Fragrance During a Pandemic

 

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And more exclusive details on their collaboration for KKW Fragrance.
kim and kris campaign photo for kkw fragrance collab
Oh, my God! I'm going to throw up," are the exact words I wrote in an email to my editor when she told me I was going to interview Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian West about their KKW Fragrance KKW x Kris launch. Now don't get it twisted — I was not figuratively throwing up in disgust; I have been a fan of Kardashian West and Jenner since season one of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When I found out that Kardashian West was collaborating with her mom, my eyes lit up with joy. I mean, can you think of a more iconic duo? Probably not.
   Now Jenner and Kardashian West are launching a fragrance to celebrate the bonds between mother and daughter for Mother's Day, but it's also a time of confusion and uncertainty due to the coronavirus. In an exclusive interview marking their first collaboration for Kardashian West's beloved fragrance brand, I spoke to the pair about the challenges of introducing a new product to the market during a pandemic, what scent means to them, and which fragrances they love (other than this one, of course).

Allure: As such a tight-knit family, how are you guys managing to stay close during quarantine?

Kim Kardashian West: A lot of Zoom calls and FaceTiming. We are constantly in a family group chat, every second of every day.

Allure: What has it been like launching a fragrance during a pandemic?

KKW: Definitely had to do all of our meetings over Zoom. We also would have maybe done a different press situation in person. Everything is normally in person — that's just how we do it, but we've had this launch planned out for a while and, luckily, the KKW factories and fulfillment centers are still open and operating, which is something I feel really blessed for.

Allure: You're donating 20 percent of the profits from this launch to Blessings in a Backpack. Why did you choose this organization?

KKW: It's such a hard time, and so many children are missing their school lunches, so when we heard about Blessings in a Backpack, and the fact that they are now able to feed kids on the weekdays and on the weekends, it's such a special program that they have going on and we just really wanted to help support them.

      What was the inspiration behind this scent?

Kris Jenner: My love of the notes that are infused into it. I am obsessed with gardenia and tuberose and the way that those scents land on my body. Just like everybody has body chemistry [with] certain scents, for me, this one just makes me feel feminine and beautiful. I've worn scents with these notes practically my whole life, so I think I'm just attracted to these notes.

                  Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Created a Fragrance for KKW Beauty Interview

     : What's the story behind the packaging?

KKW: I was inspired by an older, etched glass. I wanted something that was very classic. We had a sketch artist draw it out and went back and forth with them until it was perfected. I just wanted something really different.

For the shape of the bottle, each point actually represents one of my mom's children. This bottle was like nothing I've ever seen before, and the scent matches just that. It has a sweet scent because of all the floral notes that are infused into it, like gardenia, tuberose, and cashmere woods. If I had to guess what Kris Jenner would smell like, this would truly be it. Smells like wisdom and wealth to me.

    Why did you decide to shoot the campaign images in black and white?

KKW: I just wanted it to all be super-classic, and the bottle has a stone kind of look, so I just wanted the entire vibe to be a really classic one.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Created a Fragrance for KKW Beauty Interview
  Kris, what fragrance do you have the longest relationship with? Do you have a signature scent?

KJ: I think it's so true that when someone starts wearing fragrance when they are young, it kind of sticks with them for a very long time. The first fragrance I ever wore was Charlie by Revlon, and that's really taking it back, but I wore that for about a decade.

Then I discovered Michael by Michael Kors, and I think I wore that for about 15 or 20 years. And then Kim had a fragrance that I really connected with and loved, and that was her very first one, Kim Kardashian, and I have been wearing that since it launched.

Allure: What non-perfume scents remind you of each other?

KKW: Chocolate-fudge brownies remind me of my mom because as a kid she was always making them.

KJ: For Kim, we live across the street from each other, and typically, when things are normal, I am at her house all the time, and I think it's just the way her entire home smells. It's so delicious. Walking in, she has this certain scent and all the candles going, or she just popped out of the shower, she's just done her hair — it's just her personal smell. It's so wonderful.

                               Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Created a Fragrance for KKW Beauty Interview

     Allure: When I spray fragrance, it automatically puts me in a good mood. Do you hope that this fragrance will help people feel better during this time?

KJ: Absolutely. I think everyone wants to find something that makes them feel beautiful and really good during this time, and I think, what better time to try something new than now, that can just make you feel good about yourself and make you feel pretty?

Allure: Can we expect to see any more Kris collabs in the future? Maybe for KKW Beauty?

KKW: I hope so! She is really easy to work with.

KJ: Kim has a lot of exciting things that she has coming out, and I would love to be a part of it, if she lets me.

When ending the call with Kardashian West and Jenner, I thought to myself, this iconic mother-daughter relationship is really one-of-a-kind, and family means everything to them, especially when the world just doesn't seem to make any sense.

The KKW x Kris Fragrance retails for $40 on kkwfragrance.com and is available now.