Michael Kors Goes Very Hollywood

"Hollywood glamour is the ultimate escape," said the designer during an interview at his Manhattan showroom Tuesday. "It is an emotional pull, no matter what your age — which gave us the idea for this fragrance. Everyone needs a little escape these days."

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The designer likens his first, Michael, to "the little black dress — it has classic, universal appeal," he said of the fragrance, launched in 2000. (A bridge scent called Kors launched in 2003 and is no longer sold.) His second major franchise, Island — which has included a handful of flankers since the original's 2005 launch — he compared with "a cool collection of crisp white shirts." As for Very Hollywood, "this is the indulgence. This is the gold dress!" But, he hastens to add, it's not necessarily a nighttime fragrance. "It's more of a mood," he said. "This is definitely not the customer's sporty moment."

Very Hollywood, concocted by Kors and the Estee Lauder Cos. Inc.'s Evelyn Lauder and Trudi Loren in cooperation with International Flavors & Fragrances, is a sophisticated floral. Top notes are of mandarin and iced bergamot; the heart is of wet jasmine, ylang-ylang, raspberry and gardenia, and the drydown is of Italian orris, creamy amber, soft white moss and vetiver. "This is the most glamorous, indulgent scent we've ever done," said Kors, adding that he thinks the sunny Southern California landscape adds optimism to the mix.