Kim Kardashian West Told Us All About Her Lush New Fragrance Collection

Kim Kardashian West is known for her chic approach to beauty and fashion. Jeff Leatham is known for his modern and grandiose approach to floral artistry. They might work in different worlds, but Kardashian West and Leatham have a shared love for design, architecture, and beautiful scents. After working together for a decade, the two decided to channel their common interests into a new collection for KKW Fragrance. 

"I honestly feel like this is a long time coming," Kardashian West tells me over Zoom. "I've been so blessed to have all these beautiful arrangements that Jeff has sent over the last decade. Every time an arrangement is here, people are so moved by it, and it brings out such emotion. I'm so glad that we were able to bottle up the overwhelmingly amazing scents that people smell when they walk into the room."

"I've always wanted to have a fine fragrance," Leatham adds. "So to have this [collection] is just huge for me. I'm so excited about it."

Kardashian West and Leatham both agreed that knowing each other's work and personal style helped develop the collaboration. "I wanted [this collection] to be very Jeff," Kardashian West says. "I wanted this to be his interpretation. So, I let him really take over, and he knows what I like. We would smell things and give our opinions. It was such an easy process because we just know each other's tastes so well."

The resulting collection includes three soft and sophisticated scents. All of which are housed in stunning sculptural bottles that can be repurposed as floral bud vases once empty.

As jasmine has always been one of Kardashian West's favorite flowers, it was a no-brainer to create a scent with it. Channeling the unique elements and smell of lush greenery, Jasmine Air is infused with the essence of sparkling citrus and exotic blood orange. At its heart, the fragrance contains Bulgarian rose, jasmine, and osmanthus. It's finished off with amber, vanilla musk, and patchouli. "I sprayed it on it nine in the morning, and it's so fresh," Leatham says. "The greens, citrus, and Bulgarian rose really wake you up."

Desert Rose was crafted to be a signature floral scent. It offers a blend of white Tachibana flowers, pink peppercorn, and cypress. The fragrance's sensual, warm qualities are enhanced by jasmine, carnal tuberose, skin musk, creamy bourbon, and solar amber. "Rose was so important," Leatham points out. "We didn't want it to be too rosy but instead really creamy and lush with the tuberose and white flowers."

Night Iris rounds out the collection. Wild berries, spicy black pepper, and bright bergamot give this perfume its striking features. Night butterfly dahlia, tobacco leaves, and blue iris add to the allure of the dark floral fragrance. Patchouli and resinous benzoin top the scent off, adding a sensual yet elegant finish.  "It's kind of floral, but a little bit dark," Leatham explains.

For Leatham and Kardashian West, working on this collaboration during the pandemic helped underscore their love of fragrance. "I've just really had the time now to sit home and try things," Kardashian West says. "But, you also want to feel good about yourself. There will be days where everyone's just in pajamas for weeks. And at some point, you want to just get up, smell good, and try a new fragrance. I feel like I've tried more fragrances even just in testing scents. I've even resurrected some of my old scents that just evoke memories that I wanted to relive."

Leatham echoes Kardashian West's sentiments. "That's the great thing about flowers and scents—they really evoke memories," he adds. "You'll smell a certain flower and it'll bring you back to a moment. Fragrance brings back memories of people, situations, and times in your life. I think that's something during the pandemic we needed to be reminded of."

The Jeff Leatham by KKW Fragrance collection adds to the brand's track record of smash-hit launches. Just last month, Kardashian West collaborated with her sister Kendall Jenner on a three-piece fragrance lineup inspired by horseback riding. With each drop more intriguing than the last, it's only natural to be curious about the multi-hyphenate mogul's hopes for her fragrance brand as it continues to grow. 

"I just hope that people connect to the fragrances," Kardashian West says. "Some of them are fun and they're quick drops. Once they're here, they're gone. I love that spontaneity. But then I also love our classic fragrances or crystal fragrances. I just hope to keep on developing fragrances that people love, whether it's the classics or fun fragrances.