Versus Uomo

Versus Uomo was the first fragrance created for Gianni Versace’s Versus line - urban chic prêt-à-porter for the Club Med demographic (18-35), conceived when Versace’s star was rising, coinciding with his transition from the ghastly pastels and colour blocks that had been his trademark during the 1980s, to the iconic Barocco, Animalia and Floralia prints of the 1990s - epitomised by the legendary Miami Collection - that would make Versace a celebrity and immortalise him after his tragic and untimely death in 1997. 1991 was the year that Gianni Versace's Fall/Winter collection made fashion history, starring supermodels Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington all on the catwalk at the same time to the soundtrack of George Michael's "Freedom". An innovative, iconic collection (radically different to anything he'd done before), that propelled Gianni Versace to global superstardom. 1991 also saw the creation of multiple new lines in a kind of corporate restructure: alongside the prestige haute couture label "Gianni Versace Couture", there was "Versace Jeans Couture" (the "budget' casual line), "Versace Sport', 'Istante" - and "Versus", whose target demographic was young people and whose aesthetic was fresh, urban sophistication. The eponymous fragrance, Versus Uomo, was also released in 1991, its creator Gianni Versace. Versus Uomo is elegant and sensual, a multifaceted blend that opens with a salvo of citrus and aromatics, an olfactory mosaic of Byzantine complexity - with citrus, florals, resins, vanilla, amber and tonka bean - of which the most noticeable impressions I get are like a yin and yang duopoly with an aromatic-green-citrus yin and a creamy, coumarin-amber-woody yang. The dry down is a sublime resinous woody amber. Performance is reasonable, at around six hours plus - after the first it sits fairly close but creates a discreet trail as you move. The overall impression is very niche and natural, like one of those Italian blends of a million different components. Versus Uomo is an expression of style over fashion, true to the aesthetic vision of Gianni Versace who definitely marched to the beat of his own drum - albeit with the occasional catastrophe, like his infamous (and hideous) pairing of tartan and baroque. Versus Uomo is a potion of superlative quality - niche quality - that leaves an oily residue on the skin when applied. Versus Uomo is unconventional and quite unlike anything else, although the style reminds me of its contemporary, Joseph Abboud, which also presents as a bold, very niche, composition. So much so that if you like the original Joseph Abboud I’m pretty certain you will like this - both smell more like an artisanal blend of essential oils rather than a mass market aroma-chemical-cocktail of a designer fragrance. Versus Uomo is enjoyable to wear but not necessarily a crowd pleaser as it's a bold fragrance that, although elegant, is quite unusual and even challenging (FlirtBoy's description below, "a mix of Quorum and lemon cheesecake", is surprisingly accurate) - one of those things people tend to either love or hate. Nevertheless it is a collector’s item, a legacy of the late, great Gianni Versace, and the flacon is a work of art in its own right. Versus Uomo would suit a man who - like Versace himself - marches to the beat of his own drum. A gentleman who dresses to please himself, not others. Style is the eternal chic that transcends the pedestrian, ephemeral vicissitudes of fashion - and Versus Uomo is supremely stylish.

When this cologne came out on the market, I just started working full-time for a couple of years. At that time there was no way to look up the different notes to understand and appreciate the complexity of this amazing juice. I own a 100ml bottle and use it occasionally during the winter/spring months which it's best suited for. After spraying it on my wrist I pickup a real sweet vib from the amber, Oris and especially benzoin with a hint of warmth from the carnation and vanilla. I don't know why but my nose meter doesn't pick up any lime or citrus type of notes. After awhile I'm able to pick up some sandalwood/cedar notes as well tonka bean. There's a smig of lavender to balance the sweet notes. For whatever reason, I also can not pick any green notes or fir? Longevity and Sillage is amazing, you only need to spray it once and it has staying power well past 5 hours when I wear it. Thou this juice didn't come until early 90s, but I would categorize this juice as part of 80s when colognes like Trussardi pour homme, Gucci Noble, Drakkar and Number One Boss just name a few. I really enjoy this classic...9.5/10

As I wear it on this hot summer day, Versus Uomo has me eager for autumn. I imagine it being an early October day, and I am dressed in a decidedly more distinguished manner than a t-shirt, camo shorts, and New Balance sneakers. I imagine that it may even be a different time, different decade even. It's a bit more cloudy, but not overcast. The neighborhood in my neighborhood has lots of wrought-iron fences and large beech trees. I am walking to a library to read, and the internet either doesn't yet exist or exists no more. Versus Uomo smells of large creamy, limey-lemony magnolia blooms that are just starting to wilt and brown at the edges; fleshy pulpy, papaya mixed with fresh lavender; a spiced carnation that was experiencing its last gasps in men's fragrance at the time of its release; a lot of soft-peppery-fruit linalool that recalls my beloved Habit Rouge. The dry down somewhat echoes that dusky base of Zino, slightly more smooth and soft-woody. The synesthesia in me feels like this is the way an oboe sounds: a wistful, keen pungency with a soft interior.

as BrianFamous88 said below, this is niche quality. Soapy citrus lavender opening, and the lavender stays present, though not as prominent through the drydown. The mid brings forth the rosewood, carnation and jasmine and just a touch of fir. The drydown is an amazing creamy, woody, blend of amber, cedar and vanilla, while the lavender tries to hold on to the end. The projection is moderate and the longevity is long-lasting on my dry skin. I get wafts of the creamy soapy goodness for 5-6 hours and another 3 hours of projection just off my skin. I blind bought this for $14 for a 3.3 oz., and had no idea it was discontinued. After I tried, and fell in love with this gem, I started looking for backup bottles only to find out it was discontinued. Luckily, I found another bottle still in the box. Needless to say, I paid more than $14 for that one, but it is worth every penny. This is such a unique masterpiece. If anyone knows of a fragrance that is very close to this, I would love to try it. My Signature Scent for the foreseeable future!!

Oh man, this is the stuff of my youth....it’s been discontinued I had my first bottle from 1997 till about 2005 in my stable and it was my GO-TO date scent....it was the kind of scent (and still is if you can find it) that drove women crazy at the time, it was unique and I feel like I didn’t know many people that wore it at the time, but such a compliment getter.... it’s very dark, mysterious, citrusy, jasmine, incensey a bit, perfectly balanced hint of sweetness, never got cloying, even if you spray too much it mellows out and leaves this aura... it’s freakin sexy, in my opinion it’s a 90s masterpiece and it’s worth getting prices aren’t too bad, found one on FragranceNet recently and man....it still smells good, I wore this and my wife (who never smelled this on me as I never had it with her till recently) to her it may as well be love potion number 9...she says it’s my F* me fragrance and she can’t help it.....we’re in our mid 30s.... this is classic stuff