CK One by Calvin Klein was one of the big scents of the 1990s. It’s still around, and it’s as good as ever. We talk to the original nose behind it, master perfumer Alberto Morillas …
A truly great scent doesn’t date. It might speak of its time, but if it smells good, it smells good, no matter what the year, or the decade.
Since fashion is full of nostalgia for the 1990s, we’ve been thinking back to what we wore then, especially the scents. And amid the flouncy florals people wore then – from Givenchy Amarige to ultra-pretty Cacharel Anaïs Anaïs, and Thierry Mugler’s huge gourmand Angel – one stands out. When CK One launched in 1994, it was a breath of fresh air, both in terms of how it looked and how it smelled. The original tagline for the ad campaign was “A fragrance for a man or a woman.”
The minimalist, modern-looking bottle came with a silver cap and a spray attachment, and we begged for it for birthdays. We sprayed it with abandon: it was clean, cool, fresh, young, unfussy. I remember my aunt buying me a giant bottle of it thinking it was the coolest thing ever – I ditched my Cacharel Loulou for it. For me, it’s the scent of ’90s London, freedom, Soho, late nights and early mornings.
You can very much still find CK One today, often for a song – I spotted it in an airport recently for less than €20. It’s citrussy and uplifting, with bergamot, lemon and green tea. It avoids sweetness and instead has a clean laundry vibe that still resonates. Wear it with your slip dress and feel like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. CK One has endured far better than so many nineties trends: grunge and bucket hats come to mind.
We asked master perfumer Alberto Morillas, who worked with Harry Frémont on the original – and is behind so many bestselling perfumes, from Acqua di Giò to Gucci Bloom – about working on the scent that would become CK One.
When you first worked on it, what was your brief and how did it fit the context of perfumes at the time?
“The brief was to create a fragrance that felt modern, clean and inclusive, something that reflected a new spirit of freedom and self-expression. We focused on simplicity and clarity, building the scent from a few key ingredients rather than a dense, complex structure.
At the time, many fragrances were very opulent and clearly gendered, so the idea of a shared, unisex fragrance felt quite radical. The goal was really to capture a fresh cultural mood, rather than to follow the conventions of the market.”
Do you remember your reaction to the bottle design?
“My first reaction was that the bottle perfectly expressed the fragrance itself – minimal, honest and modern. Its apothecary-inspired simplicity stood apart from the ornate bottles that dominated the market then. The design reinforced the idea that CK One was democratic and unisex, something meant to be shared rather than owned by one gender, quickly becoming as iconic as the scent. After 30 years, when you see the bottle it’s still very modern, and when you smell the perfume it’s still unique.”
How do you feel about the scent now in the context of modern niche perfumery?
“Today we see many niche fragrances celebrating minimalist compositions and distinctive ingredient signatures, which was very much the philosophy behind CK One. Its strength lies in clarity and balance rather than complexity. The fragrance still feels fresh and relevant, especially as genderless perfumery has become much more widely embraced. In many ways, this anticipated a direction the industry would later move toward.”
Why do you think CK One has enjoyed such longevity?
“CK One captured a cultural moment, expressing ideas of youth, freedom and inclusivity that still resonate today. The clean, fresh character makes it incredibly versatile and easy to wear. Its unisex positioning was groundbreaking and remains highly relevant in today’s fragrance landscape. Ultimately, its simplicity and authenticity have allowed it to remain timeless rather than trend-driven. It’s a perfume with an emotion, freshness and very intense good sensation.”
CK One is available at stores and pharmacies nationwide. Alberto Morillas’ latest perfume, Gucci Bloom Ambrosia d’Oro, has just landed in stores.
