February 5, 2024
Yara Shahidi is The New Muse For Jean Paul Gaultier’s Newest Fragrance ‘Divine’
Jean Paul Gaultier looked to the Harvard graduate as the muse for the new Eau De Parfum that represents divine womanhood.
Actress Yara Shahidi is one of the golden muses behind Jean Paul Gaultier’s newest fragrance, Gaultier Divine.
A parallel message to Shahidi’s activism for equality, equity, Gen Z voting, and women’s rights, Gaultier launched the new “feminine and radiant” eau de parfum in 2023 to celebrate womanhood. The campaign features the Grown-ish actress dripped in gold alongside a diverse selection of models Gaultier called upon to represent the new fragrance. As grand doors open to reveal Shahidi centered in an all-gold room, the actress shakes around a glass bottle with a ship at sea sealed inside.
Gaultier styled Shahidi in a gold ensemble that reflects the voluptuous corset design of the fragrance bottle, a symbol of feminine liberation. According to Gaultier, the golden silhouette honors the diversity of the female body. The new perfume is a balance of floral and gourmand notes “interspersed with a salty vibe” and an airy meringue.
The Harvard graduate discussed her “message of hope” for women as part of the campaign. “My piece of advice is to lean into community,” she said in a video published on the brand’s Instagram page. “It’s through being in community with other women that I learn something that I didn’t know the day before, that I get another dose of hope, where I feel inspired.”
The actress dressed elegantly in a gold corset and shared that her secret to maintaining balance in life is unknown.
“I graduated from school and literally said, ‘How did I do that?'” Shahidi said, emphasizing the importance of community. “I’m only as good as my support network.”
The young activist added: “So much of my work is the product of love, but my ability to do it is the product of being loved.”
Throughout September, several videos and photos were published on Instagram by Gaultier. They featured other muses like South African model and prosecutor Thando Hopa, who shared that she carries many “institutions of womanhood” inside her, including albinism and being African and Black.