A*Men - Oscar Pistorius

A*Men

The male universe faced with infinite possibilities… it exists through its winning spirit, its natural sense of a challenge.

Like Angel, which unveiled the incredible wealth of a new imaginative world in perfumery, A*Men which was the first perfume for men created by Thierry Mugler in 1996, became a legend.

A*Men, going beyond the fragrance…

A*Men: the essence of a hero

With A*Men, Thierry Mugler brings to life the modern-day hero. Timeless, he is both contemporary and futuristic. Part man, part god and unchained by the conventional codes of seduction, he is defined by his interior strength and his desire to conquer.

Clad in sparkling metal and bearing a star, Thierry Mugler’s favorite symbol, he proceeds to glory with power and untiring strength. No obstacle is a match for his determination. A*Men, where challenge is a life force.

2011: a new momentum

For the first time, A*Men is represented by a modern day hero, an exceptional athlete: Oscar Pistorius. A bold choice and one completely out of the ordinary. Born in Johannesburg in 1986, the new face of A*Men became a world class sprinter with carbon fiber artificial limbs. After losing his legs at eleven months old, he learned a different way of mastering balance and sublimated his disability through competition. After winning several medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, he became triple world record holder and triple Paralympic Champion in the 100, 200 and 400 meter races. In 2008, Time magazine named him among the world’s one hundred most influent people in the “Heroes and Pioneers” category.

A*Men Oscar Pistorius Worldwide Campaign: from March 2011

A message from an extraordinary man

Oscar Pistorius possesses the masculine values which Thierry Mugler holds so dear: he shows that by using mental strength and willpower man can exceed the limits of what is possible, make incredible achievements and create a remarkable destiny.

Each man carries within himself the dream of reaching the heights of glory, the desire to outdo himself in accomplishing his deep-rooted desires...

“For me, Thierry Mugler is an audacious and innovative brand, constantly pushing the boundaries. I identify myself with the image conveyed by A*Men: personally excelling, the taste for a challenge, fulfilling your dreams… The message I spread on a daily basis is to encourage oneself to find the courage and inner strength to defeat prejudice, to not be influenced by the way others people look at you. My story is becoming famous and I am pleased to share it.”

A scent of boldness and charisma

A*Men’s Oriental Woody Vigorous fragrance is an intense blend which makes no concessions and plays on the power of two contrasting dimensions.

The Oriental Woody Dimension: intensity and virility

Enchanting, intense patchouli is overdosed in this creation, encountered by the sensual softness of Bourbon Vanilla. A major accord that asserts itself with great confidence, with base notes of aerial metals. An oriental signature which gives A*Men its authentic and timeless personality.

The Vigorous Dimension: boldness and character

“Coffee Absolute”, also overdosed, brings power, and a lasting, tenacious energy. It exhales the power of its aroma with authenticity and seals the temperament and originality of this great masculine fragrance. Notes of tar give urban, original and very contemporary notes to this fragrance.

A magnetic wake

The new winning spirit

A*Men is the scent of the confident man, who has confidence in his will and his endless resourcefulness. His greatest victories are his deeply personal ones. By unleashing all of his energy, he fulfills his quest for perfection and exceeds the goals he sets for himself.

A*Men has its own esthetics, within the limits of reality and fantasy. To create this fluid and futuristic shape, Thierry Mugler and Stefano Canulli imagined a chrome “cladding”, which adheres to the form of Oscar Pistorius’ muscles and coats the fixtures of his carbon-fiber legs.

The Oscar Pistorius interview

Did you know the Thierry Mugler brand before becoming Amen’s symbol?

Yes, I knew the brand and the perfumes too; actually, I have been wearing A*Men for more than three years! For me, Thierry Mugler is a bold and innovative brand. It also represents Haute Couture combined with futuristic and sophisticated designs.

Why did you agree to become the face of Thierry Mugler’s masculine fragrance, A*Men?

Because Thierry Mugler is a very energetic brand, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, which, in ways, parallels my life. I identify with the image that it represents, as well as with what the perfume A*Men portrays; in other words, outdoing yourself, the sense of a challenge, expressing your inner force, your determination, fulfilling your dreams etc…a whole system of values which you find in the professional sport which I practice. Actually, the most important thing for me is to reach my goals in sports and even surpass them.

I also like the visual aspect of the A*Men bottle, in silver zamac, and its scent: it is like no other and really envelopes you. On one level, there’s a very masculine aspect; woody, elegant, with a strong personality thanks to the patchouli and coffee, and then, in contrast, there’s the sweetness and sensuality brought out by the vanilla.

What message do you want to get across through this project with the brand?

As with everything that I set out to do, I seek to make myself happy and pass my happiness on to others.

The daily message I always wanted to spread is to encourage those to find the courage and inner strength to help defeat prejudice, to not be influenced by the way other people look at you. Since a very young age, I have always wanted to broaden people’s minds with regards to disability, to knock down these prejudices. I do this to show that I am not affected at all suffer by the way people, or the able-bodied sportsmen that I mingle with, look at me. I never felt handicapped, because I was born like this, without feet. I got my first prosthetic limbs at 17 months…and I am normal! I am perfectly mobile; I have always played several sports including rugby, swimming, and track & field. The way I was educated, there was not any distinction between able-bodied people and the handicapped, so I did not have to struggle to learn and practice sporting activities amongst children my age. Today, my story is becoming famous and I am pleased to share it.

I am sure that this global message is going to take on a new dimension thanks to the publicity campaign that we have created with Thierry Mugler.

How do you picture the character embodied by A*Men?

Each man carries within himself the ability to succeed, to push himself and to attain success. For me, it is all a question of will and inner strength…whatever our strengths and weaknesses; and I find these values in the A*Men man.

www.thierrymugler.com

Farouk CHEKOUFI