We’re in love with Matilda Lutz and James Jagger, who play the perfect couple in the new Emporio Armani campaign. We caught up with the faces of the new Because It’s You for her and Stronger With You for him fragrances to get the lowdown – and all we can say is #couplegoals…
How do you feel about being chosen to embody the Emporio Armani fragrances?
Matilda: I’m very honoured to represent Emporio Armani in the new campaign, to be able to represent my Italian roots and be invited into the iconic Armani family in such an exciting and prestigious way.
James: I feel very honoured, too. There has been a great list of incredible actors featured in the past campaigns, and I’m proud to be carrying the torch.
How do you feel to be connected to the Emporio Armani brand? How does it reflect your personality?
James: Everyone has made me feel at home over the past months working together. The freedom, symbolised by the eagle, is incredibly important to me, and I think that’s a value the brand stands for.
Matilda: The first memory I have of Armani is when I was 16 years old. A magazine invited me to go to a Beyoncé concert in Madrid, interview her for the launch of her perfume, Diamonds, and then write a diary of my experience. It was a dream come true. I really can’t believe I’m the face of their new campaign. It’s warm, sophisticated, casual and chic – everything I hope to accomplish for myself when getting dressed.
This project is about love and its creative power: how do you feel about this?
James: There are hundreds of famed poets and philosophers who have wrestled with the notion of love, so I couldn’t possibly give that question adequate justice. One thing I will say is that love has always brought out the best in me. Yearning for love also works.
Did you know James Jagger before you worked with him on the campaign?
Matilda: I knew of James, but I’d never met him before the first day of fittings. It was fun working with him. He made me feel comfortable on set. We exchanged ideas, and we listened to one another – and being able to collaborate is one of the most important things for me.
And you, James? How was it working with Matilda?
James: I hadn’t met Matilda until the shoot. She’s very warm and easygoing, and it was a pleasure to work with her.
What does a fragrance represent to you? For some it is a memory, a place, a loved one, a moment in your life…
Matilda: A perfume can create a very deep, uncontrollable feeling. It’s like the past and the future colliding. It’s the memories you suddenly have when you smell a familiar scent, and the memories you’re about to make when smelling an unfamiliar one. This is the reason I don’t change fragrances too often.
What sort of fragrances do you normally like? And what’s your daily routine with fragrances?
Matilda: I usually wear men’s fragrances. I love the smoky and musk notes. I also love feminine smells, such as rose and jasmine. For me, wearing a fragrance is a must-have. I travel a lot, and that’s one of the items I always have in my luggage. I also have a very specific way of applying it: the first spray goes on my wrist and I rub both wrists together, then rub behind my ears. The second spray I apply in the air and I walk under it.
What does the name of the fragrances evoke?
James: I think of all the people in my life who make me stronger, from my family to friends and colleagues. It makes me want to take my phone out and thank them for being in my corner.
Matilda: Because It’s You signifies to me that love can’t be explained in simple words. It’s the way YOU make me feel, because YOU – and only YOU – make me feel that way.
