Fragrance is not just a scent but an impression, and while some bottles just do their job and fade into the background, others change how you carry yourself the moment you spray them, making even the most ordinary moments feel a little more elevated. The One by Dolce&Gabbana has always been that fragrance.
Since 2006, it’s been the go-to for people who get it. The ones who understand that seduction isn’t about trying too hard but about owning your presence. And now, twenty years later, Dolce&Gabbana is doing what they do best: taking something already iconic and making it harder to ignore.
The Fragrances: Turning Up The Volume
The latest additions, The One Eau de Parfum Intense and The One Pour Homme Parfum, go well beyond simple updates, pushing the original formula into something bolder, deeper, and much more confident.
The One Eau De Parfum Intense (For Her)
It’s clear that Perfumer Quentin Bisch has been working from the original here because the warmth of the old one is still there, it just carries more bite this time around.
The scent is punchy at first with pink pepper and blackcurrant, and cuts through even a crowded bar or a long day at the office. The jasmine heart smooths things out, before the base of creamy vanilla and amber does the heavy lifting. It lingers in the way good fragrances should and is subtle, confident, and hard to forget.
The One Pour Homme Parfum (For Him)
The artist behind this creation is Jean-Christophe Hérault who is known for some of the most iconic fragrances, and is someone with a clear affinity for smoky, earthy notes, fire, smoked wood and raw materials that feel grounded and real rather than exaggerated for effect.
The men’s perfume opens with notes of black pepper and nutmeg, delivering a warm spiciness right out of the gate, but it’s the base where everything really comes together, tobacco and vetiver layered with amber to create a deep, slightly mysterious warmth that feels modern without losing its sense of timelessness. It isn’t attention-seeking in an obvious sort of way, it’s just unmistakably there.
Freedom, Rewritten After Dark
To celebrate twenty years of “The One”, Dolce&Gabbana has brought in two figures who understand a charismatic presence better than most, Madonna and actor Alberto Guerra, for a campaign that is much more reminiscent of an artsy Italian movie than an ad for perfume. Shot on rain-soaked streets under low light, the tension, glances, jealousy, and desire are palpable, lurking just below the surface, letting mood and emotion do the storytelling.
Madonna also recorded an exclusive Italian cover of the 1970s anthem of freedom and rebellion by Patty Pravo “La Bambola,” a choice that feels intentional and is very much aligned with what “The One” has always represented, not just seduction, but self-possession, emancipation, and the confidence to move through the world on your own terms.
Still Relevant, Still Irresistible
Twenty years is a long time in fragrance. Trends change and tastes alter, but The One hasn’t faded into the background; it’s only evolved with the times and stayed as relevant as it was in the beginning.
For anyone who’s loved The One over the years, these new versions are worth getting your hands on. And for anyone who never quite understood the hype, this might be the moment that changes your mind.
Because at the end of the day, the best fragrances aren’t about chasing trends or doing what’s expected of you, they’re about finding something that makes you feel good in your own skin, and leaves the right kind of impression on everyone around you.
