a new

When Dwyane Wade first walked into Aramis’s Manhattan studio earlier this year, he wasn’t there merely to lend his face to a campaign. “I wanted to connect with the scent,” he told W Magazine. “Fragrance is about memory and mood — it’s part of your vibe, the way you move through the world.” It’s this idea of emotional intelligence, of presence and self-awareness, that anchors Intuition by Aramis — the heritage brand’s boldest statement in years.

Launching globally in September 2025, Intuition marks a turning point for Aramis. Once synonymous with classic leather and chypre masculinity, the brand is now speaking a new language — one where scent becomes self-definition, not prescription. In the campaign, Wade is photographed against pared-back city architecture, tailored yet relaxed, embodying strength without rigidity. The message is subtle but clear: power can be quiet, refined, and empathetic.

legacy

Since its founding in 1963, Aramis has been part of the olfactory architecture of American manhood. It was the first prestige men’s fragrance sold in department stores, worn by generations who equated aftershave with success. Yet by the 2020s, as notions of gender and grooming evolved, the brand risked fading into nostalgia.

That’s why Intuition feels more like a renaissance than a sequel. Developed under The Estée Lauder Companies, the fragrance arrives as a woody-green neo-fougère — bright with grapefruit at the top, softened by lavender in the heart, and grounded by vetiver and a proprietary leather accord known as Cuirissima LXR. The composition signals duality: freshness and fire, tradition and innovation.

For Justin Boxford, Global Brand President at Estée Lauder and Aramis, the relaunch is both homage and declaration. “Aramis has always celebrated the confident man,” he notes. “But today, confidence means more than control. It’s about knowing who you are — and leading with that awareness.”

wade’s intuition

Dwyane Wade, three-time NBA champion, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and style icon, is an inspired choice to channel this ethos. Off the court, Wade has crafted a public persona rooted in vulnerability and self-reinvention — from fatherhood and fashion ventures to activism and entrepreneurship. His partnership with Aramis extends beyond endorsement; it’s about narrative alignment.

“I grew up watching my dad spray Aramis before work,” Wade recalls in a behind-the-scenes clip. “That scent meant purpose — he was ready to take on the day. But today, my version of masculinity includes listening, evolving, showing emotion. Intuition captures that balance.”

The campaign imagery and film echo this reflection. In one frame, Wade stands on a rain-washed rooftop at dusk — the skyline behind him blurred, his gaze direct. In another, he sits in an open studio, surrounded by raw textures of leather, steel, and glass, as if caught between past and future. The cinematography leans on natural light and silence, giving the campaign a cinematic intimacy rare in mainstream men’s fragrance advertising.

 

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the fall 2025 flow

Timed with New York Fashion Week, the Intuition launch became a fixture of the season’s lifestyle circuit. Aramis hosted an immersive pop-up on the High Line, drawing editors, athletes, and creators into a multisensory experience that fused scent with sound and design. Visitors walked through an installation layered with lavender fields, tactile metal grids, and mirrored leather walls, reflecting both nostalgia and novelty.

Later that evening, Wade joined a live conversation at Bloomingdale’s — not a press junket, but a talk on self-care, grooming rituals, and confidence. “Men’s fragrance is no longer about hiding behind a smell,” he said on stage. “It’s about showing up as your full self. When you find a scent that feels honest, it becomes your energy.”

That authenticity underpins the entire fall rollout. The campaign hashtag, #ARAMISINTUITION, has gained traction across platforms as influencers reinterpret Wade’s mantra of “confidence in calm.” The brand’s short-form videos feature him in moments of stillness — at home, mid-conversation, laughing off-camera — blending aspirational imagery with relatability.

design

At the product’s heart is a sophisticated design language. The bottle — glass with brushed-steel shoulders and a smoky-amber tint — evokes both classic Aramis strength and modern refinement. Its clean geometry nods to the minimalist architecture of mid-century New York, yet the transparency hints at openness and evolution.

Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin, known for his elegant restraint, designed the composition to unfold gradually: the crisp citrus opening melts into a herbal center before yielding to the warmth of vetiver and supple leather. “We wanted to keep the Aramis DNA but filter it through the modern lens of intuition — that quiet inner knowing,” he explained in the brand dossier.

The result is versatile: distinctive enough for evening yet fresh enough for daily wear, the kind of scent that builds a signature rather than demanding attention. It’s a nod to the understated luxury movement shaping men’s fragrance today — authenticity over excess.

define

The campaign’s deeper resonance lies in how it reframes a legacy brand within contemporary values. In 2025, “heritage” means little without evolution. Intuition bridges the generational gap, appealing to both the man who remembers Aramis’s original release and the one discovering it anew through Wade’s lens.

It’s also a strategic pivot for Estée Lauder’s men’s division, signaling renewed investment in storytelling and cross-cultural influence. By selecting Wade — a figure equally at home in fashion editorials and community projects — Aramis places itself in the intersection of style, sport, and social consciousness.

The marketing shift mirrors wider industry trends: authenticity campaigns, personality-driven branding, and the integration of lifestyle cues into fragrance identity. It’s less about seduction and more about self-definition — the scent as an extension of mindset.

flow

Ultimately, Intuition by Aramis is less about reinvention than realignment. The fragrance, the man, and the message converge around a singular theme: balance. Strength without rigidity. Style without performance. Heritage without nostalgia.

For Wade, that message feels personal. “As I evolve, I’m learning to trust my inner voice — that’s intuition,” he shared during the campaign shoot. “It’s what guides me as a father, a partner, an entrepreneur. I wanted this scent to feel like that moment when you pause, breathe, and know you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

In that sense, Intuition captures something more enduring than a seasonal trend. It marks the return of Aramis not as a monument to old masculinity, but as a living dialogue with it — a fragrance for men who lead with both heart and presence.

conclusion

As fall finishes, Intuition by Aramis will occupy counters and conversations alike — its smoky glass flacon reflecting the quiet assurance of a brand and a man in sync with their evolution. Wade’s words linger like the scent itself: grounded, contemplative, confident. “This isn’t about smelling powerful,” he says with a grin. “It’s about feeling real.”

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