Esquire, the iconic men’s magazine brand in partnership with Michael Malul London, has announced the latest additions to the Esquire Fragrance Collection: Cartoonist and Composer. Building on the success of the first four signature scents released in July 2024—New Journalist, Modern Poet, American Novelist, and Editor in Chief—these new fragrances continue to explore masculinity through the lens of creativity, individuality, and cultural storytelling. The collaboration was facilitated by Esquire’s licensing agency, IMG Licensing.
Rooted in Esquire’s nearly century-long legacy of defining modern style and expression, the Esquire Fragrance Collection invites consumers to discover who they are through scent. Each fragrance is a tribute to a different archetype of the Esquire man—curious, confident, and always in pursuit of something more.
“Our vision for Esquire is to bring the brand’s spirit to life through lifestyle experiences that connect with today’s consumers,” says Angela Kim, executive director of Hearst Licensing. “The Esquire Fragrance Collection has been key in translating our editorial voice into scent. With the launch of Cartoonist and Composer, we’re continuing to redefine what it means to wear one’s identity.”
“Our goal from the start was to create fragrances that celebrate the spirit of creative ambition in all its forms,” says Hanan Malul, CEO of Michael Malul. “Cartoonist and Composer are distinct, expressive additions that continue that mission—one playful and daring, the other introspective and resonant.”
About the Fragrances
Cartoonist Crafted by perfumer Stephanie Hakes at Givaudan, Cartoonist is bright, clever, and just a bit rebellious. Like a perfectly timed punchline or a satirical illustration, it draws you in with vibrant top notes of fresh aldehydes, juicy pineapple, and mint leaf, evolves into a heart of ginger zest, geranium, and Portlandia, and grounds itself in cedarwood, elemi, and patchouli. The result is a scent that’s unapologetically original.
Composer Created by master perfumer Guillaume Flavigny at Givaudan, Composer is an intimate, grounded fragrance that resonates with quiet depth. Opening with bergamot, pomegranate, and red currant, its heart unfolds into benzoin, jasmine, and tobacco leaf, before settling into a rich base of vanilla absolute, ambroxan, and sandalwood. It’s a fragrance that feels personal—like memory, a melody, bottled.
The Licensing Partnership
The Esquire Fragrance Collection is licensed by Hearst, the global media and information company and the publisher of Esquire, and developed by Michael Malul London, a fast-growing fragrance house known for its storytelling-led approach and commercial agility in the prestige and masstige fragrance markets.
Since launching the Esquire partnership, the collection has seen strong traction both online and in retail, with distribution expanding across U.S. department stores, specialty retailers, and e-commerce platforms. Each fragrance is designed to stand alone while contributing to a unified collection that speaks to the modern consumer’s desire for identity-driven scent experiences.
For more information on licensing opportunities with Esquire, visit https://imglicensing.com/brands/esquire/.