Jean Paul Gaultier Turns Paris Art Space Into Perfume Walk-Through

Jean Paul Gaultier has turned a Paris art space into a walk-through perfume set.

The French fashion house has taken over Lafayette Anticipations, Galeries Lafayette's art foundation, to let the public explore La Favorite, its new women's fragrance. La Favorite is the house's first major feminine fragrance launch in a decade, according to WWD.

The show runs from October 1 to 3, 2026, in Le Marais. Entry is free, according to Sortiraparis.

Visitors follow an olfactive journey, a scent-led route, built around the fragrance's heroine. The name sets the tone. "La favorite" is French for "the favourite" and was once used for the king's official mistress.

The first stop is a tabac shop. That is the French corner shop that sells tobacco, lighters and lottery tickets. Here it offers lighters, key chains, scratch cards and more.

Then comes a Paris street. It is inspired by the old Junior Gaultier boutique on Rue du Jour, with a florist, a glove-maker and a chocolatier along the way. Each stop adds another layer of smell, from flowers to leather to something sweet.

The scent itself centres on three notes. They are Queen of the Night, a night-blooming flower, plus benzoin, a warm tree resin, and tonka bean, a sweet seed often used in perfumery.

Tucked behind a Morris column comes the last room. That is the round advertising pillar seen on Paris pavements. Behind it sits a JPG club, with space designed by Sophie Dries in the spirit of Gaultier.

There is a second chance to catch it. From Oct. 8 to 11, Jean Paul Gaultier will stage another immersive La Favorite pop-up on the Canopée des Halles terrace in central Paris.

What makes this stand out is the scale. It is not a counter in a shop. It is a whole building dressed as a street, a shop and a club, where the perfume is found at the end of the walk.