Since charging U.S. shores almost three years ago, with the opening of its NYC store, Topman has become one of the best resources out there for affordable, slick suits and of-the-moment menswear that’s right off the runways. Not satisfied with just dressing their fashion-frenzied customers, the brand is launching its first men’s fragrance and grooming range, available today. Consisting of fragrance and a host of hair and body products, from styling putty to body wash, the line covers all the needs of a guy’s daily routine. In staying true to Topman’s values, the line is priced right for thinner wallets (the fragrance goes for an impressive $30) without sacrificing the quality of ingredients used or end product. What also separates this launch from so many others in the field is that the Topman crew chose to go their own way and not partner with any licensees on the development of the line. Instead, they brought in fragrance expert Azzi Glasser to develop their signature scents. The result of the collaboration is not one, but two men’s scents fit for any nose out there. Parfum No. 16 and Parfum No. 27, named after the numbers given to their original formulations, are like two sides of one sweet smelling coin, one crisp and cool, 16, and the other smoky and warm, 27.

We talked to Glasser about the process of creating scents from scratch, what makes this Topman line so refreshing, and how a man should actually apply a scent.

Our interview with Glasser and the full line of goods this way...

GQ Eye: When creating both fragrances, 16 and 27, was your primary consideration the Topman customer or pulling scents that felt fresh in the marketplace?

** Azzi Glasser:** My main consideration was to make sure that we could produce two unique fragrances that have the quirky, edgy style of the Topman consumer as the brand’s philosophy had to be reflected in the designs, the scents, and the packaging. The high street fragrance market remained quite bland and boring at the time so this was a perfect gap to fill by adding originality and freshness with edge that would truly standout in a congested market. Both points are extremely important to me.

GQ Eye: In what ways do 16 and 27 differ? Do you feel they have any similarities?

** Azzi Glasser: **We wanted the fragrances to represent the male consumer that Topman Fashion appeals to, so it’s quite a broad market on that front. We came up with two fragrance themes: one is quite fresh, cool, creative and energetic, which is 16. [16’s] key ingredients are pepper, amber and labdanum. The other, 27, is more sexy. it’s confident, creative, warmer and stylish, and the three key ingredients in there are vetiver, sage, and cedar wood. They’re both quirky in their own right. You can wear either fragrance all day, but the idea is to have the two, mainly because for evening, guys might not to want to wear the same scent that they’ve been wearing all day, similar to the way they tend to change clothes when going out at night. Both fragrances are similar in the sense that they are both very creative and we have used high quality natural key ingredients that make the fragrance overall more premium in the marketplace.

GQ Eye: What was the most exciting part of working on this project with Topman?

** Azzi Glasser:** I loved working with the Topman Team, they were absolutely great and fun to work with and the experience was unforgettable. The Fragrance testing we did at Topman was also quite exciting as we had lots of great looking young guys to test the fragrances on for hours!

GQ Eye: Most guys are either putting on too much fragrance or too little - what is the right amount a guy should put on before leaving the house?

** Azzi Glasser:** Difficult question to answer generally, as it depends on how strong the fragrance is and what the skin DNA is like so testing on oneself is always good first. However I can say after testing on so many different guys with the two Topman fragrances no.16 and 27 - you can spray these as follows: One spray on either side of the neck, one on the chest and one on each wrist. For the evenings add a spray also to the middle and back of the neck and an extra spray on the chest. This should work perfectly.

And if you are looking to get your hands on the scents or grooming goods, here is full collection, with pocket-friendly prices:

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Parfum No. 16, $30

Parfum No. 27, $30

Body Wash, $8

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Deodorant, $30

Body Spray, $8

Hair Putty, $10

The Topman fragrance and grooming collection is available at Topman’s New York and just-opened Las Vegas locations. Look for it to hit topman.com later this spring.

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