There is only one fragrance, ever, that I’ve bought solely for the bottle, and it happened last weekend. It’s not a Serge Lutens bell jar or an austerely beautiful Byredo or even a classic Chanel or Guerlain – although they all have bottles I covet. It’s a masculine fragrance by Jean-Paul Gaultier called Fleur du Male and it’s been on my to-buy list for ages.

I would love to wear this scent: it’s a floral fougere meant for men, an interesting concept, executed by the talented Francis Kurkdjian. Unfortunately, orange blossom is the only white flower I often find difficult to wear and du Male is all about soapy, intense, unrelenting, headache-inducing orange blossom on me. I’ve tried, but I just cannot love it.

The bottle, however, I love. It’s a far cry from the elegant bottles I generally like, the Rue Cambons of this world. I like it as an object and as a symbol: it reminds me of Ancient Greek sculptures and gay discos at the same time. The shape of the bottle is masculine, but the material and texture remind me of delicate porcelain. It is, of course, camp – but also minimalist in its clean lines and total whiteness.

I like the fact that these bottles are sitting on the shelves next to the serious, handsome containers of Hugo Boss or Giorgio Armani, in the mainstream perfume sections of ordinary department stores. While a female-shaped bottle will probably not even register with most people (JPG has these, too), I think an object hinting at a naked man is still subversive and makes many people vaguely uncomfortable. Sure, this is a commercial strategy and a calculated, attention-grabbing risk, but I have no problem with that. Everything in a shop needs to be sold. I’m happy that a strategy like this exists.

Fleur du Male is reportedly discontinued, although still widely available. I’ll be sad to see it go and will keep my bottle on display as a little work of art. I have this image of other homes, containing this bottle, and I like to think that people living with this bottle are fun and tolerant and creative… Although, yes, maybe they just like the scent.