Chasing Sunsets in Ipanema 1965: Margiela’s next Replica memory I actually want to wear

Confession time: I roll my eyes at most fruity florals. But Maison Margiela just dangled a postcard from Rio and I took the bait. The new Replica release, Chasing Sunsets (Ipanema 1965), lands next week, promising a warm, golden-hour memory rather than another candy-slicked sugar bomb.

The timestamp matters. 1965 in Ipanema calls to mind sun-faded photos, bossa nova on a transistor radio, skin still salty from the surf, fruit stands closing as the sky goes sherbet. If Chasing Sunsets honors that mood, it could be the grown-up fruity floral we keep asking for and rarely get.

The category is reportedly fruity floral, which is a tightrope. Lean too fruity and you’re sticky. Lean too floral and you’re bridal bouquet at noon. What Maison Margiela’s Replica line does well is texture and place. Beach Walk captured hot sand and sunscreen without turning kitsch. Sailing Day was crisp water without laundry musk overload. Under the Lemon Trees gave us pith and peel, not lemon cleaner. When they aim for romance, On A Date skips cliché rosiness for something wine stained. And if you want proof they can do atmosphere with swagger, By the Fireplace and Jazz Club basically own their categories.

So here’s what I’ll be sniffing for in Chasing Sunsets: sun-warmed fruit that breathes instead of shouting, a floral heart that feels like linen catching the breeze, and that subtle Replica salt-on-skin twist that keeps the whole thing from turning syrupy. If the Ipanema nod brings even a whisper of tropical air without veering into piña-colada gimmickry, we might have a very wearable, slightly nostalgic day-to-dusk perfume.

Personal bias alert: I once watched a Rio sky bleed from mango to plum and thought, this is what skin should smell like after a good day. If Chasing Sunsets (Ipanema 1965) can bottle that soft-focus glow, I’ll happily retire my fruity floral skepticism for the season. If not, at least Maison Margiela keeps trying to make memories smell like real life, not a candy aisle.