Clive Christian doesn’t do “casual.” When the house releases something new, it’s usually with the energy of a collector’s drop, and Strange Heavens Out of the Blue lands firmly in that lane. Created in partnership with Spanish-American contemporary artist Domingo Zapata, this latest fragrance sits at the intersection of art, scent, and emotion, giving our fragrance wardrobe a bottle that feels as much like a collectible artwork as it does a fragrance.
The collaboration draws its narrative from Oscar Wilde, specifically the darker, intoxicating passages of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Domingo was inspired by Wilde’s description of a Victorian narcotic den, a moment where beauty and decay exist side by side. That tension becomes the backbone of Strange Heavens Out of the Blue, a fragrance and visual world built on contradiction, capturing both purity and temptation, pleasure and discomfort, light and shadow.
The artist’s signature panda is your escort into this Wildean fever dream. Washed in layered blues and impatient, expressive strokes, it reads playful from across the room, then turns intriguingly complex the closer you get. It’s the same slow reveal as the scent itself, built for people who pay attention.
In an exclusive conversation with Soigné Middle East, Domingo Zapata pulls back the curtain on Strange Heavens Out of the Blue, tracing its roots from Oscar Wilde’s darker references to the layered symbolism on the bottle, and explains how he wanted the art and the scent to feel intimate, personal, and meant to be kept close.
Oscar Wilde is the muse here, what part of his world did you wish to capture?
Strange Heavens Out of the Blue is inspired by Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, where the main character describes what he sees when he visits a Victorian narcotic den. “Dorian winced and looked round at the grotesque things that lay in such fantastic postures on the ragged mattresses. The twisted limbs, the gaping mouths, the staring lusterless eyes, fascinated him. He knew in what Strange Heavens they were suffering and what dull hells were teaching them the secret of some new joy.”
Strange Heavens out of the Blue captures the paradox Wilde so elegantly described, the collision of ecstasy and torment, purity and temptation, all held within a single, exquisite vessel.
What detail should people look for up close in the piece?
Up close, I want people to notice the layers. The small details, the brushwork, the textures that almost feel spontaneous. The panda itself carries subtle expressions depending on how you look at it. From a distance it feels playful, but up close it reveals emotion, mischief, and vulnerability. That intimacy is intentional. Just like fragrance, the real experience happens when you lean in.
What do you want someone to feel when they see the art and smell the scent together?
I want them to feel curiosity first, then comfort, then desire. I want the experience to feel personal, almost like a secret shared between the wearer and the fragrance. The art and the scent together should make someone feel confident, present, and slightly intoxicated by the moment.
Above all, I want them to smile.
If you had to paint this scent in 10 seconds, what would you draw first?
I would draw instinctively. Probably a bold stroke of blue, followed by a sudden splash of white. Something fast, emotional, and unplanned. That first moment would represent the initial impact of the scent, immediate and unforgettable.
Your work is instantly recognizable, what are the signatures you’re most intentional about keeping in every piece, no matter the collaboration?
Emotion always comes first. Colour, movement, and storytelling are essential to my work. I am very intentional about keeping my energy present in every piece, whether it is a massive mural or a perfume bottle. The panda, bold colors, expressive strokes, and a sense of playfulness are part of my language as an artist. They are how I connect with people.
