Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Richard Madden Defies the Odds for Calvin Klein's New Fragrance

Richard Madden Defies the Odds for Calvin Klein's New Fragrance

Scottish star Richard Madden speaks to LOFFICIEL about fronting Calvin Klein Defy with a campaign that shows off the actors daring attitude.

There were a lot of odds to beat this past year, and Calvin Klein’s new men’s fragrance is dedicated to those resilient moments. The American brand’s first men’s fragrance in nearly 10 years, Calvin Klein Defy channels the spirit of risk-taking and confidence in oneself. Tapping award-winning actor Richard Madden as the face of the fragrance, the campaign speaks to the boundary-breaking ethos of the scent.

“We came up with this concept of defying your own boundaries and self-doubt and limitations, which is something I've engaged with throughout my career and I'm sure will continue to,” Madden tells L’OFFICIEL. “As an actor, you can go for five job interviews a week and not get any of them, so you can have a lot of self-doubt creep in. The whole concept behind this campaign is this idea of overcoming that self-doubt, of pushing past that, exceeding your own limitations.”



In Madden’s career, the Scottish star’s big break came when he was cast as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones. Since then, he’s been one of film and TV’s favorite leading men in international series like Medici and Bodyguard, as well as critically-acclaimed blockbusters such as the 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman, in which he plays music manager John Reid, and the war drama 1917.

Perhaps the role that will speak to defying the odds the best, however, is in Madden’s upcoming superhero flick, Eternals. Directed by Oscar-winning (and history-making) Chloé Zhao, Madden will be indoctrinated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ikaris, the leader of the immortal, cosmic energy-wielding Eternals, alongside an A-list cast featuring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, and fellow GoT alumnus Kit Harington. The film, releasing in early November 2021, takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame and will follow the superheroes as they protect humanity from the evil Deviants.

While we can expect to see plenty of gravity-defying movie magic in Eternals, Madden also got to exercise his stunt skills in the new Calvin Klein campaign. “I got to be on a rooftop in central London, I got to hang off a crane upside-down over a lake,” Madden shares. “These are all unique perspectives that you wouldn’t normally be able to get.”



Behind-the-scenes of Madden's Calvin Klein Defy campaign.

As the actor explains, these daring shots connect back to the fragrance’s main message-there’s no obstacle too great to overcome. “There’s the visual metaphors of climbing to the top of something, taking the leap, or looking at yourself in the mirror and having a smile, not taking yourself too seriously,” he says. “I like that moment at the start of the commercial where the character does that. He has that dialogue in the mirror, he wakes up with this feeling and then can push it away and shrug it off and push forward.”

In his real life, Madden also finds that like other areas of one’s wardrobe, scent can affect your mood. “It’s about feeling good, the kind of feeling you can get if you use a bit of aftershave and you feed good about yourself,” he explains. “It can be a little confidence booster. I always enjoy that, like a treat to yourself.”



As for Calvin Klein Defy, its star ingredient of vetiver oil conveys a delicious earthiness that speaks to a modern sense of masculinity. Complemented by bright opening notes of bergamot and lavender absolute and settling into a base of amber notes, the fragrance is strong and unexpected, living up to its namesake.

“I love the undertones of the vetiver oil and the amber, so it's got this beautiful woodiness without being too heavy and this kind of lightness with the citrus on top,” Madden says. For the actor, it’s the perfect daily option. “I can wear in the morning and feel fresh or wear in the evening and feel kind of warm.”

And while the fragrance is marketed for men, Madden suggests that it is just as alluring for women. “I don’t feel like there’s this binary [for fragrance] anymore,” he says. “I’ve already got friends of mine who are girls that love wearing the scent. It’s about one’s sense of enjoyment and how it makes you feel.” Just like the scent’s name, “There are no rules when it comes to it.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×