First look: Anna dello Russo's fragrance

(Giampaolo Sgura)

Vogue Nippon's fashion director, Anna dello Russo, released the campaign for her first fragrance, Beyond, via her personal blog on July 26.

The visual shows a black-and-white photo of the 'editorialista' (thus the word for editors turned fashion icons), whose popularity has sky-rocketed over the past year, along with the golden, shoe-shaped flacon.

Dello Russo's move comes as further proof that fashion editors are turning into celebrities in their own right (US Elle's Kate Lanphear just starred in Eddie Borgo's jewelry campaign), with her saying: "Ronnie [Cooke Newhouse, art director] defined me as an insider reality fashion star and so I thought, now is the time to do a fragrance."

However, launching a perfume is nowadays often seen as a 'celebrity sell-out,' much like a signature fashion line if the star's design skills are all-too-obviously non-existent but their name is used to sell everything from evening dresses to underwear.

This, in combination with a quite exclusive target audience - dello Russo is an industry celebrity rather than a 'mainstream star' - and packaging considered 'tacky' by first commentators could make this a shaky launch.

Beyond, which will feature notes of almonds and vanilla, is set to be released just before Christmas.

http://www.annadellorusso.com