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Hold me closer, tiny dancer! Musician and actress Charlotte Lawrence is embracing her inner ballerina as the face of Sam Edelman’s new Duet fragrance—and not just because it’s encased in a ballet slipper-shaped bottle! Much like the style’s swirling ribbons, Lawrence’s ties to ballet are intertwined across art, fashion, and family. Before the scent’s launch party, we spent a sunny morning catching up with the rising star on her favorite tunes, growing up on the “Scrubs” set, Fashion Month plans, and all things fragrance.
How does it feel to be the face of Sam Edelman’s new Duet fragrance?
It feels incredible! I’ve loved Sam Edelman forever. Their ballet slippers and shoes have been a pinnacle part of my wardrobe since I’ve been young, and getting the call was so exciting because Sam Edelman is run by Sam himself and his wife, Libby. They truly choose everything themselves, are particular about what they want, and lead with love. I felt really honored to be chosen by them. The perfume bottle is a ballet slipper, it’s called “Duet,” and I’m a musician. I have a song called “Ballerina,” which they use in the campaign, and I have a full ballerina tattoo on my arm. It was very kismet when they first called me. It just felt right, and it was such an easy, fun shoot day.
Charlotte Lawrence
The bottle’s shaped like a ballet slipper! Are you a fan of ballet flats or balletcore?
Completely! It’s funny that you mentioned this, because I was thinking about it earlier. The ballerina-core aesthetic is so popular today, and everybody and their mother wears ballet flats. I remember having Sam Edelman ballet slippers forever ago, before it was a thing. My aunt is a musician, my dad is an only child, and my mom has one brother who married Leona Naess, and she was my everything growing up in regards to music. She had a song called “Ballerina,” and it was my favorite song. I learned how to play it on the piano, and it made me want to sing and made me want to write. I got a ballerina tattoo on my arm for her. When I was writing my last album, I wrote a song called “Ballerina” about her kid, and it just felt kismet.
Charlotte Lawrence
When you smell Duet, what does it make you think of?
The first time I got to use it was when I was on tour. They sent me a personalized bottle that I’ll keep forever when I was in New York, when I had my show at the Bowery Ballroom. I sprayed it right before I went on stage, and immediately felt so sexy, strong, and womanly—and also light and girly as well, because it’s very floral and sweet. It brought a new life out of me, so now when I smell it, I feel that pre-show confidence rushing back into me. Scents have memories, and I connect scents with memories. I feel really lucky that this one is connected to the feeling of going onstage, and then I wore it for the whole rest of the tour. I have this strong sense of, “I’m going to go onstage right now. Where’s my microphone?”
Charlotte Lawrence
What are some duets that you love, or that inspire you?
My favorite song of all time is a duet that’s actually not released on music platforms. You can find it on YouTube. It’s a song called “All Flowers in Time Bend Toward the Sun,” by Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser. They never put it out, but it got released or leaked in some way. I literally listen to it 100 times a day. It’s the best song of all time. Also, Eminem and Rihanna—f-cking OG, forever. “Something Stupid” by Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra. Those are three good duets!
What are some of your favorite—and least favorite—scents this time of the year?
For fall, I want to be cozy. I want to feel comfortable, and I always want my scent to reflect how I feel and present myself. Duet is such a good scent for fall, because at the very beginning it’s very citrusy, floral, vibrant, and girly. As it dries, it gets more cedarwood-y and musky, and it feels really cozy. Citrus makes me feel cozy, too.
Charlotte Lawrence
Are there any musicians you want to collaborate with in the future, or are working on new material with?
There are so many musicians I would love to do a duet with or collaborate with in some capacity. My two lanes of people I love so deeply are either really depressed male vocalists, or really strong, powerful female vocalists. Justin Vernon, Sufjan Stevens, rest in peace, Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley—those types of male vocalists. On the alternate side, Taylor Swift, Fiona Apple, and Joni Mitchell, Olivia Rodrigo. My dream collaboration is Justin Vernon—I love him so much.
You released your first album, Somewhere, this spring. How does it feel to have that album out in the world?
I took a long time to do it, partially because I was in and out of a label deal that I had to figure out. There were a lot of logistics behind it that took a long time. I really wanted to dive into my sound and who I was as an artist, who I was as a person, who I wanted to be seen as and heard as, and really discover every aspect of what it takes to be an artist and make an album. I took the time to do it, knowing that I would take the time now, because I wouldn’t later. I wanted to release an album and never stop again, never take that pause again, tour it…and then make another album, release another album right away, then tour it again and just keep going. It felt incredibly rewarding, and [like] a very big sigh of relief, because it took so long and it was hard to make. I couldn’t be happier that it’s out, and performing it was incredible.
Charlotte Lawrence
You’ve been in the spotlight for years—and your dad [Bill Lawrence] was even the executive producer for Scrubs! Are you a fan of the show?
He created it and wrote it, and my mom was one of the leads I literally grew up as a Scrubs baby. I was never not on set. They did the table read when I was a little baby in our house. Scrubs is my childhood, in a really funny way. I’m a fan of it. If you watch any episode at the very end, after the credits, when the producer [text] goes on the screen, you hear “Bye bye,” and that’s me! I was saying “Bye” to somebody, and they put it in the final credits. I’m a huge fan of everything my parents have done. I find them so creatively inspiring, genuinely talented, and good at what they do. Everything they do touches me in some way or the other.
You started acting this year in Bad Monkey and Dr. Odyssey. What are some dream projects or roles on your wishlist?
I’m such a baby in the acting world. I really just started! We’re about to start filming Bad Monkey season 2 in less than two weeks, which I’m so excited about. I would love to do any big, fun movie. I love Luca Guadagnino. He’s one of my favorite directors of all time—I would love to do anything he makes. I love Quentin Tarantino. Obviously, I love all the Coppola’s. Any iconic movie director’s movie, I would die to do—that would be a dream.
Charlotte Lawrence
New York Fashion Week is coming up! Will we see you out at the shows?
We’ll see! I have a bit of work in Los Angeles this month, but we’re trying to figure out how to balance the music work I have and getting to do some fun things in the fashion world. I have a fun gig in in Paris, around Paris Fashion Week, that I’ll go out to and have a blast. But we’ll see about New York!
All images: Courtesy of Sam Edelman
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