Coco Chanel... Very Much Alive 21/10/10

Justine Picardie’s new biography of Lady Chanel has just been released, and we are joining the rush to get our hands on a copy. While she was indisputably a remarkable woman, we are fascinated by the frenzy that seems to occur every time her name is mentioned. With what seems to be a constant and steady flow of books, films, mini-series, magazine articles, Coco’s legacy is a timeless one. She is in many ways, larger than life– certainly transcending the bounds her own lifespan. It is extraordinary that in three years, with three different films, a new book is still able to generate such enthusiasm.

This all works out very well for the House of Chanel, and the identity of the modern brand. The publicity something like this generates is not only enormous, it is the kind of exposure money can’t buy. Sure, Coco wasn’t perfect and it is certain that such intense scrutiny will reveal some skeletons. It is rumoured that the grandsons of the man who financed the original launch of Chanel No. 5 hold some dark secrets. We are all human after all. If you truly believe there’s no such thing as bad publicity, all this does is add fuel to the ever-growing fire of interest in her story.

Charles-Roux’s biography of Coco Chanel shines as the most accurate to date, at least according to the House of Chanel. We can’t wait to see how Picardie’s stands up, and indulge in another insight into the life of one of the most remarkable women to have ever graced the fashion world. Visit the Wall Street Journal for more info.

Image credit: counterfeitchic.com

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L'Oreal Sky High Results - 30/08/10

For leading cosmetic company L’Oreal, share results are looking largely positive as first half operating profit have beaten the estimations of analysts. Stock “climbed 2.92 euros, or 3.9 percent, to close at 78.69 euros, after earlier surging as much as 10 percent”, with a 21 percent to 1.67 billion euros ($2.12 billion) rise in profit.

The great results stem from L’Oreal focusing on higher gross margin luxury beauty and fragrance items, such as the Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Viktor and Rolf products.

Image credit: giorgioarmanibeauty.com

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Record Results For Inter Parfums Second Quarter - 11/08/10

Recently we brought you the news that Inter Parfums experienced a 22% rise in sales for their second quarter. Today, it has been confirmed that their sales were record breaking, specifically in the U.S where operations rose 71% to $15.9 million, from a previous $9.2 million. The companies operating income rose 68% to $11.5 million, from a previous $6.8 million, and their net income reached a high of $5.4 million rising at 27%. Executive Vice President Russell Greenberg explains the results are due to “the strength of our existing brand portfolio” and also “the expansion of the portfolio with new high value brands.”

With a portfolio including Burberry, Christian Lacroix and more, we can see where the success comes from.

Image credit: christian-lacroix.fr

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Sales Results For Inter Parfums Q2 - 26/07/10

The Inter-Parfums Q2 sales results have been announced, with the company confirming their quarterly sales rose 22%, with second quarter sales coming in at $107.8 million vs established $95.2 million. The fragrance company sells luxury brands including Burberry, Van Cleef & Arpels and Christian Lacroix, and their sales have beat the expectations of Wall Street.

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Burberry Branches Out Into Cosmetics – 27/10/09

The latest word from WWD Fashion is that Burberry has a cosmetics line in the pipeline.

This cosmetics line, to be produced by Inter Parfums SA., will incorporate a “complete colour line with about 100 references for eyes, lips and skin.”

We wonder what Burberry will call this range - ‘Colour Me Plaid’, perhaps?

On a more serious note, we suspect Burberry cosmetics will be successful. Their perfume range has proved very profitable for Inter Parfums. In fact, when Inter Parfums released their third quarter sales* last week to Reuters, their C.E.O., Jean Madar, singled out Burberry perfumes, saying, "Despite the difficult launch schedule comparison and the weak economic environment, [there was] strong growth of Burberry fragrances (up 19% in local currency) …”

* The third quarter net sales for Inter Parfums were $117.5 million, 5 percent below last year’s third quarter net sales of $123.5 million.

The Sweet Scent Of Success For Jimmy Choo? – 7/10/09

Breaking news: Jimmy Choo will be branching out from footwear to fragrance. The brand has signed a 12-year global fragrance licensing agreement with Inter Parfums SA, according to WWD Fashion.

Inter Parfums holds numerous high-end fragrance licenses, including Burberry, Lanvin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paul Smith and Christian Lacroix, so we are expecting big things from this licensing deal.

Licensing is a hot topic on the MO Down. If done well, it can expand the brands’ market presence. We discussed this very issue in detail earlier in the year (see the MO Down on 16 June: Licensing Still Has Its Place In The Luxury Industry).

LVMH Comes Out On Top in Counterfeit Perfume Court Case – 22/9/09

Louis Vuitton seems to be on a winning streak with their ongoing war against counterfeit. A French court recently ordered online auction site eBay to pay 80,000 euros (AU $136,133 dollars) to the luxury brand for selling fake perfumes, according to an AFP article.

"The court found that in using key words from certain LVMH brands, eBay had committed several acts of counterfeiting," LVMH said in a statement.

It was only a few weeks ago that Louis Vuitton won a lawsuit they filed in 2007 (see the MO Down for 3 September) against an online company selling fake Louis Vuitton merchandise. So the message should be getting through to eBay and other online companies, selling counterfeit does not pay …

The Future Looks Rosy For The Fragrance Sector – 27/7/09

Is the tide beginning to turn for the luxury market? Well, things are looking promising once more as shares for fragrance company Inter Parfums Inc. rose almost 10 percent on Friday, after the delivery of their second-quarter sales.

And the good news doesn’t end there. Inter Parfums, whose brands include Burberry, Van Cleef & Arpels, Paul Smith and Christian Lacroix, has been forecast to “return to double-digit earnings per share growth, driven by new fragrance launches” in 2010, according to a Forbes article.

Recent luxury news seems to be reinforcing that it really is 'all about the brand' when it comes to purchasing. We wonder if the celebrity fragrances, that were doing so well with the broader community, are in any way on the nose, given celebrity brand launches are usually all about speed to market, high volume; here today and gone tomorrow. It certainly appears that the aspiration for the brands with a heritage continues across all product categories. This is definitely reassuring for those consumers investing in luxury brands for themselves or to give as gifts.

Is That The Scent Of Gucci’s Online Success? – 30/6/09

 

Recently we reported that Gucci is the most-talked about brand on social networking sites, and now they’ve announced the launch of two brand-new websites, dedicated solely to their fragrances.

 

Their site, florabygucci.com, which focuses exclusively on Gucci’s female scent, Flora, went live yesterday as promised. But fans will have to wait a bit longer for their main fragrance website, guccifragrances.com, as it failed to meet yesterday’s highly publicised launch date. This website is a collaborative effort between the fashion house and its fragrance license holder, Procter & Gamble Fine Fragrances.

 

Gucci seems to be pulling out all the stops to become closer to their consumer and more innovative in e-marketing. In a WWD Fashion article, Frida Giannini, Gucci’s Creative Director, said, “The Web allows us to involve visitors in a rich multimedia experience. They can then share that experience with their friends online. These new and exciting ways of communicating are fast becoming a way of life.”

 

Bravo Gucci for your e-commerce efforts! Shame you couldn’t deliver on guccifragrances.com, but we’re certain the site will be well worth the wait.

 

Escapism & Old World Luxury for Chanel No. 5 - 21/03/09

Is it time already for a new mini movie (think the Australian duo of director Baz Luhrmann and his leading lady, Nicole Kidman) promoting the most famous fragrance in the world, Chanel No. 5? Yes, this time though it is with the French duo of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and his leading lady, Audrey Tautou, launching a classic and old world luxury theme for the new No. 5 mini movie.

“The spirit of this film is right for the times in which we are living. We believe this film is good timing not only for us but also for the market and the retailers. No.5 conveys authenticity and that reassures the customer; we’re adding newness without adding sku’s, and we have consistently seen a bump — not only in our own fragrance sales but the overall market’s — with campaigns like this one.” According to John Galantic, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chanel Inc. in today's WWD.com

No. 5 continues as the world's number one selling fragrance, since its launch in 1921, with a product from the No. 5 collection sold every six seconds somewhere in the world, according to Chanel. No. 5 is a wonderful example of attainable luxury,where one can buy into the Chanel brand and experience the history, quality, glamour and beauty that embody this brand from the rare and exclusive Haute Couture right through to the fragrance.

See some of the first pictures released today and the full story on WWD.

BALENCIAGA to revisit its fragrant past... 11/10/08

A new fragrance licensing deal for the historic BALENCIAGA brand with Coty Inc was announced 10 October 2008.


Cristobel Balenciaga founded his company in 1918, the first fragrance was launched in 1946, it was named "le dix". The fact the announcement was made sur le dix le dix I guess makes sense, non? The brand is forging ahead globally across the fashion and accessories business under the visionary and very capable designer, Nicolas Ghesquiere. The women's and men's ready-to-wear, shoe and accessory business has been expanding with strength globally, it therefore makes sense/scents (excuse the pun..) to push into the lucrative fragrance business as the Brand's currency continues to rise. Partnering with Coty Inc, also makes sense, it too is an historic Company founded in 1904.