A woman flew from Australia to meet master perfumer in the South of France. A lover of fragrance, she wanted a made-to-measure perfume. But more than having it just for herself, the client hoped the scent would ultimately be passed down to her granddaughters, to stir up memories of her. A small selection of perfumers are offering bespoke services to people from the world over. Just don’t ask who the clients are Confidentiality the rich aren’t secretive, they’re discreet.
Prices are from 45,000 euros and go up to 100,000 euros-plus. Among major cost contributors are the olfactive ingredients used. Yet still there are often waiting lists for those women and men wanting their own fragrance, since perfumers generally can only accommodate a handful of clients annually. In 1853, Eau de Cologne Impériale was created as a special order for the Empress Eugénie for her marriage to Napoleon III by Pierre François Pascal Guerlain, founder of the perfume house.
In 1933, his grandson Jacques Guerlain developed Sous le Vent for Josephine Baker and six years later conceived Coque d’Or for Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes to name a few of the made-to-measure creations. A niche market; let’s hope it’s not a doghouse.
FM
The 260-year-old Maison Baccarat is embarking on a strategic shift with the appointment of Laurence Nicolas as its next CEO.
At the end of December, Valérie Leberichel joined Gucci as SVP global communications, reporting directly to Cantino. Daughter of the most famous florist in Dinan, Valérie Leberichel began her career as head of public relations at Jean Louis Scherrer before becoming communications director at Issey Miyake Europe. In 2002, she joined Celine as communications director. All that remained for Pinault was to take on the general director of the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, Catherine Leyaouanc, to stock up on Breton women from his region for his house, but as is well known, Bretons work with their compatriots.
Elie Saab is strengthening its handbag division and has appointed Marina Raphael as its new artistic and design director.
After four years of Fendi’s turbulent collaboration with the Roman house, Kim Jones is leaving Fendi. The British designer, whose position at Fendi was artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections, will continue in his role as artistic director of men’s collections at Dior in Paris.
After the doves of Lalique, and the horrible series “Les Belles de Nina”, a sort of crowned multicoloured turd; here is a new femininity, which emerges from the Spanish, inspired by mythology, echoing the heritage of the house! Inventing a contemporary goddess of today, but this one will certainly be a bimbo wandering the lobbys of the hotels of the capital, “it’s the spirit of the times”. A fragrance where the Magnolia shines like a real jewel, and for the story…, magnolias appeared before beetles, and of course, Baroness Wildenstein, because fossilized specimens have been found and date back 20 million years before her first unsightly operation. A perfume bottle, like a fan-shaped jewel in the art deco style, a real innovation! It is a copy of a 1960 bottle from Tiffany & Co.; Sterling silver perfume bottle with scalloped sea shell below.
Y/Project, following the death of its co-founder Gilles Elalouf in June and the departure of its artistic director Glenn Martens last month, was placed in receivership by the Paris Commercial Court on September 26, according to legal documents.
Gabriela Hearst brought the American spirit to Paris’s Left Bank on Monday afternoon, presenting her spring 2025 collection at Karl Lagerfeld’s former home to an audience that included Lily Gladstone, with live music by Wesley Schultz of Colorado folk rock band The Lumineers.
It was in the center of the Champs de Mars, where there are usually the street vendors of the Eiffel Tower cleared by the police for the occasion. The way Vaccarello stigmatized this change of location or better, is to return to the style of the founder of the house. Instinctively intelligent collection, for a dive into the brain of the master of Oran. Despite all the challenges that the luxury industry faces, the Kering group has just understood that, besides communication, the most important thing is to sell in stores.
Diana is the goddess of hunting, war and the night in Roman mythology, assimilated to “Artemis” in Greek mythology. Artemis, well, funny, isn’t it! Daughter of Jupiter and twin sister of Apollo, she wishes to remain a virgin forever, and when beauty makes its bed, sublime, always alone, she builds her reputation alongside men, but strangely apart too.
As organic sales momentum slows even more than initially expected and visibility on a potential rebound in luxury sales in China is really low, the French group is increasing its prices.
“It’s a rustic opulence,” Kors said during a preview of his spring 2025 collection, summing up a seasonal trend as only he can. The designer’s mood board featured shots of romantic Mediterranean beaches.
