With a collection of ten fragrances and a new boutique located at its historic headquarters, the fashion house is reviving and reinterpreting its iconic perfume, Le Dix, thanks to Kering Beauté. This move allows it to capitalize on one of the few segments still experiencing growth in the luxury sector.
After Haute Couture, Haute Parfumerie…
Balenciaga, the Kering group’s fashion house, which will present the first collection by Pierpaolo Piccioli, Demna’s (Gucci) replacement, on October 4 during Paris Fashion Week, continues to reinvent itself.
Founded in 1917 by Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga, the brand has delved into its archives to reconnect with one of the few segments currently thriving in the luxury market: ultra-high-end fragrances.
The historic fragrance from 1947
Balenciaga was able to start with the historic fragrance, Le Dix, the first perfume invented by the House’s founder in 1947. But to find the right tone for new expectations, it was also able to count on the new arm of the group chaired by François-Henri Pinault (and headed by Luca de Meo): Kering Beauté.
Founded in 2023, this new subsidiary has set itself the “mission of expanding the worlds of the Group’s Houses into a field that is both essential and natural for them, expressing their creative vision through beauty, and in particular high perfumery,” explains Kering in a press release.
Prior to this, Balenciaga had granted a license in 2008 to the American group Coty, which was not renewed.
Ten exclusive fragrances
“To capture Balenciaga’s timeless DNA and signature style, the teams at Kering Beauté worked closely with the House.” According to Raffaella Cornaggia, CEO of Kering Beauté, this has “revived the olfactory soul of the House with a touch of modernity.”
The result: a collection of ten exclusive fragrances, whose names are known, but not those of their perfumers, which the House has deliberately kept secret.
For each fragrance (Le Dix, of course, but also No Comment, Getaria, Twenty Four Seven, To Be Confirmed, Muscara, 100%, Extra, Cristóbal, and Incense Perfumum), Kering Beauté has combined rare raw materials from haute perfumery with innovative ingredients obtained using “cutting-edge extraction techniques.”
Le Dix was the first thread pulled by Kering Beauté. “This rebirth of a lost icon began with fifteen years of research conducted by the house’s archivists, which led to the rediscovery of a bottle” containing the precious scent, explains Balenciaga in its press release.
The container, bottle, and fragrance have been reconstructed and modernized with a sustainable approach.
Vintage and modernity
Scrutinized “down to the smallest detail,” the original bottle has been faithfully reproduced, “right down to the spherical glass cap and hand-tied ribbon.” But while Dix is presented in a case engraved with the perfume’s original logo, it is also “patinated using modern technology for a vintage finish that evokes the history of the juice” and wrapped in “Balenciaga’s iconic industrial gray packaging.”
In terms of scent, the original Dix formula has been “reimagined and reinvented” through a chypre and floral blend of “iris absolute, isolated iris aldehydes, violet leaf absolute, and essential oils of incense.”
All in all, a juxtaposition that “embodies,” according to Balenciaga, “the dialogue between heritage and modernity.”
Dedicated boutique
The launch of Dix was supported by the opening of a dedicated boutique at… 10 avenue George V, the historic address that gave its name to the first fragrance and where Cristóbal Balenciaga set up his salon, workshops, and perfumery when he arrived in France. An address, finally, where the House had relocated two years ago, once again organizing its Couture shows there.
Behind each of the other Balenciaga fragrances, whose spicy and vivid colors are reflected in identical bottles, there is usually a nod to its history. The woody abstraction of “No Comment” is thus intended as a tribute to the designer’s legendary silence, the sea spray of “Getaria” to that of his native Basque village, the tulip and white tea notes of “To Be Confirmed” to the Tulipe dress of 1958, while “Muscara” offers powdery accords of musk and makeup, and the juice of “Cristóbal” is “enigmatic and discreet.” More abstract, the floral “100%” is intended to embody “the radical modernity of the house.”
Sustainable development
Reiterating its deep commitment to sustainable development, Kering Beauty also says it has taken the utmost care in composing the fragrances, “evaluating their environmental performance and the potential risks associated with sourcing their ingredients.” The bottles are refillable and the packaging is made from recyclable cardboard, with no single-use plastic.
This new collection of fragrances, priced at the high end of the market (€55 for a travel spray, €260 for a 100 ml eau de parfum, €320 for a Le Dix miniature gift set, etc.), went on sale on September 10. In addition to its boutique at 10 Avenue George V and its online store, it is initially available in a selection of Balenciaga boutiques in Europe and North America. This will be followed by the Middle East, Asia and finally, the rest of the world.
Read also > Pierpaolo Piccioli takes over as creative director at Balenciaga
Featured photo: © Balenciaga
