Luxury perfumery: the 5 emerging trends

[vc_row njt-role=”people-in-the-roles” njt-role-user-roles=”administrator,armember”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

If the perfumery offer oscillates between scents that have survived through the ages and olfactory innovations, certain trends can be observed giving this luxury craft a breath of modernity. In addition to fashion effects, these are changes in the consumer’s relationship with perfumery to prefigure what the future of perfumery will look like.

 

1. It tells a story

 

At a time when consumers need anchoring, retro brands are on the rise. A roots that consumers are happy to find in the stories of ancestral homes.

 

“It’s easier to launch a brand from the ground up than from a blank page,” says Diane Thalheimer, fragrance expert and founder of the Red Berry consulting firm.

 

A number of young perfumery professionals have been working for the past ten years to revive old, forgotten niche brands such as Maison Lubin since 1815 or Le Galion, founded in 1936 by Jules Vacher, the perfumer of the legendary “Miss Dior”, which will be relaunched by Nicolas Chabaud in 2014.

 

While other consumer brands are working to re-exploit and sublimate their fragrances or emblematic pieces, as is the case with Guerlain, with the re-release of the famous “Shalimar“, a perfume filter with notes of bergamot, lemon, lavender, jasmine, rose, patchouli and Tolu balm, or the House of Chanel, with the recent release of its perfume “Le Lion“, in homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s animal talisman and the brand’s signature symbol.

 

© Guerlain

2. It breaks down the boundaries between male and female

 

Perfumery marks its opposition to gender stereotypes. While the perfume was not originally gendered, it was Caron who first unveiled the specifically masculine fragrance “Pour Un Homme” in 1934.

 

Now, as gender identities are shaking up society, new unisex fragrances stand out such as “Jasmin Kusamono” by Armani Privé and “Mémoire d’une Odeur” by Gucci.

 

“Gender fluid fragrances have gained popularity in recent years: 51% of all fragrance launches in 2018 were gender neutral, compared to 17% in 2010, according to industry figures,” says the BBC.

 

Milleniums are particularly attracted to this trend. They would buy more unisex fragrances than their elders.

 

© Armani / Privé

3. It is clear and legible

 

While the composition of classic fragrances is intended to be broad, integrating a multitude of ingredients, consumers now expect a more obvious understanding of what they are given to smell by considering one or two strong themes. This is the case with Guerlain’s “l’Heure Blanche“, where iris and sandalwood stand out, or Nina Ricci‘s “Nina Rose”, where the main note of ultra-fresh orange blossom is smelled from the very first second (Available from August 10).

 

“In my opinion, a fragrance is modern when it feels what it says,” explains Sonia Constant, perfumer at Givaudan.

 

“If we understand the designer’s intention, the emotion is even more savoury,” adds Jean-Christophe Hérault (International Flavours & Fragrances).

 

Without being experts, consumers want to be able to detect the constituent notes of their perfume.

 

 

© Guerlain

 

4. It leaves behind a wake

 

What is most appealing is the density of the fragrance and its olfactory signature. Consumers want a fragrance that leaves an intoxicating scent in their wake, like “Retba” by Memo, where myrrh promises a singular imprint, and “Mon Paris Intensément” by Yves Saint Laurent, a floral burst with centifolia rose.

 

To achieve this, perfumers rely on handcrafted ingredients. Thanks to new extraction techniques (fractioning or CO2 extraction) that allow them to go to the heart of the matter to extract only the noblest part. The ingredients are thus cleaned, stylized and sublimated.

 

Performance is now a criterion of quality, on a par with aesthetics and perceived pleasure.

 

© Memo

 

5. It emancipates itself from the codes of perfumery

 

If all the fragrances refer to the major categories – chypre, oriental, floral, aldehyde – which already date back to the beginning of the 20th century, one can see a distance from these classic constructions. All the more so since they often use synthetic products.

 

This is the case with “Phantasma” by Liquides Imaginaires and “Hortus” by Gucci.

 

The fashion is for less synthetic fragrances and a return to natural scents, by distilling fruits, flowers, wood and plants in a pure alcohol base. Consumers are seduced by vegan fragrances.

 

“The ‘millenials’ don’t want to wear their mother’s perfume. They want to smell something different, like leather, crushed herbs and smoke,” says Charna Ethier, founder of Providence Perfume Company.

 

© Liquides Imaginaires

 

 

Read also > MONCLER STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION IN THE LUXURY SECTOR AFTER THE SIGNATURE OF FIRST PERFUME LICENCE

 

Featured photo : © Chanel[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row njt-role=”not-logged-in”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

If the perfumery offer oscillates between scents that have survived through the ages and olfactory innovations, certain trends can be observed giving this luxury craft a breath of modernity. In addition to fashion effects, these are changes in the consumer’s relationship with perfumery to prefigure what the future of perfumery will look like.

 

1. It tells a story

 

At a time when consumers need anchoring, retro brands are on the rise. A roots that consumers are happy to find in the stories of ancestral homes. […][/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”This article is for subscribers only.” h2_font_container=”font_size:16″ h2_use_theme_fonts=”yes” h4=”Subscribe now!” h4_font_container=”font_size:32|line_height:bas” h4_use_theme_fonts=”yes” txt_align=”center” color=”black” add_button=”right” btn_title=”I SUBSCRIBE!” btn_color=”danger” btn_size=”lg” btn_align=”center” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” use_custom_fonts_h4=”true” btn_button_block=”true” btn_custom_onclick=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fluxus-plus.com%2Fen%2Fabonnements-et-newsletter-2%2F|||”]Unlimited access to all the articles and live a new reading experience, preview contents, exclusive newsletters…

Already have an account? Log in.

[/vc_cta][vc_column_text]Featured photo : © Chanel[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row njt-role=”people-in-the-roles” njt-role-user-roles=”customer”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

If the perfumery offer oscillates between scents that have survived through the ages and olfactory innovations, certain trends can be observed giving this luxury craft a breath of modernity. In addition to fashion effects, these are changes in the consumer’s relationship with perfumery to prefigure what the future of perfumery will look like.

 

1. It tells a story

 

At a time when consumers need anchoring, retro brands are on the rise. A roots that consumers are happy to find in the stories of ancestral homes. […][/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”This article is for subscribers only.” h2_font_container=”font_size:16″ h2_use_theme_fonts=”yes” h4=”Subscribe now libido-de.com!” h4_font_container=”font_size:32|line_height:bas” h4_use_theme_fonts=”yes” txt_align=”center” color=”black” add_button=”right” btn_title=”I SUBSCRIBE!” btn_color=”danger” btn_size=”lg” btn_align=”center” use_custom_fonts_h2=”true” use_custom_fonts_h4=”true” btn_button_block=”true” btn_custom_onclick=”true” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fluxus-plus.com%2Fen%2Fabonnements-et-newsletter-2%2F|||”]Unlimited access to all the articles and live a new reading experience, preview contents, exclusive newsletters…

Already have an account? Log in.

[/vc_cta][vc_column_text]Featured photo :  © Chanel[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Tags

The editorial team
The editorial team
Thanks to its extensive knowledge of these sectors, the Luxus + editorial team deciphers for its readers the main economic and technological stakes in fashion, watchmaking, jewelry, gastronomy, perfumes and cosmetics, hotels, and prestigious real estate.
Aller enhaut

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up now to receive sneak previews of our programs and articles!

Launch offer:

Your participation in the Camille Fournet Masterclass reserved for annual subscriber !

Luxus Plus Newsletter