Michael Burke, the head and CEO of LV, said last month that after 70 years, the old French luxury goods company decided to return to the perfume market with a high profile: "We see the huge potential of the perfume market. Once, perfume was once popular all over the world, and now it is rekindling. If we want to get a share of the highly competitive market, we must cater to consumer tastes, and this is not an easy task."
LV built its own perfume factory in Grasse, a picturesque French town filled with roses, lavender, jasmine, tuberose and other flowers, with abundant light, making it the perfume capital of the world.
In 2013, LV acquired the perfume manufacturer Les Fontaines Parfumees here. This is an old store founded in the 17th century. It is surrounded by lush lawns, dotted with various fountains, and planted with more than 350 kinds of flowers and plants.
This perfume factory opened for business in 1640. Due to disrepair, it showed a dilapidated scene in the last century. LV renovated it and built a state-of-the-art laboratory on the top floor, inviting Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Grasse’s third-generation perfumer and a heavyweight in the fragrance industry, to be responsible for perfume research and development.
In July, Mr. Cavallier Belletrud said in an interview with reporters in New York that LV has given itself absolute autonomy: "There are no rules and no budget restrictions."
LV is so reckless about costs that people are full of curiosity about its upcoming perfume products. However, it is still strictly confidential. It is said that the brand will launch 7 perfumes at once, which will have scents such as leather and tuberose. The outer packaging is a crystal bottle designed by Marc Newson. It will be launched simultaneously in 473 stores around the world in September.
Cavallier Belletrud told reporters with a pleasant face: "We cannot reveal to too many people what is in the bottle before it is officially launched." This master perfumer has single-handedly created classics such as Issey Miyake's "Eau of Life", Dior's "Midnight Poison", and Stella Mccartney's "Stella". He said: "Perfume is the most high-end product in the cosmetics market and is full of mystery to consumers."
He said in the perfume laboratory in Grasse: "The most sensitive noses in the world are concentrated in this small town. However, although it is calm and peaceful here, the competition is as fierce as the outside world." This perfume factory is decorated with colorful glass, and the exterior design is full of creativity, shining with fantasy light in the sun. He continued: “We here are not just playing with bottles and jars and studying their chemical reactions, this is a job that turns stone into gold. ”
He was holding a bottle of jasmine extract. This 35-ounce bottle is worth more than $130,000, which is three times more expensive than gold.
Across the corridor from Mr. Cavallier Bellutrud's office is the seat of François Demachy, who is the perfumer of Dior. Dior and LV are both brands of the parent company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Group. This year, Dior is also preparing to make a big splash in the perfume market to consolidate its position.
This spring, Dior also set up its own studio, Château de La Colle Noire, in Grasse, a beautiful Provence-style manor that Mr. Christian Dior bought in 1951. He spent his later years in this country house until his death in 1957.
In 2013, the Dior company bought the property and spent a lot of time renovating all the rooms, including Mr. Dior’s former office and lobby. It also designed rooms with different themes to recreate the style of the bedrooms of Chagall, Bernard, Picasso, and Dali. It invited several lucky brand ambassadors, executives of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Group, and several media reporters to come and experience the property.
This villa is not open to the public, but those who are interested in it may wish to purchase a bottle of La Colle Noire, a new perfume inspired by this building, which combines the rose de mai local to Grasse. Each bottle sells for US$210.
Frederic Bourdelier, director of Dior's fragrance products, said: "This initiative is a crucial strategy for Dior. This manor is the soul of Dior. We can read the spirit of Dior and understand the brand image that Mr. Dior wants to show to the world. This was Monsieur Dior's true love and had a huge impact on him, leaving an indelible mark on both his personal and professional lives. In the past, it belonged to Dior, now, it is the core of Dior, and in the future, it is Dior’s hope. "A few days before his interview, this luxurious manor had just held a party, attended by celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Liz Theron.
In the current situation of economic instability and frequent exchange rate fluctuations, the two major cosmetics giants are seizing the perfume market, which is a big impact on the luxury goods industry. According to data from market research company Euromonitor International, global sales of top perfumes are expected to reach US$29 billion in 2016, and are expected to grow by 3-4% annually until 2020.
LV attaches great importance to perfume products and regards them as the last piece of the market puzzle. Mr. Burke, CEO and President, said: “In the past 20 years, we have developed various products such as shoes, jewelry, jewelry, etc., covering almost every aspect of consumers’ daily life. Perfume is a necessity for people. It is the first impression people make through perfume every day. Therefore, we regard it as the last brick in building a brand empire. This time we have invested so much in preliminary research and development, which shows that we attach great importance to and expect this.Perfume is a world full of dreams and emotions. If we successfully capture the psychology of consumers, then we can gain the trust of consumers, and they will maintain high brand loyalty and continue to purchase our products. ”
Translation: Wu Yue
