Fragrances Boutique

Fashion Nation: What Retailers Know About Us (WSJ) “By tracking customers’ spending habits, retailers get a bird’s-eye view of tastes as they ebb and flow. Online retailers, in particular, see every click we make. They know which brands we’ve peeked at, how long we pondered, and what we actually purchased.” 5 Things We Know About [...]

I don’t think the new Eau Claire des Merveilles from Hermès has officially launched yet, but it’s on counter at Hermès boutiques and at Nordstrom. Depending on how you count, it’s the 3rd or 4th flanker to 2004’s Eau des Merveilles, which has already been joined by Parfum des Merveilles and Elixir des Merveilles.

Eau Claire des Merveilles, which was developed by Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, is pretty much exactly as it was described in the press materials: delicate, soft and sparkling, with powder notes and vanilla. The start is wonderfully fizzy citrus soda; that softens into a creamy-sweet (but airy) cosmetic powder, lightly vanillic, with just a hint of the salty woody amber from the original Eau des Merveilles underneath…

Conjuring Temples of Deep Desire (IHT) “In the top 100 of fashion ‘influentials,’ Peter Marino is up there on page one, alongside creative geniuses and big brand managers. Yet… the American architect has not been publicly recognized for what he is: the impresario of 21st-century luxury.” Hermès Raises 2010 Sales Growth, Operating Profit (Bloomberg) “[Hermès] [...]

Mr. Simons’s show celebrated 15 years of a career that has pursued the idea that fashion can communicate thoughts and emotions.

Hermès will launch Eau Claire des Merveilles, a new flanker to 2004’s Eau des Merveilles, in September…

Have you ever thought about matching iconic Hermès handbags with the equally iconic Hermès perfumes? I’d pair Calèche with the classic Kelly bag and Kelly Calèche with one of the new, smaller Kellys in a bright color, say apple green or watermelon pink. Birkin bags are more casual and slouchy, more modern, than the Kelly bags, and I can see the Hermessences suiting a Birkin. Pamplemousse Rose, for instance, would be nice with a pale green or dove grey Birkin bag (although Equipage is a natural for a battered, nude calf Birkin.) To me, 24, Faubourg’s match is the Constance. 24, Faubourg’s prim, go-anywhere elegance seems made for a woman with a mink brown, gold-buckled Constance slung over her shoulder.

Hermès released 24, Faubourg in 1995. It’s named after the address of Hermès’s flagship store and is one of a handful of perfumes named after fashion-centric addresses, including Balenciaga Le Dix and Chanel 31 Rue Cambon. Maurice Roucel created 24, Faubourg. Nigel Groom lists its notes as orange blossom, jasmine, tiara flower, ylang ylang, iris, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris, and sandalwood.¹

To me, this list of notes is barely a sketch of the full body of 24, Faubourg…

Last week, Christophe Lemaire was named Artistic Director of Hermès for womenswear, replacing longtime incumbent Jean-Paul Gaultier and catching industry observers everywhere by surprise. In this exclusive excerpt from an interview with Lemaire in b magazine given prior to the announcement of his appointment, BoF gets to know the new man at one of France’s [...]

The turnover at Ungaro, Hermès and Alexander McQueen this week may not represent a sea change for the industry because each house has its own set of management issues.

A Q. and A. with Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the general artistic director of Hermès, about the thinking behind the choice of Christophe Lemaire as successor to Jean Paul Gaultier as designer of its women’s line.

Sarah Burton confirmed as Creative Director at Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“A statement from Alexander McQueen and its ‘parent’ company, Gucci Group, announced that Burton will supervise the creative direction and development of all collections of the brand going forwards.”
New Designer at Hermès (NY Times)
“After seven years, Jean Paul Gaultier is giving up his ready-to-wear duties at [...]

Hot news from Paris: After seven years, Jean Paul Gaultier is giving up his ready-to-wear duties at Hermès and will be replaced by Christophe Lemaire, who has been designing for Lacoste since 2000.

Hermès reports 1st-quarter sales up 19 percent (Marketwatch)
“Hermès, the French luxury goods maker, reported that first-quarter sales rose 19% to 507.7 million euros. All sectors performed well, with sales growth at the group’s own stores “particularly robust,” up 26% at constant foreign exchange rates, the company said in a Thursday statement.”
Fashion, entertainment nonprofit Gen Art [...]

Jean-Louis Dumas, Chief of Hermès, Dies at 72 (NY Times)
“Jean-Louis Dumas, who revived the flagging fortunes of Hermès in the late 1970s and in his nearly 30 years as the company’s chief executive transformed it into one of the world’s most successful luxury brands, died Saturday at his home in Paris.”
Louis Vuitton Tops Hermes, Gucci [...]

Uniqlo parent raises forecast on brisk H1 results (Reuters)
“Fast Retailing reported 43 percent growth in first-half operating profit on Thursday, helped by strong sales at its Uniqlo budget fashion chain, and raised the full-year outlook.”
Garment District Hothouse (NY Times)
“The most intriguing results may lie in how they relate to the neighborhood, which has been declining [...]

A Collector of Scoops Steps Down (NY Times)
“As the editorial director of WWD [and W]…Mr. McCarthy always considered his publications to be the singular powerhouse for scoops, whether a designer was changing jobs or a retailer was headed for bankruptcy. In fact, his reign was so great that it was called ‘the McCarthy era.’”
Burberry & [...]

A video promo for the new Voyage d’Hermès fragrance.

A video promo for the new Voyage d’Hermes fragrance.

Voyage d’Hermès is the latest from perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena at Hermès. Reportedly he wanted the unisex fragrance to say “It’s calling to me” rather than “It reminds me”; that is, Voyage d’Hermès — unlike the Jardin series — is not intended to evoke any particular place or time. Hermès is calling Voyage a fresh musky woods, but so far as I know they have not released a list of notes — presumably in keeping with the intention that “this perfume would not smell of a kind of wood, a flower, a particular raw material, but of the unknown in all its glory”.¹

In the event, Voyage d’Hermès does not remind me of any specific place, but it does remind me of other Jean-Claude Ellena fragrances, so much so that it’s tempting to see it as a voyage through his career, with nods to the heritage of Hermès along the way. The opening is green-ish citrus, rather dry and very tart — think of the grapefruit + lime peel citrus in the opening of Un Jardin Sur le Nil (minus the mango) or Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. In Voyage, the citrus sparkles over a generous dose of black pepper, and possibly some ginger as well, and I’m probably dreaming but I would swear that for a moment or two, there’s a flash of green tea (Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert). Whatever might be in there, the early stages are lively…

For the finale at Hermes today, Jean Paul Gaultier sent out all the models in a union of bowler hats, fantastic leathers and umbrellas.

More limited edition collector fragrance bottles, with the usual disclaimers: in most of these cases, the juice is unchanged, just the bottle is “special” (or not, as the case may be), and some of these may not be available in the US.

From Hermès, Terre d’Hermès in a limited edition 100 ml Eau de Toilette decorated with an H. €76.50…

What’s Next: Luxury Products (WSJ)
“Pierre-Alexis Dumas embraces innovation. But as the sixth-generation member of his family to lead, in his case, the creative end of the French luxury house Hermès, he must uphold tradition, as well.”
John Lewis Adds to Evidence Of February Sales Bounce (NY Times)
“Bellwether retailer John Lewis posted another double-digit percentage rise in [...]

London fashion week meets the Baftas (Guardian)
“It’s a brilliant idea to combine the drama of the Baftas with the catwalk glamour of London fashion week. It’s just amazing no one thought of it before.”
Stores Reach Into Bag of Tactics As Luxury-Goods Sales Improve (WSJ)
“Optimism is creeping back into style, following three seasons of budget slashing, [...]

Jones Apparel Acquires L.A. Designer Label (Apparel News)
“Jones Apparel Group Inc., the… corporation that has been on the hunt for brands, acquired Los Angeles womenswear contemporary label Robert Rodriguez for $28 million. Jones Apparel is hoping to expand the Robert Rodriguez name in other categories and other doors.”
US retail groups continue to recover (FT)
“Spending by [...]

Not quite a luxury resurgence (Marketwatch)
“The U.S. economy may be slowly coming out of recession, but it appears we’re still pretty conservative when it comes to buying.”
What Hermès’ New Chinese Brand Means for the Luxury Industry (Fashionista)
“Three days before Christmas, the savvy folks over at godly luxury company Hermès quietly announced that they would launch [...]

Hermès will launch Voyage d’Hermès, a new unisex fragrance, this coming April.

The fragrance was developed by Hermès house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, and is reportedly a fresh musky woods…