Experimental Perfume Club

Last week, we had a fragrance workshop which I can say was the most interesting seminar. It was done by founder Emmanuelle Moeglin and she taught us the basics of fragrance, the layers, notes and accords. We first had a smell of the different scents before creating our own! It allowed us to find out which ones we liked and disliked. I found that I preferred citrus, fruity, amber and woody accords. My group and I agreed on it and from this we mixed these together to create a new perfume for our target consumer. We chose urban male aged between 24-30 and the woody tones were for the deeper masculine feel with citrus to lift it up. At first we put too much fruity and this overpowered our scent and Emmanuelle came round and told us to add more woody which we didn't mind because it smelt good! It reminded me of the talk I had at FIT in January, I seem to like the more hands on, involved approach like working in a lab.

Love, 

Shaleen

xxx

London Fragrance Research

This week we took a trip to London to research independent and unique perfumeries in central. I have lived in London my whole life and hadn't heard of any of these which was exciting to explore and learn so much about the fragrance industry. In Covent Garden, we found Miller Harris which was a colourful and fun environment with flowers decorated around the ceiling and neon lights filling the stores lighting. They are trying to tell vivid urban stories with a mix of Parisian elegance and London's eclectic street styles. Their most popular scent is Rose Silence and it was a lovely floral light smell. Another perfumery, Perfumer H, also owned by Lyn Harris which I didn't get to visit doesn't look like a normal shop but an office. I found their concept is a collaborative nature between the consumer and brand where you can make your own custom fragrance in a 6 month process. In addition, a pre-made laboratory edition or ready to wear seasonal fragrances are also available. I have never heard of this in another brand so that is a real different niche approach.

Perfumer H interior

Close by, Penhaligon's store was there and we had heard about it quite a bit. It has a long history and is very elegant inside, with gold decor. It was beautiful. I liked the addition of the cylinders like in the lab where they are made. Le Labo, French for the laboratory, was once I missed but will have to visit when I go home soon is made on the time of purchase. They print your name on the bottles so it really is personalised. They are known for unisex smells which is new. Like many niche brands, it focuses on good reputation instead.

We visited department stores as well to see their promotional techniques. In Harvey Nichols, we were lucky enough to speak to one of the managers who knew a lot about the industry. He showed us sales records and the type of consumer who shops there. It was surprising to hear that this week one customer spent £8500 in one purchase! They are usually 25+ years old with Memo being the best-selling brand because it is exclusive to Harvey Nichols. Currently, oud is a popular trend. In Selfridges, the new fragrance only sold there is called Arizona. The perfume has a strong story behind it associating itself with escapism, disconnecting and going back to nature. Its not about the state but the state of mind. I think the spiritual take it is a clever story.

I am excited by the project now and cant wait to learn more! The industry is way more fascinating than I thought.

Love,

Shaleen

xxx

References: https://www.vogue.com/article/proenza-schouler-arizona-perfume-fragrance-jack-mccollough-lazaro-hernandez

Brand Everywhere

In a recent lecture, we ran through various brands and their unique story and successful advertising. I liked a couple of the brands mentioned and wanted to further my research into them. We were shown a Tiffany ad from 2016 that was a hashtag #lovenotlike taking in social media trend of liking things and mixing it with their brand of the Tiffany iconic love pendant. There was even a snapchat filter used in the campaign, trying to cater to a millennial consumer. I love the incorporation of New York as a place as well as thats the brand's heritage.

Aesop was another brand mentioned that I found interesting. Each Aesop store has a unique interior design. Its a brand that doesn't advertise but you feel special once you discover it. I can say I definitely felt like this when I first found it! It is more about the indulgent product experience and less about false promises. It takes a modern minimalist approach. The experience is in itself powerful branding. It makes you want to embrace physical stores in an online world. Its a moment of sanctuary and calm. They even adapt their aesthetics based on the locations which are carefully thought about.

Love, 

Shaleen

xxx

The Naked Brand

In our new project on brands, we have to know the market and consumer behaviour. This documentary explores how the consumer has more control than ever with the sales of a product. Consumers want to trust the brand therefore they should avoid fake promises and rather focus on transparency. Consumer confidence is low even though advertising spending is high. However, old methods are failing with the rise of social media posts where people would rather get something because others are too. Its also a way to be more green and sustainable by having less print ads and more on the internet. They used examples such as a Chanel ad from 2004 that cost $25m but only 4m watched it on YouTube. Reviews on Amazon and Yelp give power to the consumers and the product sales. One bad review can make you question the worth of what you're about to buy. I definitely see the trends that were talked about because a lot of what I buy is from recommendation from bloggers or people I know, not necessarily the advertising. It relates to the fragrance industry too with independent retailers thinking more about reputation and the actual product than promising things they may not be able to deliver.

Love, 

Shaleen

xxx

References: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/naked-brand-questus-transparency-marketing