LVMH-led beauty brand fresh last night celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Crème Ancienne skincare line during a sumptuous gala dinner at Raffles Hotel in Shenzhen.
The event was graced by fresh Co-Founders Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, LVMH and fresh senior management, KOLs and media, and other VIPs.
The Moodie Davitt Report was on hand as the brand honoured the landmark anniversary of Crème Ancienne, a standout success within fresh’s extraordinary journey since Glazman and Roytberg founded the brand in 1991 with a simple apothecary-like store. Look out for our fascinating interview with the founders in coming weeks.
LVMH acquired a majority stake in fresh in 2000 after the brand – inspired by nature and artisanal craftmanship – had grown exponentially through the 1990s. Four years on, Glazman created Crème Ancienne after discovering the formula for what is reputed to be the world’s first cream – developed by 2nd-century scientist Claudius Galenus who crafted balms to treat the wounds of gladiators.
Having successfully replicated the formula alongside the fresh lab scientists, Glazman determined that the artisan nature of the product meant it would have to be made by hand. Given its ancient origins – hence the name Crème Ancienne, coined by Roytberg – he decided it should be produced manually in a monastery.
“You don’t just send an email to the monks,” Glazman told The Moodie Davitt Report with a smile as he related the extraordinary European-wide search for the right producing partners that ensued. After a suitable collaboration was found (a nunnery in Norway), production began. But as demand grew, the seven sisters could not manage the necessary output.
Eventually fresh found another partner, this time in the form of a monastery in the Czech Republic. Crème Ancienne has been produced there ever since, going on to become a hugely successful global skincare line. The story might sound like a marketing gimmick but the beauty of it – and a key reason for the success – is that it is true, Roytberg told The Moodie Davitt Report.
“It represents everything we stand for – the history, the ritual, the attention to detail, the respect for innovation,” Glazman added. “And bringing back a piece of history that nobody knew about or was thinking about.” ✈
