“The inspiration for this fragrance was the Jil Sander brand image.” |
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Coty Prestige combines classic and cutting edge elements to create Jil Sander Style |
FRANCE. All white now. That was the theme – and corresponding dress-code – that accompanied the launch of Coty Prestige’s new feminine fragrance from Jil Sander, called Jil Sander Style. It will make its debut in October.
The scent was unveiled earlier this month at a private villa in Grasse, in the south of France. The official reveal was preceded by a dinner in Nice, presided over by Jil Sander Creative Director Raf Simons, and Coty Prestige President Michele Scannavini.
A tour of the artist-owned villa, with its high ceilings, white space and minimalist décor, provided the perfect backdrop to the new launch. “The inspiration for this fragrance was the Jil Sander brand image,” explained Vice President Marketing Jil Sander Fragrances Caroline Javoy.
“That means qualities such as purity, balanced proportions and the striving for perfection. It’s all about an elegant spirit, with a modern allure,” she added. “It’s a philosophy of life, as well as a fashion look.”
The general fragrance positioning centres around exclusivity and private, not overstated, luxury.
The juice was created by Symrise’s Bernard Ellena, who described Jil Sander Style as a sensual, elegant and distinctive fragrance. The top notes feature freesia, mango, cardamom and pink pepper berries.
The heart is a floral accord characterised by violet, complemented by magnolia, iris flower and jasmine, a favourite of Ellena. The base is a blend of vanilla, amber and musk.
“It’s all about an elegant spirit, with a modern allure. It’s a philosophy of life, as well as a fashion look.” |
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The general fragrance positioning centres around exclusivity and private, not overstated, luxury, according to Vice President Marketing Jil Sander Fragrances Caroline Javoy |
Ellena described how he was inspired by a visit to the Jil Sander store on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris. “I was touched by the perfection of detail,” he recalled, “and the richness of the materials. That was my starting point.”
Ellena’s initial brief, he maintained, was very open. “I was not given too much information in advance, ” he explained. “And that is a good thing, because then there are fewer constraints and much more freedom.”
The Jil Sander Style juice took around two years to complete. As with all his most successful creations, Ellena said that while he was mindful of current trends, his aim was to put his own signature spin on the current fragrance fashions – and above all create something with commercial appeal.
“I work to win,” he stated firmly. “No-one wants to create a fragrance that doesn’t sell. All perfumers want people to like [and subsequently buy] what they compose.”
Nor is Ellena obsessed with sourcing endless new ingredients. “I work with only a few,” he asserts, although even “a few” means around 300. “Obviously I have my personal preferences, particularly within certain fragrance families, but it’s how you combine these [that count].”
 | Of Style and substance: The way forward for Coty Prestige |
Like Jil Sander fashion, the distinctive opaque flacon combines both classic and cutting edge elements. It is designed to evoke a white marble monolith. The bottle comprises two blocks which appear to balance without touching. The curves between the stopper and the bottle are coloured a mirrored mauve. The name, Jil Sander Style, is written in a complementary matte violet. The outer carton echoes the white/purple colour scheme.
The fragrance range comprises 30ml, 50ml and 75ml edp sprays. The full body ancillary line-up features a 200ml Moisturizing Body Milk, a 50ml Deodorant Cream, a 200ml Bath Cream, a 200ml Shower Cream and a 200ml Moisturizing Body Cream.
In addition to the edps, the shower cream and the deo will be available in travel retail. The recommended domestic price point for the 50ml edp will be around €56.
The face of the fragrance is Polish model Malgosia Bela, who is pictured wearing minimal make-up and an ivory Raf Simons shift.
“We were missing a more upscale, image-driven product. Style is a product of the new era that embodies the essence of the brand.” |
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Pure, minimalist white was the theme – and corresponding dress-code – that accompanied the launch of Jil Sander Style |
Coty Prestige has high hopes for Jil Sander Style, especially in its Germanic heartland. “Jil Sander is our number one brand in Germany,” stated Coty Prestige Senior Vice President Marketing Fragrances Françoise Mariez. “With Jil Sander Style, the key objective is to be the number one fragrance in Germany at launch.”
Other leading Jil Sander scents include the Sun franchise, boosted this year by the launch of Sun Delight; Jil Sander Sport; and Jil Sander Pure.
“Jil Sander Style is the missing link within the portfolio,” stated Mariez. “We were missing a more upscale, image-driven product. Style is a product of the new era that embodies the essence of the brand, which is all about quality, being avant-garde, offering something that competitors don’t.
“The juice is classic with an edge, which you always find with a Jil Sander product; the bottle is very unusual; and the name speaks for itself. It’s coherent as a concept, and also with Jil Sander fashion today.”
She continued: “The idea with Style is to recruit back people who are familiar with the brand, but who have lost contact because in the past they haven’t found the right products. Style is a big statement for us. In a way its role is the same as that of Jil Sander No 4 [a women’s edp launched in 1990]. In its day that was a real status product and is still strong in Germany.
“No 4 was an anchor of the past, which represented a certain image of Jil Sander at a certain time. Style will show that Jil Sander is still there, with a mix of classicism and quality, but also with an edgy, innovative side.”
“All perfumers want people to like [and subsequently buy] what they compose.” |
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The juice was created by Symrise’s Bernard Ellena, who described Jil Sander Style as a sensual, elegant and distinctive fragrance |
The key target market for Style will be women aged from around 30-35. “They are women who could be interested in Jil Sander fashion, thanks to the designs of Raf Simons,” noted Mariez. “Our core consumer is classic, minimalist, not obvious in any way, but very feminine.”
The launch will be strongly supported with sampling and advertising, primarily print. “We will also use editorials, to complement the advertising we do, with certain magazines,” commented Mariez.
“We will share media plans with Jil Sander fashion, for maximum synergy, and of course the fragrance will be carried in Jil Sander stores even in countries where it is not distributed elsewhere. And we will sample VIPs at the fashion shows.
“We have also created a short video spot that we will use in partnership with Douglas, for example. That could also have possibilities at point-of-sale in travel retail”¦But above all everything we do will be appropriately selective.”
In terms of distribution, the focus will be the so-called Germanic region, which includes Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland. Travel retail will be another significant channel; in the UK there will be an exclusive launch via Harrods.
In recent years Coty Prestige has worked hard to begin re-balancing its male/female fragrance portfolio within Jil Sander, with the split currently 30:70, up from around 5:95. Does that mean then that a Jil Sander Style for Men is in the pipeline?
“Maybe,” smiled Mariez. “But we don’t always do masterbrands. Sometimes they are appropriate and sometimes they are not. Certainly, the next step is to create a new male counterpart [to Style], that encapsulates in the same way the spirit of the fashion house.”
MORE STORIES ON COTY PRESTIGE/JIL SANDER
Lancaster Group gets set for summer with new Davidoff and Jil Sander fragrances – 12/01/06
Jil Sander Sport: A Picture Gallery – 21/02/05
Lancaster unveils new sporting duo from Jil Sander – 02/02/05
