Carine Roitfeld plans to introduce new categories beyond fragrance

By

Sarah Ahssen

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
May 9, 2022

French fashion doyenne Carine Roitfeld has launched a new perfume called Carine. The new fragrance dropped by Vogue France’s former editor-in-chief, following the launch in 2019 of her first perfume collection called 7 Lovers, an ode to the seven men in her  life, is a more subtly intimate scent, concocted by master perfumer Dominique Ropion of international fragrance producer IFF. Carine is priced at €220 for the 90 ml bottle.

“As for the first perfume collection, we went solo and did not resort to licensing. Carine [Roitfeld] has been working on her fragrances since 2015, and it has taken us a long time, chiefly because of the sector’s regulatory complexity,” said Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, president of CR Fashion Book. The latter was founded in 2012 by Vladimir’s mother Carine Roitfeld, and its business includes publishing biannual fashion magazine CR Fashion Book, and running creative content agency CR Studio and perfume brand Carine Roitfeld.

The brand’s first fragrance collection, launched in May 2019, was initially sold exclusively for six months on Net-A-Porter, before being commercialised on a wider scale. In addition to Ropion’s, Carine Roitfeld has enlisted the services of another perfume expert, David Frossard, founder of fragrance brand Obvious and of independent perfume distributor Different Latitudes, to oversee Carine Roitfeld’s distribution in France and various European countries. The global pandemic and the closing down of countless stores did slow down Carine Roitfeld’s growth, but the brand is back with renewed impetus thanks to Carine’s launch.
“Since February, we are available at Liquides in Paris and Harrods in London, which gave us a wonderful showcase, and we are about to hit [Parisian department store] Le Printemps,” said Restoin-Roitfeld.

And, while it is too early to fully assess Carine’s success, the fragrance is currently doing best on the Italian and British markets. It is also making its first forays into Asia, notably in Japan, South Korea and China, a market that is increasingly attractive for fragrance brands, especially those in the niche perfumery segment in which Carine Roitfeld is positioned.

“There are some very fine collaborations on the horizon, especially one with a fashion label, but I can't say more. We are also evaluating the possibility of creating a Carine Roitfeld make-up line, as well as eyewear and footwear collections developed under license,” said Restoin-Roitfeld who, before joining CR Fashion Book in 2015, used to run an art gallery in New York, the city from which he manages the company.

In future, Carine Roitfeld could therefore become also a beauty and fashion brand. But its perfume chapter is far from over, as new launches are on the cards for this summer.