PARIS — Atelier Cologne Paris is about to relaunch in China’s high-end perfumery market, with reworked fragrances, retail setting and picture.
“It’s a brand new daybreak for Atelier Cologne,” stated Sandrine Groslier, international president, luxe perfume manufacturers at L’Oréal, which acquired Atelier Cologne in 2016, seven years after its introduction.
The subsequent technology of Atelier Cologne might be revealed in the midst of March, when it opens doorways in Shanghai’s IFC mall, Beijing’s SKP mall and on Tmall.
Whereas Atelier Cologne executives wouldn’t talk about projections, trade sources estimate the model will generate 100 million euros in retail gross sales in China in the course of the first 12 months after being launched there.
Within the repositioning, the identify Atelier Cologne Paris and a brand new id — described by model executives as “scented artwork crafted from nature” — performed key roles.
“We wished first to reinvent the spirit of ‘atelier’ round two notions which can be essential,” stated Groslier. “First is craftsmanship.”
Ateliers are additionally the place artists work and collaborate, so the model started partnering with them on numerous features of the revamp.
Olivier Pascalie helped redefine the flacon with thicker glass and geometric particulars with the intention to seize and mirror mild. On its again is a swirly, embossed sample. Matte brass decorates bottle caps and the scents’ labels.
A rendering of Atelier Cologne’s new retail format.
“All of the inspiration for the bottle comes from artwork — Artwork Nouveau,” stated Groslier, referring to the inventive motion on the finish of the nineteenth and starting of the twentieth centuries that elevated nature to an artwork kind.
Atelier Cologne additionally partnered with two Shanghai-based Chinese language retail designers from Chaos Programme on the model’s new retailer setting, which has a central perfume organ, the place folks can uncover the scents.
“We wish to encourage and to coach” what perfumery and perfume are right now, stated Groslier.
Each the bottle and retail areas had been long-established with curvy shapes and Atelier Cologne’s signature teal blue — as seen within the marble of the shops and the fragrance’s outer packaging, as an example.
“Every part is minimalist, but elegant,” she stated. “We ended up with a heat and skilled atelier with very fashionable design language.”
This additionally contains wooden and brass components, in addition to artists’ instruments. Personalization providers there’ll embody engraving of leather-based instances and pouches, which has all the time been part of the model’s provide.
In the meantime, cologne — the recent, citrusy scent that may be a bedrock of the fragrance trade — stays on the core of Atelier Cologne. “We’ve bought a novel heritage,” stated Groslier.
That’s as a result of the model, from Day One, put colognes again on the map. She defined it was essential to stay devoted to the imaginative and prescient of Atelier Cologne’s founders, Sylvie Gantier-Cervasel and Christophe Cervasel, who turned the standard olfactive pyramid the other way up to make colognes into excessive perfumery.
“They wished to carry poetry and luxurious on the planet of cologne,” stated Groslier. This dovetails with what’s being launched by the model right now — extra refined and long-lasting perfumes.
These results come partially due to Atelier Cologne creating its personal proprietary cologne, referred to as “colognade,” which is now on the coronary heart of the model’s 18 fragrances. It’s primarily based on conventional cologne’s savoir-faire from the 17thcentury blended with right now’s improvements.
“We reinvented the complexity of the formulation and elevated the focus of important oil, to be much more highly effective and provides much more path,” stated Groslier. Woody and ambery base notes had been added to that finish, too.
Atelier Cologne’s redesigned packaging.
Nature retains inspiring Atelier Cologne. “However it’s not classical nature. It’s a very inventive nature,” she stated. “It’s not solely about pure components, however it is usually about how we craft our components, innovate within the strategy of extraction and sourcing.”
Atelier Cologne scent components have lengthy had mood-boosting and well-being attributes — traits which can be extra important for shoppers post-pandemic than ever earlier than. Lemon zest, as an example, is astringent; petitgrain is stress-free, and thyme has antiseptic qualities.
The model’s fragrances are divided into two households. There may be Absolue, with a excessive focus of important oils and conventional cologne components, similar to citrus. The gathering contains eaux de parfums, like Oolang Infini and Orange Sanguine, blended by perfumers Jérome Epinette, from Robertet, and Ralf Schwieger, from Mane.
The Uncommon line of scents blends noble and unusual olfactive components. Present in Gaïac Eternel and Rose Cuirée, as an example, are Damask rose, guaiac wooden and oud wooden notes.
Firmenich perfumes Marie Salamagne and Fabrice Pellegrin had been additionally concerned in remodeling the Atelier Parfums juices.
Product costs vary from $104 for a 30-ml. Absolue perfume to $330 for a 100-ml. Uncommon fragrance.
Whereas Paris — Atelier Cologne’s birthplace — stays central to its id, China — the place tremendous premium perfume gross sales are flying — is to turn into Atelier Cologne’s prime market.
That fragrance class in China already generates 36 % of the nation’s total perfume market and 22 % of the world’s whole fragrance enterprise. In three years’ time, it’s anticipated to achieve 40 % of whole perfume gross sales globally, in keeping with L’Oréal.
“Atelier Cologne is a model we wish to reposition clearly on that market of very luxurious, premium fragrances,” stated Groslier. “We’re born in France, however the reinvention of area of interest fragrances was clearly initiated by the younger, edgy shoppers in China.”
Atelier Cologne is to be anchored within the fairness of remarkable perfumes, she defined. That can start in mainland China, adopted by growth into North Asia.
“To take action, we actually wish to rebuild the desirability of the model,” she stated.
Schooling is necessary for this. So Atelier Cologne will maintain masterclasses in a perfume academy to assist train in-store specialists and end-consumers, in addition to share data utilizing the perfume organ.
All of this feeds into the model’s new positioning and id. “Atelier Cologne is a quest for feelings, tradition and artistry,” stated Groslier.