PARIS — Chloé is gearing up for what’s billed to be its largest fragrance introduction since the brand’s signature scent launched in 2008.
Called Chloé L’Eau de Parfum Intense, the perfume is a strong revisit of Chloé signature, which is the brand’s bestselling fragrance, according to Jean Holtzmann, chief brands officer of Coty Prestige, Chloé fragrances’ licensee.
Chloé signature fragrance was created around a rose oxide and had a campaign featuring three women.
“It was a breakthrough, because it was very unusual,” said Holtzmann, who in January became chief brand officer of Coty Prestige, an $867.2 billion business in third-quarter 2024.
All elements of Chloé signature were revisited in the making-of the L’Eau de Parfum Intense.
“From a juice perspective, it’s a story of reinvention, because Michel [Almairac, the Robertet perfumer who created Chloé signature] worked with his son Romain in order to recraft the fragrance,” said Holtzmann, describing the process as one of transmission from one generation to the next. “Now it’s really a story about rose and woods, which is also unusual.”
The scent explores a rose by expressing the flower’s facets throughout a day, and includes notes of raspberry, ambroxan, cashmeran and cedar within the overdose of woods.
The new refillable fragrance bottle has the signature scent’s traditional grosgrain ribbon in garnet and a black-and-ecru label.
“We wanted to reinvent the Chloé story for a different generation,” continued Holtzmann, explaining the L’Eau de Parfum Intense campaign is a story about community and hope. “It’s a very important moment of reinvention on how we depict this idea of women.”
When Gaby Aghion created the house of Chloé in 1952, she named it after her best friend.
“There is this story about women which is at the core of the creation,” said Holtzmann. “It was interesting to revisit this and see what it means today.”
L’Eau de Parfum Intense’s campaign, lensed by Neels Castillon, features Arizona Muse, Malika Louback, Amrit and He Cong.
He Cong in the new Chloé fragrance campaign.
Courtesy Photo
“It’s really about the community, the ‘we’ and four different embodiments of femininity,” said Holtzmann.
While the women are shown individually in signature’s campaign, they are united in this one, with the tag line: “We blossom together.” The spot is set to “Seeds” by French artist Camille, to give the sense of seeds of hope.
Prices range from 91 euros for a 30-ml. L’Eau de Parfum Intense bottle to 186 euros for a 150-ml. bottle.
The fragrance debuts exclusively in Sephora in France on Monday, followed by a national launch on Aug. 26 and an international rollout starting September.
Chloé fragrances’ top market is Europe — France, Germany and the U.K.
“The brand has also very strong traction through Atelier des Fleurs in Asia,” said Holtzmann.
The Chloé fragrance portfolio, which includes the Nomade franchise, too, is considered within Coty as a “premium-plus universe,” he said, adding that echoes the Chloé fashion brand’s positioning.
“It has a very strong fashion DNA and a very strong French DNA,” he said of the Chloé fragrance brand.
Coty’s fragrance portfolio comprises brands from other geographies, such as Germany with Hugo Boss; Italy with Gucci, Etro and Marni, and the U.K. with Burberry.
Holtzmann described Chloé as a longlasting fragrance brand that can keep being built and refreshed.
“There are many opportunities that we have with the signature Parfum Intense to welcome new people within the house,” he said.
Speaking of his overarching purview, Holtzmann said: “We have a very strong focus on fragrances, and today within the portfolio what makes Coty unique is that we are covering all the price points but also very different universes.
“Skin care is a big growth priority,” he said, of the segment with the Philosophy, Lancaster and Orveda brands.
In color cosmetics, Coty recently renewed the license with Marc Jacobs and extended the label in makeup.
“I do not have one priority,” said Holtzmann. “The objectives are on all categories, all the métiers, to really provide a holistic approach to beauty.”
