New Fragrance: Chic

Posted February 20, 200916 yr

A Spritz of Style for Celine Dion

by Julie Naughton

Posted Friday February 20, 2009

From WWD Issue 02/20/2009

Celine Dion is hoping to bring a little style to the mass market fragrance category with Chic, her newest scent.

Due out in April in the U.S. to coincide with the end of Dion’s Taking Chances World Tour, the scent is intended to play on the singer’s evolving fashion sense, said Steve Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing for Coty Beauty, which holds the singer’s fragrance license.

“We wanted to create a classical twist on Celine’s style and sophistication,” said Mormoris, noting that Dion’s fragrance brand has consistently ranked in the top five of the mass market over the last seven years. “This scent is a change for the Dion brand; we’re using black in packaging and the advertising, and the juice itself is a departure from the simple florals we’ve done with her in the past. Even the word ‘chic’ is meant to convey sophistication and Celine’s evolvement into high-fashion looks.”

Concocted by Patricia Choux of Symrise, Chic has top notes of aquatic greens and watermelon; a heart of peony, drenched gardenia, lotus flower and green violet, and a drydown of blond woods, sandalwood, amber and musk.

In the U.S., the collection will include eaux de toilette in three sizes — 0.5 oz., 1 oz. and 1.7 oz., retailing for $16, $26 and $32, respectively. In Europe, a 3.4 oz. eau de toilette, as well as a 6.7 oz. body lotion and a 6.7 oz. shower gel, will be offered.

The bottle is also intended to convey a new sense of sophistication for the Dion fragrance brand, said Mormoris. “It’s architectural, with five facets — five is Celine’s lucky number — and a sleek black cap and reflective gold collar,” he said. Outer packaging repeats the black and gold motif.

The scent will be available in Coty’s full mass-market distribution, currently about 25,000 doors in the U.S. This summer, it will roll out globally.

National print advertising, featuring Dion, will break in April fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazines in the U.S. and roll out to the brand’s worldwide markets this fall.

While Mormoris declined to discuss sales projections — saying only that he expects it to do at least as well as Dion’s blockbuster Sensational — industry sources estimated that Chic could do $30 million at retail globally in its first year on counter, with as much as $15 million of that figure expected to be done in the U.S.

“Celine has an enormously loyal fan base, and with this scent she’s communicating a sense of hope, optimism and success,” said Mormoris. “Even in a tough economy, we think this will do very well.”