Scented Quote of the Day, from Rachelle Bloom (& William Lauder):
About the state of the perfume industry, “We are more and more guilty of throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing if it sticks [quoting her friend William Lauder]. Everyone talks about it, everyone writes about it, but every year there are … almost 400 new fragrances. And the next year the number goes up again. Where are those fragrances the next year?”......
Notes: The estimated number of new launches might be very cautious here. Other sources indicate that it is closer to 700-800 this year. Michael Edwards offers a precise count (according to his own criteria) and writes that there were many more in 2005 and 2006, "there were 545 new ones in 2005 and 693 in 2006"(see the full quote here). (Rachelle Bloom is the President of the Fragrance Foundation USA)
(quote from P & F newsletter Oct 3 2007)
The numbers are quite contradictory because ... they don't precise some facts: countries (or globaly) and type (fine fragrance, mass market, etc).
I assume that 700 takes in count mass market also.
I assume they use different criteria for coming up with these numbers. I think that mass market should definitely be counted in, no?
And I think that more confidential indie brands are not taken into account :D
Olivier Cresp once said that he was interested in car races (luxury perfumes), not in riding on a bike (niche perfumes), which reveals a certain divide and difference of mentality :D
I always hear them complain about the escalating number of new launches and then they go on and produce some more! I have lost faith in them already...
Yup, Edmond Roudnitska was already ranting about it in the 5th edition of his QSJ in 1996 (the year he died) noting things had not evolved.....
Cosmetique Mag and the fragrance foundations publish a list of the new releases. I do not have this year one (on my desk) but I should count them