Serge Lutens opens its olfactory universe with its At Home collection

Interview by Kristel Milet

12 December 2022

 

The home fragrance trend, which gained momentum because of the lockdown period, continues to serve peoples’ quest for well-being at home. The designer, aware of this trend, considered the opportunity to develop home fragrances inspired by his olfactory journeys. Olivier Tholliez, CEO of Lutens, and Marion Doré-Fabius, Marketing Director, present this invitation to escape, imagined as a recruitment vector for new customers.

Premium Beauty News - How does At Home fit into the Serge Lutens universe?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - With At Home, Serge Lutens the architect meets the perfumer through five novel olfactory journeys transcribed in three gestures. A storyteller, an immobile traveller, an eternal dreamer, he invites us on an olfactory world tour of the Houses he chose and whose character has always seduced him: from the meditative Japanese residence to the rocky Scottish house, from the luxuriant Moroccan night garden to the lavish woodwork of an Arabian palace, and finally to the familiar, clean and comforting welcome of a linen closet.

Premium Beauty News - What is the link between a Home Fragrance collection and fine fragrances?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - This new collection is the next logical and legitimate step in the well-thought-out diversification of the brand. After perfumes and make-up, home fragrances prolong and intensify the link between our customers and the brand. This collection stands as an obvious option for our extremely loyal customers.

Premium Beauty News - Were the inspirations different?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - The desire to create home fragrances grew out of the unprecedented situation we all experienced during the first lockdown measures. Feeling comfortable at home appeared to us all as a need and for Mr Lutens as a new creative opportunity. Just like the desire to travel while staying at home. Mr Lutens likes to place himself in the lineage of immobile travellers, a theme often discussed in the literature. His inspirations are the meeting of his experience, his history, but also his imagination and his desires.

Premium Beauty News - What was his creative approach?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - As an artist, Mr Lutens always follows the same creative processes, whether it is in the creation of perfumes or the stories associated with them. However, for this collection, he adjusted his approach because a room fragrance recreates an atmosphere that will be shared collectively unlike a skin fragrance which will rather highlight a personality or intimate facets.

A particularity of the creation process for this range was the need to adapt the olfactory rendering to different media. The aim was to fully respect the fragrance on the three media: incense, cartridges for the electric diffuser and sprays. We worked with Scentys on the electric diffuser technology with perfume capsules. This partner has undeniable expertise in this field.

Premium Beauty News - Why did you choose different media ranging from the traditional candle to the electric diffuser, which is quite new in the Home Scent universe?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - For Mr Lutens, a traditional candle is a beeswax candle that conveys the fragrance nobly. "Commercial" candles made of paraffin totally detract from the nobility of the essences. The spray solution, therefore, appeared obvious to us as it faithfully conveys the expertise and olfactory richness expected by our customers. Incense is an invitation to Japanese tradition, to a spiritual experience dear to the brand. For this launch, we collaborated with Nippon Kodo, a Japanese company with over 400 years of expertise in this field, guaranteeing exceptional quality. The electric diffuser takes the shape of a lantern, an object that is part of both Japanese and Moroccan traditions. The diffusion system was chosen for the perfection of its olfactory rendering.

Premium Beauty News - What is your take on this home fragrance market?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - Successive lockdowns have fundamentally changed the way we live, work and travel. We have taken a closer look at our living spaces, which now take on multiple facets. We enhance them with a variety of means, including home fragrances, to recreate places of well-being and living well. We are recreating a new art of living suiting our present times.

For instance, home fragrances can also be used to enhance and give a special touch to the different moments of the day: work, relaxation, or conviviality. We want to make our mark on this market by offering home fragrances in line with our values and our strong identity.

Premium Beauty News - Where does this collection stand within the Lutens House?

Olivier Tholliez & Marion Doré-Fabius - The pre-launch in boutiques shows us how much this new collection was anticipated by our customers. It clearly meets a need to experience the Serge Lutens brand throughout the day and in all spaces.

The At Home spray will now be one of the most affordable products in our range. It will therefore play a recruitment role. The home fragrance will be the first step to entering the Serge Lutens universe. Of course, the collection will be regularly expanded through new media and new fragrances. We are very confident about the future of this range, which will allow a greater number of people to join the Serge Lutens experience.

 

The latest content