IFF (New York) has once again challenged fashion design students from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp, Belgium) to reconceptualize fragrance application and marketing. This year’s winner is Marc-Philippe Coudeyre, whose winning concept was so impressive it’s not being revealed to the press. The only information IFF would divulge about the winning concept is that it delivers fragrance in a totally new channel of distribution, links music to fragrance and can be presented as a fashion accessory or collectible item. Coudeyre and IFF are currently working on bringing the idea to market.
Within the themes of themes of the contest—power, luxury, pleasure and connecting people—the students had total creative freedom to design. In preparation for the contest, students were given smelling sessions and lectured in fragrance design by IFF perfumer Sophie Labbe. The projects were judged by a panel of experts including IFF executives, fashion designers, journalists and faculty from the academy.
Of the competition, IFF North American regional manager and senior vice president, fine fragrance and beauty care Nicolas Mirzayantz said, “IFF is at the forefront of creativity and one of the ways we continue to do this is by partnering with the young talents that are the future of the fashion, design and beauty worlds. It is IFF’s philosophy to intertwine with many artistic fields, and fashion is one of the most influential and inspirational to the fragrance world.”
