In April I hopped on the train from New Jersey to New York City to explore Givaudan's Haute Parfumerie exhibition. Fairly similar to the company's exhibition in Paris in 2023, Givaudan explored the past, present and future of fragrance in an immersive exhibit.
On the first stop exploring the past, the company showcased a lineup of fragrances that are no longer in circulation, many of which were accompanied by handwritten formulations like Shocking de Schiaparelli (1937), Quadrille (1955), Le Dix (1947), among others. Attendees were given the background of each scent and were able to experience each on a blotter. While these iconic scents are from the past, they still prove to resonate with the youngest generation of current consumers.
Matthieu Befve, Givaudan head of Fine Fragrance North America shared, "The Haute Parfumerie segment is one of the fastest-growing markets that resonates with the Gen Z consumer. The authenticity, originality and quality of the juice spanning across part, present and future fragrances, all with distinct olfactive profiles, are characteristics that perform well with this audience and are seeing tremendous expansion for Givaudan."
As we know, trends come in waves, Gen Z is also rediscovering vanilla and digging into gourmand fragrances. Spate, the machine intelligence platform identifying consumer behavior, tracked the Top Growing Fragrance Trends, naming Caramel Fragrances and Gourmand Fragrances as the leading search terms (more in the Industry News section).
[The gourmand fragrance] category is growing at a rate of +77.5% YoY, with an average of 4.2K monthly searches. Consumer searches indicate a keen interest in gourmand scents and fragrances in general, reflecting a growing sophistication in consumers’ knowledge of fragrance and their understanding of scent profiles[..]."
It is quite interesting seeing how brands are repackaging classic notes to attract the next generation of consumers. At World Perfumery Congress 2024 (more on page 40), fragrance curator Mark Knitowski will explore how brands can broaden their consumer inclusion by exploring alternative fragrance formats. There's still time to register! Be sure to visit www.worldperfumerycongress.com to gain access to our stacked lineup of conference sessions and explore the loaded expo hall in Geneva this summer.
