FRAGRANCE

Beauty giant Estée Lauder Cos Inc. has purchased luxury American fashion, cosmetics and fragrance brand Tom Ford. The deal sees Tom Ford himself remaining as the brand’s creative director until the end of 2023, when the newly-minted billionaire plans to move on. Already responsible for the license for Tom Ford Beauty, overseeing the distribution and management of the designer’s luxury fragrances and makeup – a profitable collection which saw an almost 25 percent net sales growth in a combined Q1 and Q2 this year. The deal ensures that Estée Lauder will completely acquire the well-performing Tom Ford Beauty, as well as add a fully-fledged fashion house to its portfolio for the first time, a move that experts say mimics similar moves made by other major luxury groups.
Gigi Hadid for Tom Ford SS19
First prominent as the boundary-pushing creative director for Gucci, then Yves Saint Laurent, Ford opened his eponymous fashion house in 2005. Tom Ford Beauty first launched in 2008 with the iconic Black Orchid EDP, a spicy floral created by David Appel and Pierre Negrin. Released the following year, the brand’s Private Blend collection cemented Tom Ford Beauty as a chic and sexy companion to Ford’s sultry fashion aesthetic. Color cosmetics followed in 2011, with a skincare line named Tom Ford Research launching in 2019.
While Tom Ford Beauty is predicted to continue its upwards success, Estée Lauder has seen multiple beauty brands in its stable close recently. Female-founded brands Rodin Olio Russo and Becca Cosmetics both shuttered in the last two years. Its designer fragrances division which holds the licenses for Donna Karan, DKNY, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger will be closed in June 2023, leaving the brands to seek new agreements elsewhere.

Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton’s Cologne Perfume Collection introduces its latest addition with City of Stars, an evening cologne that pays homage to Los Angeles.
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
The fragrance was born out of a dialogue between Louis Vuitton and artist Alex Israel. Combining contemporary art with perfumery, City of Stars recalls master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud’s Cologne Perfume Collection while adding a scent that brings together citrus quintet, Tiare flower, and sandalwood for the ultimate sensual experience. “The brilliance of citrus illuminates the night and creates a paradox between shadow and light, like a tension that’s soothed by a veil of Tiare flower, the gentle scent of monoi,” says the French perfumer. “Essence of sandalwood and the caress of powdery musk give this perfume sophistication. That magnetic combination is what lets this evening cologne bring on the night and exude sensuality — as if to say, ‘this is forever’.”
Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
City of Stars is an ode to the nighttime, a sentiment best expressed by Israel’s painting devoted especially to this fragrance. “It’s a more extroverted eau than its predecessors,” he says. “It’s radically focused on the special, shimmering atmosphere of a night in Los Angeles when the singular setting sun gives way to the city’s lights and spotlights that traverse the sky.”
Imitating the dazzling night stars reminiscent of the City of Angels, Israel has invited the eye to travel with his original work of an idealized Los Angeles. The painting by the American artist dresses the packaging for the bottle as well as the travel case and fragrance trunk.

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