Is Womanity being pitched as a fragrance that women can buy for themselves? A great trick for doubling sales. The name, after all, implies independence, even exclusion, from men. The tribal-themed packaging and advertising are quirky and appealing in an angry-young-woman kind of way.
Mix the Thierry Mugler marketing juggernaut with some key perfume trends from the last few years, and voila — a formula for a big-bucks winner. Woody base notes have been popularised by the luxury house of Serge Lutens. Salty notes are a rising trend and a perfect counterpoint to the oh-so-sweet concoction of Angel, Mugler's first huge hit. And fig perfumes typify the current trend for back-to-nature beauty products.
Womanity is sadly a formulaic approach to perfume production. Blend some key trends, pour cash into the marketing campaign and pull out a cash bonanza. Will it work? Well, maybe for now. But the perfume world is changing. And I think it's going to have to do better than this.
Views from a Paris window + Thierry Mugler
Saturday, 17 October 2015