What happened#
As some luxury brands struggle against a volatile industry backdrop, Italian luxury fashion house and cashmere-favorite Brunello Cucinelli has been performing well for some time. The past week saw the brand celebrate a new Venice store opening, a Spring 2024 Luxottica Essilor eyewear collaboration, and the dismissal of Levi’s lawsuit suing the brand for allegedly infringing the pocket tab design.
But most notably, after debuting its first fragrance offering since being founded in 1978 in collaboration with perfumer Daphné Bugey last year, the fragrance collection is now being launched in the China market.
The perfume line was inspired by Cucinelli’s home in Italy, Umbria. There are two scents, one for each gender: the women's perfume “Brunello Cucinelli pour Femme” is simple yet opulent, blending notes of sweet chestnut, citrus, orange blossom, and pink pepper to capture the elegance and depth of women. Meanwhile, the men’s fragrance, “Brunello Cucinelli pour Homme,” crafted by perfumer Olivier Cresp, features a blend of cypress, juniper, sage, and ginger as a nod to the resilience and subtlety of men.
The Jing Take#
Now is an opportune time for Brunello Cucinelli to enter China's fragrance market as the industry is booming.
The brand is certainly flying in the market in terms of its luxury fashion category: it reported Q1 2024 Asia revenue of 86.1 million euros ($91.7 million), up 16 percent YoY, with major growth across China, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East.
There is a significant desire for niche and luxury fragrance among Chinese consumers, yet how the brand navigates the market will determine how successfully it wins market share against fierce competition as the space heats up. Joining established cosmetics leaders such as Chanel and Dior, over the past year alone, Prada, Celine, and Paco Rabanne have all launched beauty products in China.
As Ellie Wang, founder of R2W Brand Management Company, said at the Jing Daily “Crafting Cultural Authenticity: Fragrance Brand Innovations in China'” panel earlier this year, there is real importance in the integration of perfumes into cultural occasions and festivals in the mainland, for example.
“This shifts consumers’ attitude from only picking one kind of fragrance and prompts them to choose fragrances according to different seasons and scenarios,” she said. “Nowadays, sophisticated Chinese consumers not only seek captivating narratives and exquisite packaging but also unparalleled product quality and distinctive scents.”