Banana Republic to launch Classic Limited Edition fragrance - Designer Handbag & Purse Chat.. The Bag Forum

Jennifer · May 28th, 2008, 01:49 PM

FWD Reports a new fragrance by Banana Republic is set to debut in August.

Quote:

(NEW YORK) Banana Republic celebrates its 30th anniversary this November. In homage to its roots, the San Francisco-based division of Gap Inc. is introducing a new incarnation in August of its Classic fragrance called Classic Limited Edition.

Classic was born in January 1995. The new scent, created in partnership with Inter Parfums, witnesses the brand's evolution. "We kept seeing Classic staying as our number one fragrance, and it's really a tribute to how beautiful it is," said Laure De Metz, general manager, personal care strategy, for Banana Republic. "The idea was to bring more texture and depth as you go from eau de toilette to eau de parfum." The move marks a company first.

Simon Kneen, Banana Republic's creative director who joined the company in January, takes the concept of evolution seriously. "To expand [this product] globally is a big challenge for us because it is such an iconic American brand," he said of his first take on Banana Republic's fragrance products. "It looks effortless, but it took a lot of effort."

With partner Inter Parfums USA, Banana Republic has expanded the brand's duty-free presence to include locations at Delta, American, and Canada Airlines terminals. There is also new distribution in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Korea, while expansion is underway in South America and Mexico. "It speaks to the heritage of the brand and how it has evolved," Kneen added. "The brand today feels very culturally connected to what's going on in the city."

And while Jean Claude Delville designed the original scent as a unisex, crisp, clean, timeless mix, the limited edition fragrance was mastered by a new perfumer from International Flavors and Fragrances named Laurent LeGuernec. "It's as relevant today as it was 10 years ago," said De Metz, who added that Classic currently accounts for 25 percent of the brand's fragrance business. "It's about an uncomplicated message and it's become a legend in our stores. It hasn't aged at all."

Classic Limited Edition comes two years after the launch of the Discover collection of fragrances, which were complemented by the 2007 introduction of Malachite and Cordovan last fall. All earned positive editorial coverage, not to mention two FiFi Awards--one for its Black Walnut scent in the Fragrance of the Year-Men's Private Label/Direct Sell category, the other for its Chilled Sangria Candle in the Interior Scent of the Year category. So successful has the candle category been for Banana Republic that come fall, the $24 products will roll out in all the company's stores.

Classic Limited Edition will be released in limited numbers at Banana Republic stores and Modern Apparel, Handbags, Shoes, and Accessories | Banana Republic from mid-August through the end of December. Marketed alongside the current Classic, it will retail for $48 or 100 mL.

The packaging, much like the scent, feels fresh. "We used silver as a nod to the chrome-orientated environment of the brand," Kneen pointed out. The "BR" logo featured on the backside of the bottle was inspired by the brand's upscale Monogram collection.

A complementary ad campaign will be launched this summer and run through fall highlighting the company's iconic products, like the crisp white shirt, khaki pants, trenchcoats, and of course, the scent.

Beginning in 2009, Banana Republic will introduce an entirely new fragrance with a concept to match. "It will be very different from Classic and very different from Discover," De Metz promised. We'll be waiting.
JIM SHI

cindyC · June 9th, 2008, 08:28 PM

Banana Republic is a good store but the choices are limited in my opinion.
From what I remember, their last fragrance was decent, but nothing unique about it.
It seemed as if a company was hired to manufacture it just to have a fragrance out there.

I hope this new one has a bit more effort put into it and is a bit different then the rest of the fragrances out there.

raven1083 · June 10th, 2008, 12:05 AM

maybe their more focusing with their apparel...and they just want to have perfumes like their competitors..

June 9th, 2008, 08:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
cindyC Bag Fan Newbie Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 12	Re: Banana Republic to launch Classic Limited Edition fragrance Banana Republic is a good store but the choices are limited in my opinion. From what I remember, their last fragrance was decent, but nothing unique about it. It seemed as if a company was hired to manufacture it just to have a fragrance out there. I hope this new one has a bit more effort put into it and is a bit different then the rest of the fragrances out there.

June 10th, 2008, 12:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
raven1083 Bag Fan Newbie Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 22	Re: Banana Republic to launch Classic Limited Edition fragrance maybe their more focusing with their apparel...and they just want to have perfumes like their competitors..

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