Guerlain and Chanel upcoming launches: fragrance rumours

As a coda to the Guerlain news on new fragrance we had announced the other day, we were able to find a little more info that might elucidate one of our claims. It was hypothesized that the phrase Guerlain, Une Ville, Un Parfum, recently trademarked by la maison Guerlain, might indicative a commemorative limited edition or a concept similar to Comme des Garcons with their Incense Series, inspired by different cities around the world steeped in the tradition of incense, each evoking a special atmosphere.

Digging and asking we got hold of more info on the Guerlain idea: apparently there are some names that do indicate the latter rather than the former. There are the deposited names of Guerlain 01 Moscou, Guerlain 02 New York and Guerlain 03 Tokyo, as well as variations that combine Paris with each city (ie. Guerlain Paris-Moscou etc.) It is obvious that Guerlain is going for a more glamorous choice of metropolies rather than the anchorite approach of the Japanese brand. And it was further elucidated to us that although the term Guerlain, Une Ville, Un Parfum is indeed a communication tool that has or will be used, as Octavian Coifan suggested the other day to us, the above names with cities included are on the contrary on the same level as other perfume names such as L'Instant or Tutti Kiwi (one of the lastest Aqua Allegoria scents).
That would be interesting to watch!

There is also the name Habit Noir, perhaps a flanker to Habit Rouge, the classic 1965 masculine counterpart to Shalimar, with its deliciously powdery notes. Noir is the new...eh...can't say "black", as it does mean black, but let's just say it's on the lips of everyone right now. I don't see the innovation in naming something "black" or "noir" anymore, especially in view of it being used for compositions that are as far removed from the dangerous, illicit air they imply as possible. Could they have replaced that name with the Habit de Metal flanker which they released in March 2008? Although I am kind of intrigued on what the names Mephisto and Centurion are doing there as well!

Oh, and after Insolence, My Insolence and the newest Insolence Eau de Parfum, prepare yourself for an Insolence Tendre ~probably for next spring launch. Just what we have been anxiously awaiting for, n'est-ce pas?


And what about Chanel? Apart from the newest inclusion in Les Exclusifs, Beige, of course; an addition which erupted like a sleeping volcano under our nose (click to read) as being a white floral with a pronounced (?) musky base and launching at Saks in a week.
I think it's fairly safe to assume that the next one to join in about a year will be either Rouge, or Bleue, judging by my info. Octavian knows the vintage Rouge was strong on rosy tones anchored by Javanese vetiver with lots of sweet powdery orris-violet notes. But we have already ascertained through Sycomore and Beige that the new variations bear no similarity with the vintage alchemies, therefore all possibilities are open. The violets potential however is something up till now untapped in the Chanel stable, therefore the new Rouge might veer towards that.

Good news for us though: Cristalle is not only not showing signs of being discontinued as had been feared by many perfume bloggers and participants on online fora, but there seems to be a series of flankers programmed or at least in the process of thought to exploit its chic and insouciant pedigree. Variations, such as Eau Aromatic ~shouldn't it be Aromatique, though?~, Eau Citrus and Eau Rosée. And/or perhaps also Vert and Bleu de Cristalle, which seem older (abandoned?) trademarks.
Whether these will be issued under the collective name Cristalle Facettes (Facets of Cristalle) or the term Facettes is reserved for some makeup addendum is dubious. We will soon enough see for ourselves.

Perhaps there might also be another Chance flanker, under the name Chance Folle? I'd say this is pushing one's luck (how much more pedestrian can they go for Chance?) but I am not averse to the name itself, what with its gambler's nuance which would fit with a sophisticated commercial I had posted about previously and with its allusion to Divine Folie by Patou (although I am sure it won't have any relation to that one). My personal opinion is it will be a phrase used in the advertising, rather for a stand-along fragrance. Les Lignes de Chance is perhaps the collective name under which the flankers could be marketed.

But the most intriguing should be Jersey de Chanel, which directly alludes to the fashions Coco herself introduced in the 1920s, inspired by the material previously used for masculine undergarments.

The above are of course mere hints at what we might or might not expect ~some plans do get abandonded mid-term sometimes. They have not been officially corroborated before the firms are ready to proceed with press releases and carefully mapped-out marketing strategies.
But it's fun to speculate nevertheless.

Guerlain ad via Okadi, Chanel Les Exclusifs photo courtesy of New York Times.