Escada isn't giving up just yet?

Escada, the German prêt-à-porter brand founded by Wolfgang Ley 32 years ago, which was also one of the big players in the fragrance industry a few short years ago, filed for bust the other day after a free-falling plummet in the second trimester of 2009. According to Reuters however this was no news as they had published shares taking a hit as far back as February 2008: "Escada, rumoured to be a takeover candidate, said sales dropped 9.1 percent to 142.1 million euros ($214.6 million) in the quarter ended January. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) sank 68.5 percent to 6.8 million.UniCredit analyst Volker Bosse said he expected sales of 158 million euros and EBITDA of 19.9 million."We see the company as having a higher risk profile than its peers," said Bosse, who rates Escada a "sell". Escada trades at about 12 times 2009 earnings and the sector average is 14.5." Some attempt at salvaging the crumbling brand had been made in June 2007 when Chief Executive Jean-Marc Loubier took over and there was "a five-year plan to win market share and raise profits by expanding into higher-margin accessories, shutting some stores and renovating others". But Escada's shares leapt 15 percent on Nov. 26 on rumours of a bid by French group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. 2009 was even bleaker... Hiring Michael Boernicke, the former chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere as finance chief last February, replacing chief financial officer, Markus Schuerholz, the results weren't up on a par with expectations.
The company is currently in talks about a takeover. Judicial administrator Christian Gerlof is set to announce the news in a few days. Fashion designer Wolfgang Joop, as well as Nickolaus Becker, a Munich lawyer, expressed interest in taking over the reins at the fashion house. Offers are rumoured to be running into the 9 figures (that's in euros).




However Escada is keeping up images by engaging newly popular Olivia Wilde, a TV star from series Dr.House, to front the newest Escada fragrance for women, Desire Me.
Desire Me by Escada follows Incredible Me from 2008 and is a fruity floral gourmand with notes of citrus, mandarin, green notes, peony, dark chocolate and coffee notes.

In a quote ms.Wilde said:
"For me, Esacada stands as a synonym to style, refinement and sensuality. I love being considered an Escada woman and I think the majority of women would aspire to possess the admirable qualities that the perfume incarnates so perfectly".

Yeah, yeah...The show must go on!



Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Market news, luxury and tendencies July '09, Luxury market amidst the Recession and Other Bedtime stories

Bertrand Duchaufour shares "rockstar" status

Michelyn Camen took a very interesting interview from Bertrand Duchaufour, Symrise perfumer, currently in-house nose for L'Artisan Parfumeur and the creator behind the Eau d'Italie and Comme des Garcons fragrances among others, for Fragrantica.

"How do I describe Bertrand? He is down to earth, hip, self-confident but without pretense; he is also a multi faceted artist whose photography and painting are his other great passions. Ah yes; although his fragrances have been predominately unisex… it was a young woman - his first girlfriend who introduced him to fragrance when he was 17. Cherchez la femme..."

And concerning the upcoming Havana Vanille (read our review here), Duchaufour discloses:

"I combined more than 15 materials producing more than 80% of the whole formula; the original one and I worked with was the narcissce absolute {sic}, an very rich facetted raw material, which was at the heart of the composition and fave {sic} way to the subtle alliance of narcissus, everlasting flower and tonka bean. This accord is reminiscent of tobacco leaf- which is both honey-sweet and narcotic. " And for later on: "I am working on several projects for L’Artisan Parfumeur, including a Vetiver, a Tuberose, and an Amber Oriental. And I just finished for the next launch an incredibly strong OUD. I am very happy with this one."

You can read the interview here.

Pic of Bertrand Duchaufour via blog.girvin.com

Idole d'Armani commercial: I have been searching all my life for a woman like you

~I have been searching all my life for a woman like you!
~Are there any other women like me?
~You fascinate me.
~Like all others...
~You're my idol.
~That's my idol! (ie.Idole d'Armani)

[translation from the French by Perfume Shrine]

Featuring Kasia Smutniak and the classic hit "I put a spell on you" (best known by Screamin' Jay Hawkins).
I can't say I am overbowled with enthusiasm (I had voiced some concern before), are you?Although it looks rather good on the whole, it seems very unimaginative! Kasia looks a lot like Keira Knightley here (the bone structure, the mannerisms to highlight it and perhaps the hair shade): I call it the "mold effect" ;-)

Originally uploaded by modelstvcm2 on Youtube

Scents and the City

Jason Logan, illustrator and author of “If We Ever Break Up, This Is My Book” takes us on a scented utinerary through the heated summer neightbourhoods of New York City in The New York Times (this has nothing to do with a niche brand marketing their products via this exact concept, by the way).

Much like our Scented Travel Memoirs here on Perfume Shrine, it seems like specific places hold captive certain distinctive smells which unlock the floodgates of memory and forever paint the picture of that place upon meeting that scent again. From the "territorial soapy cologne" of Harlem (along with its "crazy perfume" which has me intrigued as to what it might be or -to further the thought- what is considered "crazy" in relation to perfume), to the "musky-and-sweet" aroma that might or might not be deodorant at Fort George, The Cloisters, and on to the exhaust, the foods and the garbage that fringe any urban landscape, this is a must read to get a better appreciation of the big Apple. Read it here and be sure to move your cursor on the map (a little nose follows your moves).

Pic from Alexander Mackendrick’s drama Sweet Smell of Success, with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, set in New York City and based on the same-titled novel via altfg.com

The battle of the Nude: L'Oreal and Stella McCartney coup a small win

You might have heard about it and it might have turned you off slightly. Bono's wife, Ali Hewson, 48, objected to the use of the word Nude in the newest Stella McCartney fragrance called STELLANUDE (a flanker to her bestselling scent), on the grounds that Nude was copyrighted by her, via Irish Nude Brands Ltd, a skincare line with ambitions to launch a fragrance in the future called Nude.
"In May 2008, when asked for permission to use the trade mark 'Nude' for a Stella McCartney perfume, Nude - though great admirers of Stella McCartney - respectfully refused as a Nude scent is forthcoming," the statement said. "Nude considers the launch of 'Stella Nude' by L'Oréal to be a clear infringement of Nude's trade mark. To protect their brand, Nude was forced to take the matter to the English High Court." [source]
A L’Oréal spokesperson confirmed that the legal case had been brought at the beginning of August: “Yves Saint Laurent Beauté Ltd can confirm that legal action was started against it and Stella McCartney Limited by Nude Brands Limited on 3rd August 2009 in London. The case is ongoing," the spokesperson said. [source]

It had made an impression to me because Nude by Bill Blass was a well-established name already (I suppose the trademark has expired) and on top of that the whole issue reminded me of the kerfufle on the word Peace involving a big and a small brand some time ago. The whole axis of the matter according to one source relied on the use of capitals in this case and it seemed like a fine legal point to entangle.

The news is that judge Christopher Floyd from the High Court has overruled possible blocks from Nude Brands Ltd. in favour of L'Oréal and Stella McCartney: NBL may win in the trademark trial set to take place some time next year (2010), but the judge ruled "it was not appropriate to block the launch of the StellaNude fragrance nor bring the trial date forward". He further elaborated: “The risk of confusion between NBL's products and SML's [Stella McCartney Limited] is, in my provisional view, small. The evidence does not show any real basis for supposing that a customer would be led into thinking that some form of association had been created between NBL and SML" [...] and an injunction could cause “massive disruption” to McCartney’s business. It was specified that the copyright infringement argument wasn't without merit into bringing to court however and the issue will disentangle completely in 2010.
The September launch of StellaNude is postponed, initially planned so as to coincide with the runways, and now costing a fortune in lost revenue. Still, the launch whenever it happens, is assured lots of press because of this.

Painting by Joseph Stella via encore-editions.com.
Ad via beautyeditor.com.au