"Three fragrances launches every day in 2011" says Michael Edwards

"On average three fragrances were launched every day in 2011." say the publishers of Michael Edwards' Fragrances of the World. "For the first time over 1,000 new fragrances have been added to [the book]." The 2012 (28th annual) edition is available now to order for delivery in January 2012, and features over 8,000 fragrances each cross-referenced by fragrance family, gender, brand and year of launch.

---

Fragrance houses and perfumistas alike seem to have an insatiable appetite for new fragrances, said fragrance expert Michael Edwards. We have seen an explosion of launches in the past ten years, with a record high of 1200 new launches in 2011, compared with 372 launches in 2001 and just 76 in 1991.

In 1991, no one had really heard of limited edition scents or flankers, while in 2001 there were 32 limited editions and 52 flankers. Those numbers have now skyrocketed to 236 limited edition scents and 197 flankers in 2011. The rise in these types of fragrances highlights the trend of growing the market for the worlds most popular scents by creating new or seasonal interpretations of the original that we already know and love.

While there is much speculation about the celebrity fragrance genre, its popularity continues with 73 celebrity scents launched in 2011, including the major success story of Justin Beibers Someday.

This compares with only nine celebrity fragrances in 2001 and just three in 1991 including the enduring success story that is Elizabeth Taylors White Diamonds. In 2012, launches by Madonna and Lady Gaga, both developed in conjunction with Coty, will no doubt be ones to watch.


The growth in niche fragrances is another significant trend seen over the past ten years, with 219 launches in 2011 versus 61 in 2001 and just 9 in 1991. L'Artisan Parfumeur pioneered the concept of artisanal fragrances in 1978 but it was not until the new millennium that niche fragrances moved to centre stage.

Embraced now by the major groups (such as Armani Privé, Chanel Les Exclusives, Hermès Hermessence) we view the niche category not only as a welcome opportunity for perfumers to experiment with innovative fragrances but also as a seedbed for future brand developments.

In that light, it is interesting to watch the evolution of Tom Ford Private Blend from a sophisticated niche player to a major brand now in international department stores. Clearly, it has moved from niche to selective/luxury brand status, said Edwards.


For more details please see www.fragrancesoftheworld.com