Guess, one of the fastest-growing fragrance licenses in Inter Parfums Inc.’s portfolio, is going after guys with its new launch.
Called Guess Uomo, the eau de toilette is the first men’s fragrance to hit the market after Inter Parfums acquired the license in 2019. It ranges in price from $41 to $68 for 30-ml and 100-ml, respectively.
The launch follows the brand’s first foray into grooming, which hit European markets last year with a slew of skin care products. Uomo launches in April 5 in Guess stores and on guess.com, and into full global distribution in May.
“It was really our first entry into the men’s world,” said Jean Madar, chief executive officer of Inter Parfums, of Guess Effect, last year’s grooming range. “The men’s line has always been secondary. The breakdown is probably 65/35. But the Guess man is very sexy, he’s fun, he’s international. And most of the time, he’s Italian.”
Given the brand’s strong performance in European markets, Inter Parfums looked to Italy to inspire the fragrance and its subsequent marketing, Madar said. “We look at what we have been able to sell in Spain, Germany and Italy and really wanted to push it in Europe,” he said.
The fragrance’s top notes include grapefruit, cardamom and lavender; middle notes feature sage and saffron geranium; the base notes are dark woods, benzoin and amber. The bottle was meant to mimic the feel of a whiskey glass, given its weight, and also recreates classical Roman architectural elements, such as columns.
“We said we had to see the root, it had to be a bottle that had very much so the same codes of classic Italian architecture,” Madar said.
The accompanying campaign, inspired by the Rat Pack, is also a nod to post-pandemic consumer behaviors. “All the guys are smiling because they’re having a good time,” Madar said. “After the pandemic, we wanted people to go out, we wanted to have a group shot from the beginning for it to work.”
Madar is bullish on the fragrance’s launch, saying there is much headway for the brand in the U.S. “I think I can catch someone who’s interested in Guess, someone who likes Guess fashion, and wears the menswear or goes to the L.A. store,” he said. “But we can really catch not only Guess’ clothing customers, but a wider target.”
Madar declined to comment on sales, although industry sources estimate the fragrance to reach $20 million in net sales for its first year on the market.
Inter Parfums saw explosive growth in 2021. According to a press release on the company’s earnings, net sales reached $879.5 million in 2021, up from $539 million the year prior. Even when compared to pre-pandemic levels, last year’s revenues were up 23 percent.
The growth was due in part to more interest in the North American market, where sales grew 50 percent. According to the statement, Guess also crossed the $100 million mark in sales, joining the Coach, Montblanc and Jimmy Choo licenses in the nine-figure realm.
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Source: WWD