Amouage's Rock Crystal flacons for DFS' Master of Fragrance
LVMH-owned luxury travel retailer Duty Free Shopping Group is kicking off a series of global events with the inaugural Masters of Fragrance showcase in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates to celebrate the Middle Eastern region’s history of fragrance with a modern twist.
Opening April 10 at Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al Saadiyat Gallery events center before being relocated to the city’s international airport’s Terminal 1 the following day, Masters of Fragrance will explore 26 unique bottles from 22 global brands ranging in price from $1,663 to $831,933 in an immersive setting. Abu Dhabi is an ideal setting for the launch of DFS Group’s events series due to the region’s affluent population and the amount of travelers that pass through its airport for business and vacation.
“Abu Dhabi is the perfect location for the first DFS Masters of Fragrances – it has a culture and history steeped in the traditions of rich and exotic perfumes, a sophisticated and passionate home consumer and a reputation as the new international transport hub,” said Sibylle Scherer, president of consumer marketing and branding at DFS Group, Hong Kong.
“We are delighted to partner with Abu Dhabi International Airport and to bring the Masters of Fragrances exhibition and new Fragrances by DFS boutique to world travelers,” she said.
“The new and exclusive brands that we have brought to the travel retail arena will allow international travelers to enjoy the very finest perfumes from around the world, a number of which are completely new to travel retail and exclusive worldwide or to the Middle Eastern region, including Diptyque, Xerjoff and the Different Company.”
The essence of extraordinary
DFS Group’s two-fold fragrance event begins with an invite-only gala where attendees can explore the the multi-sensory, creative displays of one-of-a-kind and exclusive fragrances alongside perfume experts Michael Edwards, author of “Fragrances of the World”; Dubai-based lifestyle editor and blogger Tala Samman; and Mark Colle, an Antwerp-based internationally-known florist who has created an original floral installation for the Masters of Fragrance gala.
Mr Edwards will lead workshops for attendees interested in “developing their nose.”
Catalog image for DFS Group’s Master of Fragrance event
The following day, travelers will be able to experience the perfumes as they pass through DFS Group’s boutiques within Terminal 1 in the Abu Dhabi International Airport through June 12.
Once open in Terminal 1 travelers can explore the limited-edition fragrance bottle displays and shop the Masters of Fragrance collection.
DFS Group has developed a dedicated section for its Web site where fragrance enthusiasts who plan on traveling to Abu Dhabi for the gala or are just passing through the airport can find out more about Masters of Fragrance.
The site opens with a short introduction citing DFS Group’s inspiration for the Masters of Fragrance event. The retailer mentions its legacy of adventure as a reason behind organizing the event of global fragrances that still maintains a personal touch.
After viewing a short video, the consumer can continue to scroll to explore the fragrances featured at Masters of Fragrance. The collection rundown includes blurbs about each fragrance and an image of its flacon as well as sharing options via Facebook and Weibo.
J’Adore D’Or high-jewelry edition on DFS’s Master of Fragrance Web site
Exclusive to the Masters of Fragrance event are fragrances by Bond No. 9, Byredo, Diptyque, Killian, Penhaligon’s, The Different Company, The Fragrance Kitchen and Xerjoff.
Stand out limited-edition fragrances featured at Masters of Fragrance include Dior’s high-jewelry J’adore L’Or fragrance outfitted with 138 diamonds in a hand-blown Baccarat crystal flacon and Geurlain’s La Secret de la Reine a “jewel perfume” that can be worn as a pendant or brooch in addition to holding the juice in a bottle encrusted with 14 karats of diamonds.
Also featured is France’s Amouage’s hand-carved Rock Crystal decanters with 18-karat gold logos, the only two in existence are available at Masters of Fragrance.
Geurlain’s La Secret de la Reine “jewel perfume”
Other notables include DFS Group exclusive Bulgari’s Le Gemme Citrina – Opera Prima, which is housed in a gold bottle made by Italian Murano glass master Venini and is adorned with 250 carats of citrine, 30 carats of diamonds and 4 carats of amethyst inspired by Roman vessels that traveled the trade routes of the Middle East and Asia.
Also on display is Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium L’Objet Rare fragrance inside a limited-edition, numbered bottle hand-decorated by designer Manuela Paul-Cavallier in 24 karat gold leaf.
Bulgari’s Le Gemme Citrina – Opera Prima
DFS Group’s Master of Fragrance features Middle Eastern perfume houses such as the UAE’s Ajmal, Oman’s Amouage, Bahrain’s Designer Shaik, Kuwait’s The Fragrance Kitchen and Lebanese fashion house Elie Saab.
Fragrances from leading fashion maisons and perfumeries include Ermenegildo Zegna, Armani, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Chloé, Chopard, Creed, Dolce & Gabbana, Dunhill, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jimmy Choo, Karl Lagerfeld, Lalique, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, Montblanc, Michael Kors, Nina Ricci, Prada, Ferragamo, Tom Ford, Valentino and Versace.
The full catalog, with content printed in English, Arabic and Chinese, can be downloaded here.
DFS Group will following the Masters of Fragrance event in Abu Dhabi with the Masters of Wines and Spirits in Singapore and the Masters of Time in Macau.
Scents and sensibility
Fragrance has been celebrated in numerous events that showcase craftsmanship and heritage. Commonly, fragrance-focused events cater to aspirational consumers.
For instance, Saks Fifth Avenue boosted foot traffic to its New York flagship’s redesigned fragrance floor through a series of fragrance-themed events intended to draw aspirational consumers. The fragrance floor’s redesign opened on Sept. 26 amid various events and giveaways that celebrated the occasion (see story).
Also, London department store Harrods used multimedia content from its iPad magazine application to spur perfume enthusiasts to visit the store for its “Meet the Perfumers” experience. Meet the Perfumers showcased a selection of well-known perfumers and exclusive workshops in Harrods Beauty Halls (see story).
Exhibits of this scale work to build exposure for both the retailer and participating brands by displaying the best of what each has to offer affluent consumers.
“DFS has a very close relationship with all its partner brands,” Ms. Scherer said. “We credit that reason for being able to collate the wonderful bottles, many of which will be one-offs, for Masters of Fragrances.
“We very much hope that the brands will benefit from being partnered with DFS for this inaugural event, which we are sure will receive a great deal of interest from international commentators and travelers,” she said.
Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York