You've heard of It-bags and It-scents, but what if your favorite designer made both? On Thursday, February 8, news broke that Bottega Veneta is planning to launch its first in-house fragrance—with Kering brands including Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen following closely behind.
Kering, the French luxury group that houses Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen, first shared news of a potential launch during a conference held to discuss year-end earnings, Business of Fashion reported. On the call, Kering deputy chief executive Jean-Marc Duplaix noted that the brains behind Creed (which Kering officially acquired in October 2023) are already at work ideating on Bottega Veneta's in-house fragrance line. Kering's new beauty division, Kering Beauté, was also recently announced, signaling the shift in strategy.
Although Bottega Veneta has released fragrance collections in the past, they weren't true in-house products. Instead, the scents had been licensed out and developed in collaboration with other master perfumers including Michel Almairac (who worked with Bottega Veneta on their namesake 2011 fragrance launch) and Mylène Alran (one of the brains behind their 2016 Eau Sensuelle release). The brand quietly erased their fragrance page from their website toward the end of 2022.
"The launch of Kering Beauté and the acquisition of Creed, a storied maker of high-end fragrances, will enable us to capture our share of the steadily growing beauty market. In a market environment that remains uncertain in early 2024, our continuing investments in our Houses will put pressure on our results in the short term," Kering Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, François-Henri Pinault, said in a press release on Thursday. "Thanks to the experience gained across the group through a decade of outstanding expansion, we are confident in achieving our long term ambitions.”
The Bottega Veneta in-house fragrance is expected to launch by the end of 2024. This post will be updated with more information about the scent, price, packaging, and more as it becomes available.
