• About
  • Login to comment
    • Facebook
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Perfumers
  • Perfume Houses
  • Shop for perfume
  • Resources

The evolving fragrance market

Posted by Robin on 2 October 2017 5 Comments

Formerly, the niche perfumes were defined by limited retail distribution, a criteria set by The Fragrance Foundation (FiFi), the non-profit, educational arm of the international fragrance industry. But it has all changed.

[...] The evolving fragrance market makes the definition moot, said Chong and he suggested this perspective: “Did it start as a perfume house? Heritage is a limiting factor as some niche brands have longer histories while others like Byredo are younger but no less distinct.” He added that another big tell is the scent narrative. Niche fragrances have more depth and authenticity because they reflect the inspirations of the perfumer, his lifestyle or travels for instance.

— Alwyn Chong of beauty distributor Luxasia on the difference between mainstream and niche fragrance. Read more at Uncommon scents: 6 unique fragrances to leave a deep impression at Channel NewsAsia.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: niche perfume

Advertisement


5 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. shellyw says:
    2 October 2017 at 9:27 am

    Thank you for the link. Interesting. I learned a bit but I do not know a lot to start with :)

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      2 October 2017 at 9:32 am

      Personally, I do not think the definition they’ve come up with works either. Lots of niche fragrances are now born out of the same marketing concerns that drive designer / mainstream.

      Actually, I don’t know of *any* “mainstream vs. niche” definition that works in the current market.

      Log in to Reply
      • Masha says:
        2 October 2017 at 11:43 am

        Exactly. Indie still means something. That’s a perfumer who (generally) started out away from the mainstream, or left those companies, and work on their own or with just a handful of employees, designing and making their own perfumes. Although now that I think about it, even “indie” is getting a little blurry. But niche vs. mainstream is currently meaningless.

        Log in to Reply
        • Robin says:
          2 October 2017 at 12:55 pm

          I know what you mean, and agree indie is likewise blurred in all sorts of ways. I no longer find these kinds of categories all that helpful. All that really helps IMHO is to know the brands, but that’s also hopeless now because there are a gajillion brands.

          Log in to Reply
          • Masha says:
            2 October 2017 at 1:46 pm

            And then the brand is bought out by a different company and it all changes anyway. (I’m thinking of L’AP and Serge, among others.) Add in constant and opaque reformulations and it’s sort of a study in impermanence….

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

From NST at Twitter

  • "Part 1: Christophe Laudamiel's Dear World Manifesto" (beautymatter) https://t.co/VS48Ywh9ic, 11 hours ago
  • "Are Food-Enhancing Perfumes the Next Big Thing?" https://t.co/lMwbgRJsZx,
  • "Want to smell like the King? HSN just launched new Elvis fragrances ahead of the upcoming biopic" (usa today via y… https://t.co/F0tGRAQHWz,
  • "When Did Perfume Stop Being About Sex?" (NYT) https://t.co/jsrU9KcVQc,
  • Updated info on Hermès Eau de Basilic Pourpre https://t.co/kfFFCnRZcG https://t.co/mDAZi9Isy1,

Browse by…

Topic

Perfume talk New fragrances
Shopping Books :: News
Body products Home fragrance
Polls Another subject

Date

May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
Prior months

Author

Robin Jessica
Angela Kevin
Erin Guest Author

Tag

Celebrity perfumes
Cheap thrills
Collector bottles
Perfumista tip series
Video
The complete tag index

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

6 July ~ damage poll

9 July ~ summer reading poll

TBA September ~ fall swapmeet

TBA October ~ fall splitmeet

List of upcoming Friday projects

Back to Top

Home
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy

Shop for Perfume Online
Perfume Shopping in New York
Perfume Shopping in London
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Links
Perfume Books
Fragrance Awards

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2022 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.