Aramis Decides Havana Can Wait

NEW YORK — The current immigration crisis with Cuba has put the U.S. launch of a Cuban-inspired fragrance on hold.

Havana, a men’s scent from Aramis, was slated for an October introduction in around 150 doors. But with some 28,000 refugees still detained in the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Aramis decided this week to withdraw its plans indefinitely due to “sensitivities.”

“We’ve spent a great deal of time talking with Burdines,” said Aramis president Robert Nielsen, referring to the Miami-based chain that was scheduled as one of the launch stores. “We figured this is really not a joyous time for the Cuban people, so the timing is not right. We really don’t know when we’ll go ahead with the launch. It depends on if the situation turns more upbeat.”

Nielsen said the print ad campaign for the scent, which is intended to convey “the pulse of Havana nightlife in the Fifties,” has been postponed.

It had been scheduled to appear in November and December issues of “major fashion books,” he said, as well as a number of other magazines, including Rolling Stone.

While Havana is being kept under wraps in America, the product’s international launch schedule is going ahead. It was introduced at Harrods and Selfridges in London this week and will roll out across Europe through the fall.

Nielsen declined to discuss figures, but industry sources estimated earlier this summer that the fragrance could do $5 million to $10 million at wholesale in its first year in the U.S.

Strong sales can still be achieved when Havana is launched here, Nielsen said.

“We really believe in this fragrance — we think it’s a killer,” he added. “We’re ready to go at a moment’s notice.”