LONDON — Dunhill has a new fragrance on tap that aims to encapsulate the motoring heritage of the brand — and the tastes of its creative director John Ray.
Set to launch exclusively at Harrods and dunhill boutiques and roll out nationwide March 30, the new scent is called Icon, and was developed by master perfumer Carlos Benaim of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., together with Ray. The fragrance will be stocked at stores including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, and will roll out worldwide later this year.
Ray said that before leaving his home in the morning, he tends to splash on some vetiver, a leathery scent, and then some lavender, “to calm me back down.” He called Icon “quite personal,” “a mood-changer,” and “up to speed with where the brand wants to go.”
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Benaim added to Ray’s personal cocktail, creating a juice with top notes of Italian bergamot, neroli absolute and black pepper. Middle notes contain cardamom and lavender de Provence while base notes feature smoky oud wood, an oris-leather accord, vetiver and oak moss. The result is designed to be fizzy, invigorating — and ultra-masculine.
Benaim said the vetiver-leather combination was immediately attractive to him, and that he wanted to make the leather note soft and supple —like suede. He added spice via pink pepper, juniper and cardamom, and added “a shot of neroli,” bergamot and mandarin to freshen it up.
Icon’s metallic cylindrical bottle was designed by Mark Eisen and is covered in dunhill’s traditional engine-turned pattern.
Annie Liebovitz shot the fragrance ads, which will appear in outdoor, airport and digital outlets as well as major men’s magazines. They star Andrew Cooper, who also features in the brand’s main campaign.
According to industry sources, the company is spending more than $10 million on advertising and marketing, and retail sales of Icon are expected to hit at least $50 million in the first year. dunhill and its licensee Inter Parfums both declined to comment on the numbers.
While Icon may be the first fragrance to debut under the new management team headed by Ray and chief executive officer Fabrizio Cardinali, it’s part of a long line of fragrances dating back to the Thirties from the men’s wear brand owned by Compagnie Financière Richemont.
Icon is a significant launch for dunhill, and the company is hoping it will mark the dawn of a new era: Cardinali has spent the past year rationalizing old licensing agreements, and has whittled those partnerships down to Inter Parfums, Inc., and a yet-to-be-announced eyewear licensee.
“We are starting a new life with Icon and we think it’s going to be a game changer,” said Cardinali. One of the goals with Icon is to “regain luxury territory for dunhill,” he said. Jean Madar, chairman and ceo of the U.S.-based Inter Parfums, said the partners also wanted customers to feel like they were buying an object as well as a fragrance, which is why the heavy glass and metal bottle has an “artisanal” design. Icon will cost $120 for a 100 ml. bottle and $80 for a 50 ml. bottle.