NEW YORK — Boys, take cover. This summer, the smell of heartbreak will waft from Kohl’s Department Stores when the retailer clears room for an exclusive scent from Candie’s called Heartbreaker.
The name suits Candie’s young, playful and “irreverent” customer base, noted Teri Siegel, vice president of marketing for Coty Beauty U.S., which developed the scent. “This is a girl who is totally into fashion, and fragrance is the ultimate fashion accessory,” said Siegel.
Heartbreaker will expand Candie’s growing presence in Kohl’s. Since inking an exclusive deal with the retailer in late 2004 for footwear and handbags, Candie’s has broadened its assortment to include apparel, jewelry and home goods.
The move, along with Kohl’s upcoming Daisy Fuentes fragrance, Dianoche, by the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.’s BeautyBank division, signals the retailer’s interest in leveraging existing brands to build its beauty department.
Like Dianoche, Heartbreaker will bow in July, just in time to mark Candie’s 25th anniversary.
The fragrance is draped in pink — from its outer packaging to bottle, which is adorned with a removable heart charm.
The juice, by Takasago, is a fruity floral with notes of jasmine, rose, amber and chocolate. It seeks to tap into young women’s fondness for gourmand scents, noted Siegel.
Eaux de toilette sprays in two sizes, 0.5 oz. for $19 and 1.7 oz. for $35, will be offered, as well as ancillaries such as a 4-oz. shimmer body lotion for $14.50 and a .07-oz. solid shimmer parfum compact for $15. Gift sets, complete with a Candie’s lip gloss, are expected for Christmas. Neither company would comment on sales, but industry sources expect Heartbreaker to reap $5 million in first-year retail sales.
Coty, along with Iconix-owned Candie’s, will support Heartbreaker in back-to-school advertising, which typically includes TV, print and Internet outreach. The ads will not include Hilary Duff, one of Candie’s current frontwomen, whose contract expires this spring. Duff signed a fragrance deal with Elizabeth Arden in September 2005, but has not yet unveiled the fragrance concept.