Tom Ford to defy celebrity fragrance backlash?

Showcased at UK designer store Harvey Nichols, the fragrance, aptly named 'Private Blend', includes scents such as vanilla tobacco and Tuscan leather and is packaged in apothecary styled bottles. The launch comes at a time where there are concerns over the dubious future of celebrity fragrances. Many industry insiders claim that the more traditional, personalised scents will begin to preside over the more time-sensitive success of celebrity fragrances, which are dependent on the popularity of the celebrity in question. However, the new Ford fragrance looks set to trump concerns. The aim of the fragrances is to give the consumer the opportunity to create a traditional fragrance from the variety of scents featured in the range. A new survey by Arylessence, a US based fragrance and flavours manufacturer, found a backlash against the more commercial celebrity fragrances. The company found that consumers are more likely to choose a fragrance that fits in with their lifestyle. Cynthia Reichard, executive vice president of Arylessence stated: "Fragrance is a part of how consumers see themselves, how they live, how they feel about the world around them, and even the colors they like." ​ The company carried out a 2007-2008 trend watch that reviews how consumers look for inspiration when purchasing fragrances and what influences the types of scent that they choose. The survey showed that consumers primarily rate exotica, such as exotic botanicals for fragrance scents, health, well-being and luxury living as prime drivers when choosing their fragrance. The dominance of celebrity fragrances was notably absent, backing up the claims that products endorsed by an anonymous spokesperson were just as, if not more acceptable to consumers than those endorsed by a famous role model. In another study Euromonitor has predicted that mass fragrance sales in the US are to decline by 25 per cent by 2010 as the celebrity trend weakens.