Premium Beauty News - How does your duo operate with Ariane de Rothschild?
Jean Jacques - Ariane de Rothschild is very involved, she is passionate about perfumes, and she is a true entrepreneur. If you look at the history of Caron, the most creative period are the 40 years spanning from 1904 to 1941, during which Ernest Daltroff, the founder, was at the helm of the company. At that time, there was an explosion of creativity, a desire to surprise and audacity. Ariane brought all this back to life with her energy and her desire to undertake, her way of always finding new ideas. She is a woman full of liberating energy. Beyond the means that will allow beautiful things to be done, she instils a creative dynamic.
Caron was Daltroff’s Perfume House, but also Félicie Wanpouille’s House. He was the olfactory creator, she was his business partner and muse. This duo is reincarnated today with Ariane and me. A new creative duo.
Premium Beauty News - A fruitful collaboration?
Jean Jacques - In two years, we have already launched fourteen perfumes. There are also many projects underway for next year and a 2023 collection, which is very relevant and daring. A lot is going on. There is a desire to show that something is happening in this brand. It’s really a strong, committed and creative relaunch, driven by passion.
Premium Beauty News - What characterises the Caron olfactory signature?
Jean Jacques - An overdose of naturals. When you put 10% of sustainable vetiver in Aimez moi comme je suis, it’s truely the House’s signature. In Pour Un Homme it’s almost 61% natural lavender, which is unique in selective perfumery. For Poivre Sacré and Poivre Imperial, I started from the same premise as Parfum Sacré, created in the 1990s, which was one of the first women’s fragrances to contain an overdose of pepper essence, i.e. 6%. Poivre Sacré is a sulphurous, powerful, spicy pepper, with the same postulate of 6% pepper essence.
On the creative side, I also inspire myself of the history of the House, which is based on this idea of unexpected duality, like the meeting between Daltroff and Wampouille, but also the lavender and vanilla duo in Pour Un Homme, or the duo between Ariane and me today.
I compose my perfumes around this idea of an explosive encounter between two ingredients that are not meant to go together and that finally work well, like vetiver and hazelnut in Aimez Moi Comme Je Suis or tuberose and ginger in Tubéreuse Merveilleuse.
Premium Beauty News - How is the brand doing after these two years?
Jean Jacques - There is still a lot to be done but there are very positive signs. The boutique in Paris is still going strong. We are opening new markets, the Middle East where we are fully legitimate with our powerful fragrances, and Asia where, although the appetite is more for fresh fragrances, we are surprised to see that signature and powerful fragrances also perform well.
Overall, people have a positive expectation regarding the brand. There is a kind of fond tenderness. We all know someone who has worn a Caron perfume, even in foreign markets. So there’s no reason why we shouldn’t keep offering the things we’re best at.
Premium Beauty News - And what about France?
Jean Jacques - People realise that something is going on even if of course, not everyone has come to the same conclusions. Aimez Moi Comme Je Suis was launched in 2020 amid Covid, but it’s a perfume that catches people’s attention when they simply cross someone wearing it. Once they have smelled it, people love it. In our boutique, it is our second sale and the first in the Middle East. It’s making its way, but we have to continue to be very creative, to be in our role as a Maison de Parfumerie, created by a Perfumer, experimenting, taking chances so that our fragrances can be discovered by more customers. I have the feeling that the first signs are already there.
