Linda G. Levy, president of The Fragrance Foundation, New York, NY, knows the beauty business well. She has played an integral part in the Foundation’s organization and currently serves as a member of the board of directors as well.  But that’s not all: she formerly served as the omni group vice president, divisional merchandise manager for fragrances at Macy’s Inc. Prior to Macy’s, Levy held senior level management positions in the cosmetics and fragrance industry for nearly 20 years on the vendor side. She took time to chat with happi.com about what’s new and now in fine fragrance.
 
Happi: What qualities are shoppers looking for in fine fragrance and where do they go to find the latest scents? 
 
LL: Shoppers are looking for a fine fragrance wardrobe to address their different lifestyle needs. A diverse wardrobe of fragrances has become a priority over one signature scent. 
They are shopping in all different retail channels: department stores, specialty stores and indie boutiques. Department stores—for example, Nordstrom, Macy's, Saks, Neiman’s and Bloomingdales—are still major league players for the prestige arena.  Online which every retailer has as a priority for growth allows easy replenishment and discovery for fragrance storytelling and ingredients.
 
Happi: Are celebrity fragrances still popular and if so, why? 
 
LL: Celebrity fragrance success varies. Social followers and social engagement is the main key. The most recent successful launch this year is Shawn Mendes. Shawn Mendes is also a very popular music star with fans who faithfully follow him on social media. He launched a “shared” fragrance that can be worn by men and women which is clever as gender fluidity is trending. 
 
Happi: What about fashion/designer brands in fragrance? 
 
LL: Designer fragrance brands have launched new franchises in 2017. They were major and larger introductions with the greatest success coming from new or established designers in brands. Examples include Gabrielle by Chanel (the first new franchise in over a decade), Good Girl by Carolina Herrera, Woman by Ralph Lauren, Sexy Ruby by Michael Kors, Gucci Bloom and Poison Girl by Dior. 
 
Happi: What scent notes are leading in 2017 and why? 
 
LL: Floral and fresh citrus notes are still favorites with consumers overall. In recent years, notes of oud, vetiver and incense have crossed over to mainstream in both men's and women's fragrance launches.
 
Happi: What are the future trends in fine fragrance that we need to know about?  
 
LL: The fine fragrance category is more diversified than ever. We have the classics (Chanel or Dior), designers (Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, new Jason Wu), artisanal fragrances (trends of gender neutral) and natural fragrances. Spending habits for fine fragrance has evolved, and we are selling in different formats such as classic scents in larger sizes, travel sizes and roller balls, as well as discovery kits.