This month, this very issue of Happi and several members of our team will be in Paris for in-cosmetics. You can’t beat springtime in the City of Lights and this global show is always full of energy. 

But our hearts will be a bit heavy this trip. As this issue went to press, our publisher, Art Largar, passed after his three-year-long battle with cancer. 

Art was always kind and always professional. As publisher of Happi, he had numerous connections and friends in the industry. His absence will be felt deeply by those who knew him well and all who enjoyed working with him—which were many. 

Times like this remind me that connections—even those made on the floor of a trade show—are always better when they are a bit less transactional and a lot more personal.  

Yes, this business (like all others) is focused on selling goods and services and making money. But this industry, unlike some others, can be deeply personal. The products you create (and help create) make people feel better physically, and at their very best, are mentally uplifting and powerful. And we can exhibit those qualities, too, in the relationships we form with each other.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Happi, which includes features stories about men’s grooming and fine fragrance as well as our tribute to Art.

In closing, if you have a story to share about Art—maybe you were lucky enough to hear him sing or enjoyed lively conversations about what went wrong with the Giants’ offensive line—we would love to hear from you. Send us an email or a comment on LinkedIn. Or, meet us in Paris, at stand 2F140, and we’ll share some of own.

Christine Esposito
Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]