Louis Vuitton launches first perfume range in 70 years

London - French fashion house Louis Vuitton is set to launch its first range of perfumes in 70 years on September 1st. Named Les Parfums Louis Vuitton the collection consists of 7 scents, crafted by master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, Louis Vuitton first in-house perfumer. The third-generation Grasse-born perfumer, who is the nose behind other famed scents such as L’Eau d’Issey, Lancôme’s Poême and Stella by Stella McCartney, is said to have spent months travelling the world for inspiration for the collection, which is described as "a journey of emotions."

Louis Vuitton to return to the fragrance sector with Les Parfums

Prior to the perfume launch, the Maison had only released three fragrances, with the most recent of the three being released back in 1946. The new collection is based on flowers, and is described as "intensely feminine", although two of the scents are infused with leather and can be worn by men and women alike. One of the most favoured perfume of the 7 is Rose des vents, which contains three different types of roses - Turkish, Bulgarian and Centifolia. Each scent comes in a bottle designed by Marc Newton, which draw references to Louis Vuitton former scents.

Discover #LVParfums: Seven intensely feminine eaux de parfum tracing a journey of emotions https://t.co/sJhKaCVnm2https://t.co/uDZ7tkKtjn

— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) August 14, 2016

The launch follows Louis Vuitton parent company, LVMH acquisition of Les Fountanies Parfumees, a perfumery with over 350 varieties of plants and flowers in 2013 and is said to have been 5 years in the making. Cavallier-Belletrud used a process known as C02 extraction, which was originally used to make decaffeinated coffee, to preserve the essence of the flowers and bring out their pure floral notes. Les Parfums will be available at selected Louis Vuitton boutiques in various sized bottles which can be refilled in line with the Maison approach sustainability.

Louis Vuitton return to the world of fragrances comes as the industry is predicted to reached 38.8 billion US dollars and follows on from the fashion house's expansion into new categories. However, unlike other luxury fashion houses and cosmetic brands, which have their scents created under license, the French fashion house is one of the few to take on its own in-house perfumer. This decision sits in line with the company's vision to invest in its own supply chain and consolidate its artisanal skills as a way to protect the brand's traditions.

In addition, having its own expert nose likely to give Louis Vuitton's new collection an advantage from other rival fashion houses fragrances. By having their own master perfumer, Louis Vuitton will be able to craft unique scents that evoke emotions with their wearers and tell the brand's story, at a much more accessible price tag than their ready-to-wear collections. Les Parfums Louis Vuitton is set to retail at 240 US dollars for a 100ml bottle, and 350 US dollars for 200ml and will be available at select Louis Vuitton boutiques around the world. The collection will also be available in a monogrammed case that contains 7 miniatures for those who are eager to have the entire range.

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Photos: © Louis Vuitton / Erwan Frotin