Zara launches fragrance line with Jo Malone

Zara has partnered with British fragrance guru Jo Malone to launch an international collection of perfumes.

The unisex collections will be called “The Zara Emotions Collection by Jo Loves, created by Jo Malone CBE.” An initial eight scents will be launched retailing for 25.95 euros or 28.16 dollars.

The partnership has been 18 months in the making and will go to market on 15 November in Europe, followed by the Americas and Asia in early next year. Financial details of the agreement between Zara and Malone were not disclosed, but it is thought to be a long-term partnership with new products and ranges to be developed and launched.

Whereas most high street collaborations are marketing driven and offer fleeting, limited capsule collections, creative control will be retained by Malone while Zara use its distribution and production prowess.

Jo Malone is a household name but many do not know that her brand is owned by Estee Lauder, which she sold in 1999 and stayed on as Creative Director until 2006. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2003 Malone initially lost her sense of smell, but later regretted the sale, stating: “reselling my brand was the biggest mistake of my life because I was leaving my best friend: perfume.” She told Forbes in 2018 “it’s like you have to prove your own existence again. People who have sold their namesake business, they have a right to still live their life, to still be that creative person. You’ve sold a business — not your person, not who you are.|

The global fragrance market is booming

The global fragrance market grew 5.5 percent in 2018 and is worth 51 billion dollars according to Euromonitor International. “Sales is always an aim, but [the Zara Emotions line] will complete our offer in terms of fragrances, because it’s very different from the other collections we have,” Eva Lopez, head of Zara cosmetics, told Business of Fashion. “We are covering different moments with the collection … to complete our offer and also to have a new offer for our customers.”

Zara does not release turnover per category but net sales including Zara Home were 18,021 million euros net.

“For the collaboration with Zara, I’ve walked into their world of storytelling, creating stories for them. But I’m doing it in the same authentic way that I’ve always done it,” Malone told BoF. “It’s expanding everything you see and feel and touch, and throwing it back into that sense of smell, which for me is what Jo Loves is all about.”

Image “The Zara Emotions Collection by Jo Loves, created by Jo Malone CBE” source Zara