February 18, 2005

NEW YORK, NY - Nautica Enterprises, Inc., announced it has signed a new global licensing agreement with Coty Inc. to develop, produce and market fragrances and beauty products for the Nautica brand. Under the terms of the agreement, Coty Inc. will launch new prestige fragrances in department stores through its Lancaster Group division and will also distribute the existing Nautica fragrance brands: Nautica Classic for men and women, Latitude Longitude and Nautica Competition. Lancaster Group, the prestige division of Coty Inc., has a portfolio of brands including Davidoff, Jennifer Lopez, Lancaster, Jil Sander, JOOP!, Nikos, Chopard, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Kenneth Cole, Baby Phat and Sarah Jessica Parker.

February 15, 2005

New York– Tonight, Jennifer Lopez presented her first ever runway show where her hot new line, Sweetface, was introduced. It was also the opportunity for her and Lancaster Group to introduce her new fragrance Miami Glow by JLo, inspired by the nation’s hottest city. "It's makes you dream of sun, sand and a hot, sexy place. For me, it's the essence of Miami captured in a bottle. All the little things that I like to smell when I get there," said Ms. Lopez.

January 29, 2005

Inter Parfums S.A. and Burberry have entered into a new long-term fragrance license confirming the highly successful long-term partnership between the companies. In mitigating the associated expenses, Inter Parfums is fine tuning its model by establishing a dedicated Burberry Fragrances operating unit. This new model has increased selling prices, modified cost-sharing with suppliers and distributors, and left the market dry of Burberry items. Prices have risen steadily over the past two years but the last two weeks has seen sharp increases in the London mens and womens lines.
 

January 14, 2005

In line with previously announced expectations, net sales for EA advanced 9.0% to $323.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2004 from $296.3 million in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year. The sales growth was led by the success of the Britney Spears' Curious fragrance, which was the number one fragrance for the holiday season in U.S. department stores as well as in the select international markets in which it was launched. E. Scott Beattie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Elizabeth Arden, Inc., commented, "By any measure, the Britney Spears' Curious fragrance was a stellar success in U.S. department stores, becoming the largest woman's fragrance launch ever at several retailers, as well as in all of the international markets in which it was launched. This performance gives us the confidence that we will experience similar success as we continue to roll-out Curious internationally. We intend to continue to aggressively support this brand to take advantage of the momentum."

November 17, 2003

The luxury business seems to be slowly bouncing back from a couple of years of retail hell. Hermes International reported a sales growth of 9 percent in the third quarter, which seems to follow the general rebound in the sector. (The company's third quarter sales were down 2.6% last year). The strongest numbers belonged to the Asia-Pacific region, where sales were up 17.8 percent, possibly due to an improving tourist climate after the SARS scare earlier in the year. But then again, we wonder, who would be crazy enough to go to Hong Kong to buy a Kelly bag where they are three times as expensive as anywhere else? It must simply be the local fashionistas' shopping spirit coming back with gusto.  Source -Fashionet.com




November 14, 2003

MILAN - Bvlgari saw little sales growth in the third quarter but ongoing cost-cutting boosted its profits for the period. Net profit for the three months ended Sept. 30 rose 35.7 percent to $22.1 million, from $16.3 million, the year before. Sales for the quarter rose 0.9 percent to $211.7 million.
Bvlgari chief executive Francesco Trapani was bullish on market prospects going forward, although he added that the fourth quarter will face tough comparisons with an especially strong prior-year period. "For 2004, we think its realistic to expect that we'll be operating in a better environment than that of 2003 which was characterized by events such as the war and SARS," he said.

Watches remained weak in the quarter, with sales off 23 percent in local currencies, while jewelry revenues were up 21 percent on the same basis. Fragrance revenues were up 48 percent.  Source - DNRNews.com