Tory Burch to Launch Fragrance, Makeup
The ever-expanding empire of Tory Burch just got a new addition: beauty and fragrance, courtesy of Estée Lauder.
The partnership between the two companies will produce a women’s fragrance in 2013—but that’s just the beginning.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, Burch will also launch a color cosmetics collection, which will be sold in Tory Burch stores.
“For me, beauty was part of the plan since the beginning, especially fragrance,” Burch told WWD. “We saw it as a natural addition to what we’re doing now. It was a four-year conversation with Estée Lauder — it was all about the right timing for us and for Lauder. We wanted to establish ourselves for who we are and learn who we were, and it’s taken us seven-and-a-half years to really understand, from where our potential is, as well, and growth around the world.”
William Lauder, Estée Lauder’s executive chairman, reiterates the need to not rush into things. “We go in tight and neat, and get a read of what really works and what the takeaway is before jumping into the water with both feet,” he said. “We’ve done that successfully with one or two other brands; Tom Ford is the best example. We went in with the lipstick collection, which was very successful — and we were able to say there’s a real receptivity to the total beauty collection. We’ll try to do something similar with Tory.”
Burch is also growing he retail side of the business: she opened a Madison Avenue store—her third location in Manhattan and one of 60 worldwide—in September, and plans to add 18 additional boutiques in 2012.
“What’s great about fragrance is that it will allow us to have a broader reach,” the designer said. “We have great brand recognition [even] where we don’t have a presence, and I think fragrance will allow us to establish our presence [in these markets.]”
In related news, see what other fashion line has teamed up with Estée Lauder on a fragrance.
