Etienne Perret Said He "Could Smell This Coming"

Hee!  Always having an irreverent way with words, jeweler Etienne Perret (who was profiled here not long ago) sent me an email entitled "I Could Smell This Coming" in reference to the following news article that jeweler David Yurman will soon launch a beauty and fragrance line with the Clarins Groupe.

American jeweler David Yurman and the Clarins Groupe, a cosmetics products maker, have signed an agreement for the creation and distribution of beauty and fragrance products. The new line will be called David Yurman.

 

David Yurman is an American brand of fine jewelry and luxury watch brand for men, women and children, noted for his gold and silver designs, diamonds, pearls, gemstones, and Swiss-crafted timepieces.

 

The first David Yurman beauty product will be a fragrance offered principally in the United States and Canada.

 

"This was a natural evolution and we are looking forward to a very successful collaboration," said Paul Blum, CEO of David Yurman. According to Jonathan Zrihen, group president & CEO of Clarins Groupe USA, "The distinct identity and strong brand values of David Yurman are the ideal platform for the launch of unique fragrances."

 

Clarins is a Paris based cosmetics company with sales of over $1.2 billion in 2005.  They are creators, marketers and distributors of skin care, make-up and fragrance products. Among some of its brands are Thierry Mugler Parfums and Azzaro.

My instant reaction was one of disdain and dismissal.  I find Yurman pieces to be overwrought, uncomfortably ubiquitous and highly commercialized.  If I see one more opposed-bar cut lemon citrine in a chunky, braided yellow gold and sterling ring at the Junior League General Meeting...

Further, a fragrance brought to us by the same folks responsible for Thierry Mugler Parfums?  Shiver.  Shi-ver.  There is simply no other way to describe Mugler's Angel than to say that it smells the way Charo must while walking through a cloud of cotton candy and chlorine gas.  I wish David Yurman bon chance with that parfumerie.

But then Etienne soothed me with a few words about how he's known David Yurman for thirty years.  And how Yurman is super nice man.  And how he knew him when he was making brass belt buckles and selling them at outdoor craft shows.  And so now I know that there is indeed an artist behind the commercial mayhem that is the David Yurman enterprise.  And so my cold heart warmed a little bit.

And so I guess I wish him good luck.  Good luck that David Yurman, the perfume, doesn't smell like cotton candy and chlorine gas.  Bon chance, DY!

(from IDEX Online)

Comments

[kim]

I think Thierry Mugler is part of the Estee Lauder group. And I love the way silver smells! Why not bottle it? Right?

[Wendy]

You're a good person, BB! And if Mr. Perret says it is so, who am I to doubt?

The majority of Mr. Yurman's bijoux are not to my taste. At all. But clearly they appeal to many. And that's just fine.

Now, how do we feel about Scott Kay's sterling line??

[Susanna]

Hey Kim, do you like the way silver smells, or the way silver polish smells? I love the way freshly polished silver smells. Like tableware.

Mugler is indeed partnered with Clarins, I checked.

As for Scott Kay Sterling? I think I do like it quite a bit more than Yurman. I am fond of the basketweave. It's a bit more delicate. There is some very finely done work in his "woven" pieces and rather than having a massive, heavy feeling, they feeling more airy.

But I think they'd likely appeal to those who liked Yurman as well. Except I think Yurman is very much a name-brand status symbol and recognizable mark like Vuitton or Gucci. Like, "THAT'S a Yurman, no doubt!" You know? And so folks would buy Yurman so that they could wear Yurman. Just as a person would buy Vuitton so they might be seen carrying an LV bag.

What do you think?

[Wendy]

I haven't seen the Scott Kay silver pieces yet, but I will soon. A local store that carries the platinum pieces will be getting the sterling in. A friend who works there, a trained goldsmith himself, feels that the quality of the workmanship is better in the SK line versus the DY line (which they also carry). So I'll let you know when I see it! He knows my taste very well, so I know he's not trying to "sell" me.