That's me in 2014 at the Caron Paris Boutique on Lexington and 59th Street
It was with both personal and professional sadness when I wrote in February 2018 that the Caron Paris fragrance boutique in New York (the only in the USA) has shuttered its doors. I was personal friends with Diane Haska for 15 years and this alone was reason for feeling distraught. Of course, the more global issue was that the beloved Caron perfumes, shadows of themselves these past years, including our beloved urn fragrances: Poivre, Tabac Blond, Farnesiana, En Avion, N’Aimez Que Moi, and Farnesiana (to name a few)… were going to be difficult to buy in the USA. Of note is that in the annals of Fragrance History—Caron Paris fragrance is one of the oldest French houses, started in 1904 by Ernest Daltroff .
Two days ago, on July 4, 2018 (Independence Day, the irony) the trade publication Fashion Network reported that ”due to a financial restructuring" the parent company Ales Groupe, who has owned the storied house since 1998 was looking to sell the Caron Paris fragrance division. I checked the Caron fragrance website and there seems to be boutiques in Paris. “Caron is tiny for the Ales Groupe as it makes only 3-4 percent of the business". In 2015, their corner shoppe on Paris’ Rue Montaigne was bought by LVMH for Dior. It has been reported that Ales Groupe has until July 15th to renegotiate its banking terms and it is highly likely that the Company will begin to cut jobs in France.
Caron Urn Fragrances my photo 2014 ©
Over the past five years or so, there have been many giant corporations on buying sprees of independent perfumeries (which adds to their own cache, often calling these brands "artisanal"). Some with success… leaving much of the brands’ integrity intact (depending on the involvement of the former owners such as Masion Francis Kurkdjian, Le Labo and Atelier Cologne). One can only hope that any acquisition of Caron Paris fragrance will help restore the perfumes to former glory or at the least keep them where they are.
This raises the question… how does an independent fragrance company stay in business without huge marketing budgets, limited resources and double digit sales growth? Perfume is an art, but it is commerce after all. Maybe start small, BUY bottles of perfumes in support but perhaps that is naïve. Greatest fear? The only Caron fragrances in 50 years’ time will be at Osmetheque and not for sale.
To read more about Ales Groupe selling Caron Fragrance us.fashionnetwork.com
–Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief