R P E O F O L L E C T I N G
2
PRODUCT PACKAGING
MARKET A N A LY S I S
SCENT PROFILE DEVELOPMENT
BRAND IDENTITY
3 PRABAL GURUNG
CONCLUSION SOURCES
R E TA I L I N G COMPETITORS
MARKETING ST R AT E G Y LAUNCH
POSITIONING ASSORTMENT DISTRIBUTION
4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of SCAD’s first ever class for the Fragrance Marketing and Management minor, we’ve been thankful to recieve a highly individualized education on an industry that isn’t taught by other fashion design schools. Professor Daniel Green, the chair of the Fashion Marketing and Management department, has emphasized not just creative discovery and familiarity with the methods and organization of the industry - but also how these intertwine with marketing and the fashion industry at large. This is a final project for this first ever class, in which we were tasked with developing a fragrance and marketing concept for a chosen brand. We chose Prabal Gurung organically due to the brands positive recent performance, a rich aesthetic principle from which to draw from and an appealing likilness to where our initial blends were developing. We hope this book shows a respect towards the work Mr. Gurung and his team have worked to create and maintain as well as showcase the enjoyment we had in learning more about the brand.
PRABAL GURUNG
5
6
BRAND IDENTITY
re l e va nt i nfo
- p a st bra nd e xte nsi ons -
9
- prog ra m s + p ar t n ersh i p s
8
of
1
8 7
PRABAL GURUNG
Prabal Gurung has expressed that one of his dreams is to create a fragrance, with the right bottle design and a luxurious scent. With that we present Reflecting Pool. A fragrance that reflects Prabal’s heritage, his culture, and his client. Founded in 2009. His brand reflects modern luxury, indelible style and an astute sense of glamour. He brings his vision to life through the combination of old-world techniques and cutting-edge modernity.
7
Prabal insists his clothes are inclusive (offering up to size 22) and responsibly made by well-paid workers. “The biggest strength that women have is their femininity,” he says to a Vancouver reporter while visiting a Nordstrom store, “You can rule the world without comprimising the way you look. Fashion is an accessory, it’s not the main focus. Good fashion gives you confidence that allows you to go out and rule the world.”
8
“I remember my mother putting on her jewelry when I was growing up. Its such a ceremonial process that’s the same for women all over the world.”
BRAND IDENTITY
PRABAL GURUNG
9
Previously Prabal Gurung has Collaborated with MAC Cosmetics, and recently collaborated with jewelry brand VOJD Studios for his Spring 2016 jewelry collection. That same collection also contained the first project as a member of the CFDA+LexusFashion*Initiative. Lexus provided advanced 3D scanning software with the aid of photographer and digital artist Steven Sebring to bring a next level experiece as part of its Design Disrupted campaign. Gurung is also known for his humanitarian efforts, the Spring 2016 show being devoted to Nepal after a recent horrible earthquake. Gurung and his co-founded Shikshya Foundation, which usually focuses on childhood education, raised upwards of $1M in funds for emergency response.
10
MARKET A N A LY S I S
i ndustry ove rvi e w
- ta rg e t custome r -
8
of
2
12 11
PRABAL GURUNG
- Overall, the fragrances industry has grew by 2% in current value terms in 2014 to reach $5.9 billion. - Unit prices are seen an increase in 2014. According to the report, older consumers purchasing premium and super premium fragrances becomes a trend and this also drives the raise in sales in 2014. Makers of niche premium fragrances tend to focus more on the storytelling behind the fragrance the ingredients and craftsmanship involved. - Sales of celebrity fragrance tumble in 2014 Premium women’s fragrances have seen the best performance with an 3% increase in current value from $3,628.4 million in 2013 to $3,746.5 million in 2014.
11
MARKET ANALYSIS
12
- Woman, 30+ - Income level $100,000+ - High level of education, bachelor’s degree or higher - Appreciates high quality products - Lives in a Metropolitain City such as New York, but travels frequently, with a high appreciation for other cultures - Unique, sense of style. Curates their life, and surrounds themselves with beautiful things - Thoughtful and philanthropic, Is on the board of at least one charity, and cares about their community - Spins - Member of the Metropolitain Museum of Art, The Whitney, Gagosian, and The Guggenheim.
PRABAL GURUNG
13
14
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
conce pt + profi l e
- a rti sti c i nf l ue nce s -
- i ng redi en t s + fu n ct io n
8
of
3
16 15
22
PRABAL GURUNG
The inspiration for this fragrance came from the idea of nonphysical location. We were intrigued with the methods in which fragrance illustrates a scene or idea; how it touches upon memories without the use of visual stimulus. The idea of a mental landscape - a place one goes during repose or meditation and what that might look like. The warm shallow waters are surrealistically calm - protecting an ecosystem of blooming thoughts and decaying memories as if under a sheet of glass. Iridescent mists and figures in odd arrangements drift about soundlessly - sometimes above, sometimes below - never causing so much as a ripple to the sunbaked skin of the water. That is REFLECTING POOL. We wanted an odor profile that was abstract, perhaps even futuristc, yet earthy and primordial. Categorically this is an Aquatic/Oriental, it is aerated and ozonic yet textural; creamy and sensual, but miraged and detached.
15
16
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
Jati Putra Pratama When The Sun Goes Down IG: @jatiputra
Inka & Niclas Becoming Wilderness II 2012-2013 inkaandniclas.com
Ralf Brueck Distortion Series Wouldn’t it be nice 2011 188 x 150 cm ralfbrueck.com
Laura Plageman Response, Sea Series Cypress Point 2014 56 x 70 in photolp.com
PRABAL GURUNG
17
18
Juan Ford Plan B 2010 76 x 61 cm juanford.com
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
PRABAL GURUNG
19
Eiffel Chong Seascape Series Teulk Bahang eiffelchong.com
20
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
Nils-Udo Roseaux Brins D’Herbe Petales 1986 135 x 135 cm collectionsocietegeneral
PRABAL GURUNG
21
John Pfahl Altered Landscapes - East Australian Pines FortDeSoto Florida (February 1977) johnpfahl.com
John Pfahl Altered Landscapes - West Great Salt Lake Angles Great Salt Lake Utah (October 1977) johnpfahl.com
22
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
The overall odor pyramid of REFLECTING POOL is completely symmetrical in structure, epitomizing balance and harmony between the note interactions at the Top, Heart and Base levels - as well as cross-level interactions. The result is a volumized matrix that leads to a consistent, linear drydown. Starting with the opening, we have the Hespiridic pairing of Bergamot and Neroli, their energy and zest are tempered with Green facets, in notes of Galbanum and Coriander respectively.
PRABAL GURUNG
32
Bergamot (bottom left) of the bitter orange family, has initial icy, peppery spikes that dry into something rather powdery or “snowy” - all while retaining a grey vegetal mood. This is counteracted by Galbanum, (top left) a resin obtained from Ferula gummosa - relative of parsely and carrots - known for its outstanding “freshly snapped stems” odor -unequivocally bright green and has a waxy sheen. Neroli, (top right) also from the bitter orange, though soley the blossoms of a subspecies C. bigaradia. It is bright, mild, smooth and vaguely reminescent of citrus-soaked lavender. The spicy, warm and slightly astringent Coriander gives it a boost and helps to space - out the other notes.
24
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
At the Heart of the fragrance is an Iris concrete, obtained from the aged rhizomes of Iris germanica or palladia. A personal favorite, when Iris is rendered correctly it comes off as a marbled white, blanched lotion fullness. Elements of burlap, glue, powder andlight leathers give a textural appeal and great fixative strength to other notes. Calone, a marine synthetic from Pfizer, bubbles through with a beachy, melon-soaked effervescence. Calone has excellent performance throughout; its ketone nature gives extra lift to the natural aldehydes of the hespirides in the top notes and when paired with a fixative like Iris doesn’t fully evaporate, instead adding a salty finish to the dry down - great for settling in skin.
PRABAL GURUNG
52
Lavender is a mainstay in any aromatic fragrance with therapeautic benefits to its complex odor profile. Its positively soporific; very honeyed, wet and vegetal. Neither warm nor icy, lavender, despite its heavy liquid feeling, has a mentholated quality that eagerly fills the headspace. Iso Super E, a hugely popular synthetic from IFF, provides a woody foil to the nectared lavender. Also known to warble between cool and warm, Iso Super E has an ultra-light balsa wood and vaporous white musk feeling to it. Many fragrances compositions are found to be upwards of 20% Iso Super E, here it is in proportion with the others and wellbehaved lending just enough dry to the rest of the wet heart.
26
SCENT DEVELOPMENT
The Base of the fragrance we reach an essence of Patchouli. With high quality sourcing, patchouli can have an incredibly pleasant, nuanced odor. It has an earthiness that other plants simply can’t replicate - there’s an incredibly humanistic quality to it as one picks up a distinct sweaty, vigorous oiliness piqued with pimento peppery starbursts. Another synthetic from IFF, this time the famed Cashmeran keeps the Patchouli from being too wild with its own dignified quietude. Designed to be a perfect weave between a blond wood, an amber and white musk - Cashmeran has an unrivaled balsamic softness and serious modernity to it. Its hydrophobic nature allows it to lay around for lasting power throughout.
PRABAL GURUNG
72
Sandalwood stands as one of the most desired fragrant woods in the world. So much so that most feedstocks are protected under endangered status so sourcing might turn to sibling variants or synthetic reproductions. This is because it has an unrivaled creaminess and depth. An idyllic skin-scent, with a warm tinted, slightly vanillic translucency. Vertofix, the final note used and also an IFF synthetic staple, was the finishing touch that gave the rest of the composition a true transformation. Vertofix, an abstract methyl cedryl ketone fixative, typically resembl a wood, a vetiver, an amber and a leather. However in this blend it was purely ozonic sending the rest of the structure aloft.
28
PRODUCT PACKAGING
i nf l ue nce s
- e xa mpl e s -
- prot ot y p e s k et ch
8
of
4
30 29
38
PRABAL GURUNG
29
The inspiration for the packaging was collected with a three-prong approach which we believe ultimately embodies Prabal Gurung’s brand identity. Firstly, it has to be contemporary and competitve with best-practice fragrance design in the industry. It must reference Prabal’s own history as a designer and the sources he draws from for inspiration. Finally it must be sustainable, in-line with PG’s sense of progress and ethics.
30
PRODUCT PACKAGING
Its a well-known fact among product designers that there has been a definite lean towards what’s known as “clinicalchic� in fragrance and cosmetics in the past few years. Smooth curvilinear bottles, metallic trims, ample amounts of glass and bare necessities minimalism all lead to a sense of quietly premium quality, no-nonsense efficacy. Likewise the ability to rethink the basic connotations of the bottle; such as not using glass at all, turning the presentation on its head, highefficiency origami packaging, or doubling the glass to produce a carafe/ test tube effect. All create appealling interest that safely stretches past mere novelty - instead, like all good design, illustrate an image of realistic futurism.
PRABAL GURUNG
31
32
PRODUCT PACKAGING
PRABAL GURUNG
33
Equally - if not moreso important to the bottle design are incorporating elements of architecture from Nepal in continued effort to bring awareness to the country’s cultural importance in the face of recent disaster. Should a portion of sales go towards the Shikshya Foundation - limited edition or otherwise - choosing to bring forward some of these design elements would create a unique and memorial art piece for the buyer/donator. One of the most differentiating elements in Nepalese architecture is the profound sense of rhythm and repetition seen in highly ornate woodcarvings. Documentation of this craftsmanship dates all the way back to 643 CE with a Chinese traveler, Wang Hsuan Tang’s journaling of the Licchavi’s woodworking. These types of works can be seen in the images opposite and above, Newār Windows, which were named after the culture and region of the same name occupying the areas of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and Dolakha which themselves are collectively known as the Newār Mandala. The windows feature complex latice framed by geometric, organic and Buddhist motifs with the most traditional versions crafted entirely from joints - without nails or glue.
34
PRODUCT PACKAGING
PRABAL GURUNG
35
The ideas of rhythm, repeition, permanence and change extend unto - or were perhaps emphasized by - the natural landscape of Nepal, notably the mountains and the altitude. Farming in these regions, especially in the lower Himalayas and Mustang regions, is done through terracing; the act of reshaping the mountain to maximize available arable land. The odd looking clouds pictured are known as lenticular clouds and only appear in a special section of the troposphere, the planetary boundary layer, where large sections of mass from the Earth’s surface - like mountains - can interact with turbulance in the atmosphere. Under correct temperature and moisture conditions, the clouds whip into these formations.
36
PRODUCT PACKAGING
PRABAL GURUNG
The glass bottles featured (as well as the laser cut metallic floral screen) are from industrial designer Tord Boontje. The project, called Transglass which, since 2005, has been produced in Guatemala City by youths apprenticing under glass making artisans using recycled bottles. The white pellets are biomass polymere which could be used for the 10mL versions as alternatives to glass. Below that are examples of CNC cut stone which could be used to create specialized housings perhaps for limited edition 100mL versions. Opposite at the top is 3D System’s new Infinity support material, which is produced from a biodegradable corn-based plastic and compatible with current PLA/PVA printers - the support dissolves under water which could be used for secondary packaging. MIT Labs’ Mediated Matter Group showcases a first-time feat of 3D printing with glass - which also means algorithmically custom batches are possible as seen in the bottles for Dutch gin brand Jenever, created by Jan Melis and Ben Oostrum.
37
38
PRODUCT PACKAGING
PRABAL GURUNG
39
A light sketch of these concepts put into a cohesive unit. The overall shape is a rather austere cylinder - similar to an Armani Code or Kenzo Pour Homme/ Flower yet without the curvature. That cylinder shape is a thick walled glass sleeve for the “real” bottle, which itself is algorithmically 3D printed from molten glass. Once defined paramaters are set - such as the overall volume of the exterior glass sleeve, as well as the interior volume for the juice - the machine is allowed to “wander” producing a unique design which can be organic, rhythmic, geometric, or anything depending on the variables set. This provides a unique opportunity for specialization that goes beyond a simple etched monogram. Algorithmic art finds ways to touch the subject in surprisngly emotional ways. What if buyers provided a picture that a program scanned for variables and produced an abstact design accordingly? Or submitted a poem? A song? Thus the design becomes a reflection of the buyer’s own emotions and admirations.
40
POSITIONING ASSORTMENT DISTRIBUTION
choi ce e xpl a na ti on
- compe ti ti on -
8
of
5
42 41
PRABAL GURUNG
The fragrance will be exclusively sold at Barneys New York for the first fiscal quarter of launch. Postrelease, the fragrance will be released online along with limited distribution to certain high end retail points of sale. We will expand distribution after one year of successful sales to all branches of the department stores we have partnered with. Barneys was chosen for its excellent proactive view of fragrance retail - especially with regards to up-and-coming and niche brands.
41
With a quick competitive brand analysis, we feel comfortable offering an Eau de Parfum (20-40% conc.) in two sizes; the 100mL vanity size with full setting and double walled algorithmic 3DP glass for $250 and a 10mL travel-size rollerball applicator in translucent 3DP bioplastic or recycled resin for $95. The compeition was chosen simply on which brands among Barneys offerings consistently had product in the top selling category.
42
POSITIONING ASSORTMENT DISTRIBUTION
PRABAL GURUNG
43
44
MARKETING ST R AT E G Y & LAUNCH
pre - l a unch
- ba rne ys e ve nt -
8
of
7
46 45
PRABAL GURUNG
Pre-launch marketing will begin with blasting social media teasers - largely through teaser content on Instagram where most of Prabal Gurung’s follower-base is. With properly executed campaigns and media content (as aptly demonstrated with previous examples by Steven Sebring) flanking the already progressive design and concept of the fragrance, we can expect an estimated impact of 3.25 million viewers (conservative @ approx. 2M accounting for follower overlap). As seen above, almost 1M comes from our ideal chosen retailer, Barneys New York, alone.
45
46
MARKETING STRATEGY & LAUNCH
PRABAL GURUNG
The Barneys launch would be a soft opening private event at the newer Chelsea location. The event would ideally be immediately pre, post - but not during - NYFW. (The idea not to stress attendees with scheduling but rather a relaxing primer or finisher) Lexus, being the new automotive sponser of NYFW and CFDA being responsible for the rebrand, both have an amicable relationship with Barneys - who did a holiday window for the prior and a special Made in New York collection with the latter in 2015. Staging an event like this - especially if there were philanthropic/ESM motives - wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination. The lamps to the left are again Tord Boontje, with below an installation by Ann-Katrin Krenz and Michael Burk called “Kepler’s Dream”. The odd material with the flowers is aerogel - which is incredibly light yet resilient and recently capable of being 3D printed. And of course, below Calder’s mobile art. Used in displays, the unifying idea is of otherworldy lightness and eschewing the mundane for the poetic subconscious.
47
48
CONCLUSION & SOURCES
concl usi on
- source s -
8
of
8
34 33
PRABAL GURUNG
The Prabal Gurung’s brand is built as a product of his experiences and thoughtful interpretation of them. The reflecting pool is an image of the mind. In this case, we see one that is calm, clear, warm, nurturing and unwavering. There is a beauty in doing things right and doing what’s right. A balance in being pragmatic yet leaving room for repose and interprative exercise. Dialogue. Solitude.
We’ve shown a composition that we’re very proud of - with a 12 point structure emphasizing unity, balance and symmetry. There is of course still room to grow. More notes to find and potentially factor into the mix. But this blend is enough to show a fully realized concept - complete with secondary design in the packaging and tertiary design in the promotion.
The work that the brand Prabal Gurung has already put in primes it perfectly for this extension; particularly the membership of the CFDA+LexusFashion* Initiative which is crucial in securing both financing and a platform for premotion of this extension - in and of itself the single crux of its potential success.
Success in financing however is something that could be an end-product from this extension if it were to reach its fully realized potential - fragrance as a category being one of the highest in turnover, markup and thus revenue. It has time and time again shown to develop into a monetary lifeline for many brands and thus is worth considering further.
49
CONCLUSION & SOURCES
50
SOURCES
prabalgurung.com Why Prabal Gurung’s Poetic Ponytails Are Made for Lovers
– Vogue
The Prabal Gurung Women Goes on a Magical Nature Walk for Fall – Fashionista
Prabal Gurung’s Spring 2016 Show Was a Love Letter to Nepal – Fashionista
Exclusive: Prabal Gurung Launches Jewelry – with Strong, Powerful Women in Mind – W Mag
Prabal Gurung’s Collection at Nordstrom: Smart Luxury with Soul – The Vancouver Sun
Singapore Designers Tour Prabal Gurung’s Showroom with CFDA – WWD
Ethical Fashion Breathes New Life into NYFW AW16 – Huffpost Style
Fragrances in the US report – Euromonitor
PRABAL GURUNG
Prabal Gurung Teams with Lexus Design Disrupted On an Immersive 360-Degree Fashion Show Inspired by Nepal - Complex
Prabal Gurung to Be Honored by Fashion Group International in Dallas - Fashion Times
Prabal Gurung’s New Groove - The Young Designer Joins Forces with MAC - W Mag
Is Prabal Gurung Developing His First Fragrance? – InStyle
Cosmetics and Personal Care Packaging: Sustainable Materials - Cosmetics Design
New Packaging from Reclaimed Plastic - Cosmetics Design
Cosmetics and Personal Care Packaging: Top Trends - Cosmetis Design
51
Charles Garrett Borden Oudulin Chen Lauren Pitcairn -FASM 320 Fragrance Mgmt. + Marketing Professor Daniel Green Savannah College of Art & Design Winter Quarter 2016