Balmain to venture into the realm of fragrance come September

The esteemed House of Balmain, poised to captivate audiences at Paris Fashion Week this Wednesday, will debut its newest fragrance in September. This revelation comes directly from Olivier Rousteing, the iconic artistic director of Balmain for over a decade, shared via his Instagram account, where he commands a following of nearly 10 million.

“It has been two years since we began working on this project: that’s two years of excitement, passion and joy, and we are so proud of the result. It’s an incredible new chapter and I can’t thank enough all the incredible people I’m working with to build the new Balmain beauty journey together. This fragrance isn’t just about scent, it’s about sensation, about an emotion, it’s about you,” said Olivier Rousteing in a message posted on the social network this Sunday, February 25, specifying that the the fragrance is called Confidentiel.

Photographs and a short film, leveraging cutting-edge artificial intelligence to drape Parisian landmarks with the communication heralding the fragrance launch, have been shared on both the creative director’s and Balmain Beauty’s Instagram accounts, marking the latter’s debut on the platform.

This launch is being orchestrated by Estée Lauder, which acquired the license for Balmain beauty at the end of 2022. This strategic move could breathe new life into the American cosmetics conglomerate, which has been grappling with financial setbacks and recently announced a workforce restructuring. Estée Lauder is poised to capitalize on the success of designer Olivier Rousteing, who has infused fresh energy into the House of Balmain.

Established in 1945 by Pierre Balmain, the maison was acquired in 2016 for $620 million by Qatari investment fund Mayhoola. Already delving into beauty with its Balmain Hair Couture line, the house previously curated fragrance collections, notably under the French conglomerate Interparfums from 2011 to 2017.