Elie Saab extends fragrance line with producer Give Back Beauty, talks expansion plans (#1681723)

Elie Saab’s luxury style will be embodied in a new perfume. The Elixir Love fragrance has been developed in partnership with producer Give Back Beauty (GBB), and is the most recent instalment in the Lebanese couture house’s robust and long-established brand extension strategy.

“We want to expand the brand, beyond its fashion core business, in accessories and perfumes too, as well as in furniture, interiors and childrenswear, to make a difference and express our vision,” said Elie Saab Jr, CEO of Elie Saab, speaking to FashionNetwork.com. 

The latest arrival in Elie Saab’s fragrance family comes in a pomegranate-inspired bottle, and has been developed by perfumers Aurélien Guichard and Leonardo Lucheze at Takasago.

Elixir Love was recently unveiled at an event in Milan, and is characterised by an intense floral bouquet blending red roses, rose essence, neroli, and voluptuous jasmine notes, the latter enhanced by a cherry accent, integrated with woody notes of oak moss, patchouli and ambroxan. The final ingredient is the ‘Love Accord’, created especially for Elie Saab.

The perfume’s launch campaign features model Candice Swanepoel wearing an Elixir Love couture look, enhanced with embroidery and glittering crystals.
 
“With perfumes, we express our vision of femininity. Each fragrance represents a different kind of Elie Saab woman. Our eau de parfum is dedicated to classic women, and we have a line for the younger generations too. Finally, Elixir Love embodies feminine sensuality,” said Saab Jr.

Elie Saab’s diversification effort remains focused on fragrances, and further launches developed with GBB are in the pipeline, though still top-secret, and will not be announced until early next year. 
 
The couture house has recently staged a major event in Riyadh, the culmination of “a year-long effort,” according to Saab Jr. “We worked on this concept to showcase the label’s history and heritage. It was a major milestone, celebrated with leading international stars like Jennifer Lopez and Camila Cabello. We chose Riyadh because Saudi Arabia was the first foreign country where we expanded the brand in the early 80s. We have been present for 45 years in this great city, which is helping us translate our vision into reality,” added Saab Jr.
 
Elie Saab’s revenue is growing by 30% on an annual basis, and the label currently operates 15 stores worldwide, including in Beirut, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Kuwait. In Europe, it is present in Paris, London, Milan and Munich. “At the end of 2025, we will open a store in Miami, to add to the one active in New York, which was the first US address opened by the label,” said Saab Jr.

GBB is led by CEO Patrizio Stella, who returned about a year ago to the company he helped found less than 10 years ago, and which today is posting record results, having generated a revenue of $300 million in 2023.

“In the beauty industry, we are one of the groups that has grown the most in recent years. We have multiplied our revenue by a factor of six in the last three years. We’re growing both in like-for-like terms and through new licences, like the one with Mercedes Benz. Our strategy is to seek partnerships that are complementary to our portfolio,” said Stella.
 
The license deal with Elie Saab was inked in 2021 and is the “flagship of our prestige division, alongside names like Zegna and Chopard,” he added. But GBB’s big numbers come from the lifestyle division, first and foremost Tommy Hilfiger, which “generates the bulk of the company’s revenue. Billie Eilish completes our portfolio within the talent and celebrity business,” said Stella.
 
GBB is currently producing three lines of Elie Saab perfumes. “We’re selling them all over the world, primarily in European countries and in the Middle East. The focus is also on Asia and the US market. We want to translate Elie Saab’s ideas into perfumes. Each collection is inspired by the fashion collections designed by the label’s founder,” added Stella.
 
GBB is also active in the make-up, skincare and haircare segments. It is based in Geneva, but has offices in Paris (the prestige division), New York (lifestyle) and Los Angeles (celebrities). “We have subsidiaries in Italy and the rest of the world, with about 400 employees in total. We are working to increase our presence in all regions. To reach end-consumers, we are leveraging the direct-to-retail and direct-to-consumer channels,” concluded Stella.