Smells Like Fifth Avenue

(NEW YORK) Saks Fifth Avenue and Bond No. 9 are setting a new precedent-and doing a sweet-smelling job of it. The luxury retailer and artisinal perfumer have joined forces to debut two new fragrances, Saks Fifth Avenue for Her and Saks Fifth Avenue for Him, marking the first time a specialty store has ever commissioned a perfumery to design scents. In the tradition of Bond No. 9's well-known New York neighborhood aromas, the two fragrances treat Saks as an ultra-sophisticated neighborhood unto itself.

"Saks Fifth Avenue is excited to be collaborating with Bond No. 9 on Saks Fifth Avenue for Him and Saks Fifth Avenue for Her," said Deborah Walters, senior vice president and general merchandise manager, cosmetics and fragrances, Saks Fifth Avenue, in a statement. "This will allow our customer across the country to experience the quintessential Saks Fifth Avenue scent."

Saks Fifth Avenue for Her signals the return of the classic gardenia eau de parfum, given a chic contemporary twist with the addition of sparkling jasmine and vetiver, along with smooth vanilla. Saks Fifth Avenue for Him is an elegant aqua scent, containing an initial dash of Sicilian bergamot for coolness, followed by cardamom, amber, and cedarwood for warmth. Together, they are intended to capture the fashion-forward essence of 21st-century Saks, while at the same time expressing the eclectic downtown spirit of NoHo-based Bond No. 9.

The flacon designs display the retailer's vibrant new black-and-white logo (though here the colors are reversed). The letters now serve as design elements containing Saks' "DNA" motif. The slender bottle, dubbed the Bond No. 9 superstar flacon, also sports a circular centerpiece logo inscribed with both "Saks Fifth Avenue" and "Bond No. 9." 

The two scents will hit Saks counters on September 1, with 1.7 ounces retailing for $125 and 3.4 ounces retailing for $185.
CAROLYN BONILHA