DECIEM set to disrupt fragrance market with debut line of scent-based products

DECIEM, the umbrella brand behind 16 skincare, cosmetics, personal grooming and supplement brands, has announced its first venture into the fragrance and perfume market.

The new line, ‘Avestan’, will feature a range of scent-based products, among them eau de parfums, parfum concentrés, candles, shampoos, conditioners, body wash, body lotions and bubble baths.

The new venture follows the launch of DECIEM’S sellout brand The Ordinary, the affordable skincare line which racked up a 25,000 person waiting list ahead of its launch in spring 2017 and which now counts celebrities such as Kim Kardashian among its fans.   

“Deviation from familiar notes”

In line with DECIEM’s billing as ‘The Abnormal Beauty Company,’ Avestan will reportedly deviate from the received wisdom that fragrances reconnect us with past experiences, instead focusing on “pleasing unfamiliarity.”  

Writing on the company website ahead of the launch, founder Brandon Truaxe said: Avestan is “an exploration of the untried. It is a journey to create new meaning through scents.

“It is a departure from lavender and rose to an unfulfilled journey of unfamiliar notes: clays, stems, saps, places and moments. Avestan is an avant-garde play on nature – one that disallows the mind to identify but creates instead a welcomed occasion to explore.”

Niche scents trend

Scheduled for launch in autumn 2018, the Avestan products will be offered in the same eight scent options.

The selection ranges from ‘A Tannery In Tuscany’, described as "a sensory summary of tanning suede in a Tuscan afternoon," to a fragrance called ‘Printer’s Ink,’ which has been formulated to conjure the scent of “paper and luggage”. The specific notes have so far been kept under wraps.

DECIEM’s new venture could prove timely: consumers are increasingly moving toward niche scents from smaller luxury brands such as Le Labo, Commes Des Garcons and Byredo.

Estée Lauder backing

Despite a run of controversy around the brand, including an unorthodox, anti-marketing approach o social media and the departure of co-CEO Nicola Kilner, Canadian-based DECIEM continues to thrive.

Last year, it received investment from the Estée Lauder Companies, in what seemed like a bid to capture the indie brand’s millennial appeal.

Speaking at the time, Estee Lauder President and CEO Fabrizio Freda said: “Through its unique business model, DECIEM has produced some of the most creative independent brands on the market, capturing the passion and trust of devoted fans around the world - and they are just getting started.”