Parfums de Marly is delving deeper into women’s fragrance.
The French perfumery brand has launched Valaya, a combination of bergamot, white peach, vetiver and agikalawood, among other notes, described by the brand’s managing director Yvan Jacqueline as “an ode to sensuality.”
Retailing for $355 for a 75-ml. bottle, the launch marks Parfums de Marly’s 10th women’s fragrance to date (the brand counts 18 men’s scents, by comparison), and was created by Givaudan perfumer Quentin Bisch, who also helped craft the brand’s hero Delina scent, alongside Parfums de Marly founder and artistic director Julien Sprecher.
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“Valaya has been over three years in the making,” said Jacqueline, recalling a March 2021 scentstorming session in Cannes, France, between him, Bisch and Sprecher — one of many that went into forging the scent’s final form. “Julien’s goal is to stay true to [the brand’s] roots; we want to pay tribute to 18th century France, Louis XV and the Marly castle, while also building a bridge to modernity.”
This mission appears to be resonating.
Since entering the U.S. market in 2018, the brand has joined forces with retailers Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, and is gearing up to open its second freestanding U.S. store this March on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
“[The store] is going to be a fantastic tool for us; it’s a two-story, over 2,500-square-foot space with LED screens, immersive displays and a laboratory where we can host masterclasses for customers to experience Parfums de Marly in an in-depth way,” Jacqueline said.
While the brand did not share sales expectations for the launch, industry sources estimate Valaya could do between $30 million and $35 million in first-year sales in the U.S., which has emerged as one of the brand’s key markets.
Fueling the brand’s U.S. growth has been the mounting popularity of the Delina fragrance franchise, which launched in 2017 with a perfume and now includes a shower cream, hand cream, hair mist and even two variations: Delina La Rosée and Deline Exclusif.
Jacqueline notes the brand has established strong footholds in Europe, the U.K. and the Middle East, and now looks to fortify its presence in Latin America, mainland China and Japan in 2023.
“The minute you release a new creation, it belongs to the people: you never know in advance what will happen, but we expect a second Delina impact with Valaya,” he said.