Model Adriana Lima landed in Dubai on Nov. 18 to celebrate the launch of Marc Jacobs’ Decadence scent in the region. Media and fans came out in large numbers to meet the star of the fragrance campaign at a visit to Paris Galleries in Dubai Mall. Later in the night she celebrated with 200 guests at a party on the 31st floor of the Sofitel hotel.
The Dubai event marked the second major celebration of the launch after its U.S. debut two months ago. “Fragrance has always been treasured in the Middle East, where the consumer historically has had a strong desire for luxury products and aspirational brands such as Marc Jacobs. So, what better place to launch Decadence than Dubai, one of the largest luxury markets in the world,” said Edgar Huber, president of global markets for Coty Inc.
Sebastian Suhl, chief executive officer of Marc Jacobs International, was also on hand to celebrate, his first trip to the region since taking over as ceo of the company in the summer of 2014. “The thing about Decadence is that it’s not just about launching a very successful fragrance — which it appears to be, based on the first couple months of sales in the U.S. and U.K. — but it’s exactly the direction the brand is taking and fragrance will be aligned.”
By that, Suhl said Decadence is a nod to Jacobs’ fashion aesthetic, with its handbag-shaped bottle complete with python cap, gold chain and silk tassel. “This perfume is particularly suited to this market,” he added.
Suhl said Dubai is a major market for the Marc Jacobs brand across all categories, including fragrance and beauty. “Dubai is super international city and a very sophisticated place so many of the rules that apply to cities like New York or Hong Kong, are true,” he said. “There is a lot of spontaneity, very open, very fast moving.”