Ann Gottlieb Interview
Courtesy of Ann Gottlieb Associates
If you’ve ever put on cologne, there’s a good chance you’ve worn a scent created by fragrance designer Ann Gottlieb. Starting off in the fragrance industry with mentor Mrs. Estée Lauder, Ann eventually branched off on her own and has been developing commercially successful fragrances for the past 25 years -- working with brands like AXE, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and Dior.
A true trade professional, Ann has perfected the art of creating unique fragrances that appeal to the masses and across all market segments. AskMen.com had the privilege to have a candid conversation with Ms. Gottlieb while we were both in Paris for a behind-the-scenes look at how AXE fragrances are made. While there, we discussed her early years in the industry and her passion for the art.
It was my father wearing Old Spice, and kissing him goodbye in the morning. I will always associate that fragrance with my father.
How did you become interested in perfumes? When did you know it was going to become your profession?
It found me, rather than me finding it. I was working at [Estée] Lauder and didn’t have any knowledge that I had a terrific sense of smell. I met Estée Lauder and she became a mentor to me. The way that she worked is that she would give fragrances out to everybody to smell and get their opinion.
She would ask me, and continued to ask me more and more; I guess I answered her in a way that was helpful to her and honest. So, she brought me into her development world and it was there that I learned that I had something special.
Would you say you learned a specific lesson early on in your career that helped craft your skills and your place in the business?
Yes. It’s that I can never decide whether something is right without really -- excuse the expression -- “Getting in bed with the consumer for that brand.”
The woman behind the scent
What are a couple of the fragrance successes you’re most proud of?
They would be the ones that changed the course of fragrance during the time that they were launched. Obsession, I guess, was one of them. CK One was a major turning point in the business, because the fragrance business went from the big and heavy fragrances of the ‘80s into the more sheer and transparent fragrances of the ‘90s. And that was the turnaround fragrance.
The next fragrance that had the same impact for me was J’Adore because it, again, reestablished perfume as a real solid type of product (rather than the products that preceded it).
Can you describe a typical workday for you?
The meetings that I have are generally between the oil houses and my clients. And that is, in fact, the role that I play: I’m the liaison between the houses that actually make fragrance and the clients who ultimately market them. So, my average day consists of going to the [oil] houses, working on different projects, then presenting them or having different prep meetings with the clients.
I do a lot of walking around to see what’s happening in the stores. It’s very helpful to know what is on promotion and how it’s being promoted. In the case of Marc Jacobs, for instance, he’s very hands-on in the fragrance development process. So, meeting with a celebrity or designer is often part of the day.
The fragrances Ann Gottlieb thinks every man should know... What do you consider to be the most important aspect of making a luxury fragrance?
That it has its own identity. When you smell it, you know that you’re smelling something that could only be this fragrance. And yet, it’s also commercial and loved by consumers.
What are some of the major steps in the development of a fragrance?
What a great question! The concept is the first one, because -- especially for me, someone who is very strategic in the way I smell -- I need to know, roughly, what this concept is about: Whether it’s going to be about the rain forest, and fresh and green and lush or whether it’s going to be about some sexy and wonderful “getting-the-girl” issue. All of those kinds of things are vital to me when I start.
I also need to know what is in the portfolio already, plus what’s going on in the fine fragrance market.
Do you consider yourself more of an artist or are you more pragmatic in nature in getting exactly the scent you want? Artist. Definitely artist -- an artist with a business nostril [laughs]. One side is absolutely the creative part, and the other side is keeping in mind what sells.
Trends in men's fragrances
What are some of the classic scents for men that have stood the test of time?
The men’s business clearly started in Europe, so a lot of the real classics are European and still very popular: Drakkar Noir, Fahrenheit, Eau Sauvage, Vetiver by Guerlain -- those are all classic fragrances. They’ve been around for a long time and they continue to have a really viable place in the market.
Eternity and Cool Water are two fragrances that are very popular and have been around long enough to be considered classics. Obsession, as well.
Aramis, I guess, was the first domestic men’s fragrance from the U.S. that became popular and still is, but probably not in the top 20 men’s fragrances.
Do you see any trends emerging right now?
There are a couple of trends. One is calling out ingredients and talking about what’s in a fragrance. There is a very big move on the part of consumers to have an interest in what’s in the fragrance; this not necessarily for toxicology reasons or anything other than really the move toward authenticity and creativity.
There is also a big move toward optimistic fragrances. I’m not sure that heavy and dark fragrances with sinister positions are going to be as popular in the next year because we want some relief from this darkness, at least from the social standpoint. I think that fragrances mirror what’s going on socially.
In creating AXE Instinct, how did you get your inspiration for leather?
AXE calls it the adspiration [laughs]. It’s the name they’ve given it. Well, it has a lot to do with what is going on in the prestige market. And there is a big move toward fragrances that have leather and that are more raw in terms of their personality. AXE Instinct addresses that trend.
Ann Gottlieb reveals the most common mistake men make with their fragrances... How would you say AXE Instinct, as a body spray, differs from any kind of luxury scents you’ve created in the past?
It’s much more leathery. It’s spicy. It’s got a very distinct personality. Other smoother fragrances are more jagged. This is a very rugged kind of fragrance.
Personally, I associate scents with a specific period of my life or a certain feeling. Is that what you and your team envisioned when designing this scent?
It’s interesting that you say that. When we, as an industry, succeed in getting consumers to buy multiple fragrances, what we lose is the ability to use a single fragrance for a certain time of a consumer’s life.
So, I’m not sure that this generation -- that’s coming into its own now and changes its fragrances all the time -- will have that same experience -- which is sad, because fragrance at one point in time meant so much to us. I think that you have to use a fragrance long enough for it to be in embedded in your soul.
Don’t you think that when you smell something that you used 10 years ago, that it takes you back 10 years? But if you were using a different fragrance every day or a different one at night and in the day, I don’t think that you’d have quite that recollection.
I’m thinking that, because they can’t smell it, they put too much on. They keep putting it on until they can smell it, and by then, they’ve got too much on.
What do you believe makes men select a certain scent over another?
A connection to a scent or having people saying “I love what you smell like.” Men wear fragrance largely for other people (well, everybody does), so if they wear something and someone they care about comments positively, they’ll keep wearing it.
Do men select their fragrances based on other people’s opinions more than women?
They’re different people. Women are more comfortable picking it out for themselves and they also really value the opinion of other women. Men only value the opinion of women, or if they’re gay, the opinions of other men.
What are some common notes that men associate with dating and mating?
Vanilla. Wonderful woodsy notes, because they smell very masculine. Citrus notes, because they make a fragrance fresh and sparkling. Those would be my main ones.
A true trade professional, Ann has perfected the art of creating unique fragrances that appeal to the masses and across all market segments. AskMen.com had the privilege to have a candid conversation with Ms. Gottlieb while we were both in Paris for a behind-the-scenes look at how AXE fragrances are made. While there, we discussed her early years in the industry and her passion for the art.
How to become a fragrance designer
What is your first memory of a fragrance?It was my father wearing Old Spice, and kissing him goodbye in the morning. I will always associate that fragrance with my father.
How did you become interested in perfumes? When did you know it was going to become your profession?
It found me, rather than me finding it. I was working at [Estée] Lauder and didn’t have any knowledge that I had a terrific sense of smell. I met Estée Lauder and she became a mentor to me. The way that she worked is that she would give fragrances out to everybody to smell and get their opinion.
She would ask me, and continued to ask me more and more; I guess I answered her in a way that was helpful to her and honest. So, she brought me into her development world and it was there that I learned that I had something special.
Would you say you learned a specific lesson early on in your career that helped craft your skills and your place in the business?
Yes. It’s that I can never decide whether something is right without really -- excuse the expression -- “Getting in bed with the consumer for that brand.”
The woman behind the scent
What are a couple of the fragrance successes you’re most proud of?They would be the ones that changed the course of fragrance during the time that they were launched. Obsession, I guess, was one of them. CK One was a major turning point in the business, because the fragrance business went from the big and heavy fragrances of the ‘80s into the more sheer and transparent fragrances of the ‘90s. And that was the turnaround fragrance.
The next fragrance that had the same impact for me was J’Adore because it, again, reestablished perfume as a real solid type of product (rather than the products that preceded it).
Can you describe a typical workday for you?
The meetings that I have are generally between the oil houses and my clients. And that is, in fact, the role that I play: I’m the liaison between the houses that actually make fragrance and the clients who ultimately market them. So, my average day consists of going to the [oil] houses, working on different projects, then presenting them or having different prep meetings with the clients.
I do a lot of walking around to see what’s happening in the stores. It’s very helpful to know what is on promotion and how it’s being promoted. In the case of Marc Jacobs, for instance, he’s very hands-on in the fragrance development process. So, meeting with a celebrity or designer is often part of the day.
The fragrances Ann Gottlieb thinks every man should know... What do you consider to be the most important aspect of making a luxury fragrance?
That it has its own identity. When you smell it, you know that you’re smelling something that could only be this fragrance. And yet, it’s also commercial and loved by consumers.
What are some of the major steps in the development of a fragrance?
What a great question! The concept is the first one, because -- especially for me, someone who is very strategic in the way I smell -- I need to know, roughly, what this concept is about: Whether it’s going to be about the rain forest, and fresh and green and lush or whether it’s going to be about some sexy and wonderful “getting-the-girl” issue. All of those kinds of things are vital to me when I start.
I also need to know what is in the portfolio already, plus what’s going on in the fine fragrance market.
Do you consider yourself more of an artist or are you more pragmatic in nature in getting exactly the scent you want? Artist. Definitely artist -- an artist with a business nostril [laughs]. One side is absolutely the creative part, and the other side is keeping in mind what sells.
Trends in men's fragrances
What are some of the classic scents for men that have stood the test of time?The men’s business clearly started in Europe, so a lot of the real classics are European and still very popular: Drakkar Noir, Fahrenheit, Eau Sauvage, Vetiver by Guerlain -- those are all classic fragrances. They’ve been around for a long time and they continue to have a really viable place in the market.
Eternity and Cool Water are two fragrances that are very popular and have been around long enough to be considered classics. Obsession, as well.
Aramis, I guess, was the first domestic men’s fragrance from the U.S. that became popular and still is, but probably not in the top 20 men’s fragrances.
Do you see any trends emerging right now?
There are a couple of trends. One is calling out ingredients and talking about what’s in a fragrance. There is a very big move on the part of consumers to have an interest in what’s in the fragrance; this not necessarily for toxicology reasons or anything other than really the move toward authenticity and creativity.
There is also a big move toward optimistic fragrances. I’m not sure that heavy and dark fragrances with sinister positions are going to be as popular in the next year because we want some relief from this darkness, at least from the social standpoint. I think that fragrances mirror what’s going on socially.
In creating AXE Instinct, how did you get your inspiration for leather?
AXE calls it the adspiration [laughs]. It’s the name they’ve given it. Well, it has a lot to do with what is going on in the prestige market. And there is a big move toward fragrances that have leather and that are more raw in terms of their personality. AXE Instinct addresses that trend.
Ann Gottlieb reveals the most common mistake men make with their fragrances... How would you say AXE Instinct, as a body spray, differs from any kind of luxury scents you’ve created in the past?
It’s much more leathery. It’s spicy. It’s got a very distinct personality. Other smoother fragrances are more jagged. This is a very rugged kind of fragrance.
Personally, I associate scents with a specific period of my life or a certain feeling. Is that what you and your team envisioned when designing this scent?
It’s interesting that you say that. When we, as an industry, succeed in getting consumers to buy multiple fragrances, what we lose is the ability to use a single fragrance for a certain time of a consumer’s life.
So, I’m not sure that this generation -- that’s coming into its own now and changes its fragrances all the time -- will have that same experience -- which is sad, because fragrance at one point in time meant so much to us. I think that you have to use a fragrance long enough for it to be in embedded in your soul.
Don’t you think that when you smell something that you used 10 years ago, that it takes you back 10 years? But if you were using a different fragrance every day or a different one at night and in the day, I don’t think that you’d have quite that recollection.
Men's fragrance dos & don'ts
What is the most common scent mistake men make?I’m thinking that, because they can’t smell it, they put too much on. They keep putting it on until they can smell it, and by then, they’ve got too much on.
What do you believe makes men select a certain scent over another?
A connection to a scent or having people saying “I love what you smell like.” Men wear fragrance largely for other people (well, everybody does), so if they wear something and someone they care about comments positively, they’ll keep wearing it.
Do men select their fragrances based on other people’s opinions more than women?
They’re different people. Women are more comfortable picking it out for themselves and they also really value the opinion of other women. Men only value the opinion of women, or if they’re gay, the opinions of other men.
What are some common notes that men associate with dating and mating?
Vanilla. Wonderful woodsy notes, because they smell very masculine. Citrus notes, because they make a fragrance fresh and sparkling. Those would be my main ones.
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