The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., under the high patronage of French president Emmanuel Macron, announced the opening of its Fragrance Atelier within its new La Maison des Parfums on Rue Volney in Paris on October 14. This global innovation hub is designed to accelerate the business’ strategic ambitions in luxury and prestige fragrances.

“It is with great pride and excitement that we open our Fragrance Atelier in Paris,” said The Estée Lauder Companies’ president and CEO Stéphane de La Faverie in a press release. “Building on our incredible heritage of creativity and innovation, the Atelier will propel our future growth in this dynamic category- uniting world-class expertise, cutting-edge technology, and the artistry of fragrance to accelerate innovation across our portfolio. Located in the cradle of perfumery, our teams will blend state-of-the-art technology, data-driven intelligence, and olfactive expertise to craft the next generation of extraordinary scents for our consumers worldwide.”
 
The Estée Lauder Companies stated that the opening of the Atelier marks a significant milestone in its long-term commitment to the fragrance industry and honours its eponymous founder’s lifelong passion for perfumes. Designed to fuse creativity with science and technology, the Atelier’s AI-enabled, end-to-end creation process will harness olfactive and neuroscience modelling to develop new technologies and reduce fragrance development lead times by up to 30% to 50% over the coming years.

The new La Maison des Parfums is located in the heart of the French capital, measures an expansive 2,000 square metres, and is spread across five storeys. The immersive environment will serve as a shared innovation engine for all of the business’ fragrance labels, which include Jo Malone London, Le Labo, Tom Ford, and Kilian Paris.
 
Innovation spaces include a ‘Music Room’ and laboratories where experts will undertake processes including CO? supercritical extraction and GCMS molecule analysis. The Atelier will also employ neuroscience-based consumer modelling to turn sensory data into insight to help its creators develop truly emotive fragrances.

“We are extremely proud that The Estée Lauder Companies has chosen France as the location for its new Fragrance Atelier,” said French ambassador for international investments and chairman of the Board of Business France Pascal Cagni. “Their choice demonstrates the confidence that international leaders have in French excellence, which is driven by a unique ecosystem of creative talent, innovation, and globally recognised expertise. The French perfume and cosmetics industry, with more than 30 billion euros in revenue, is a key driver of growth and attractiveness.”
 
The Estée Lauder Companies’ global research and innovation network also spans the US, China, Europe, and Canada with region-specific facilities that promote discovery across the business’ operations. The Estée Lauder Companies employs over 1,200 individuals in France and a number of its brands, including Darphin Paris and Lab Series, are headquartered in the country. The Fragrance Atelier thus deepens the business’ commitment to both France and the fragrance industry.