Natural vs. Synthetic Key Topic at Fragrance Foundation Awards
Wednesday night’s Fragrance Foundation Awards pulled in quite the crowd — some 900 beauty industry executives, perfumers, models, influencers and celebrities attended the ceremony, held at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. It was Fragrance Foundation president Linda G. Levy’s second year spearheading the annual awards show — “the Oscars of fragrance” in industry parlance — and the night centered on the marquee honorees, Tom Ford as the inductee to the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame, Game Changer award winner Laura Slatkin and Dominique Ropion, Lifetime Achievement, Perfumer.
“Creating scent is a powerful thing — scent can alter a mood, change an experience…quite simply, it can enhance our lives,” said Ford. “Much of the pleasure in my life has been derived from scent — I never met a flower I didn’t like.”
While it was a celebratory night for Ford and others, including big multiaward winners Chanel and Marc Jacobs, Fragrance Foundation chairman Jerry Vittoria got down to business and issued a warning about waning category sales in the U.S. “We’re at a crossroads. Many American consumers are increasingly confused by conflicting information and some have been led to believe fragrances are actually dangerous,” said Vittoria.
“We must continue to demonstrate that our products are safe and have been, and that we’re doing everything possible to identify sustainable long-term solutions that include all the ingredients of modern perfumery, both natural and synthetic. This is a clear path to our continued business growth, and as important as any award that’s given tonight.”
Tom Ford was inducted into the Hall of Fame,
Chanel and Marc Jacobs took home multiple trophies and chairman Jerry Vittoria warned of waning category sales in the U.S.