Aiming to combine luxury and sustainability, new French brand AB 1882 entered the fragrance market last month with its refillable solid perfumes. The extrait de parfum are housed in personalizable, leather-finished zamak cases.
AB 1882 may be a new player in the fragrance space, having launched its refillable solid perfume in December 2021, but the French company has years of history to its name. The brand was co-founded by Marie Giffo, great grand-daughter of Nantes-based perfumer Alexis Biette, and Marielle Ravily, a chemical engineer specialized in fragrance. The two partners aim to revive and update the perfumes created by Biette, who began his enterprise in 1882 with the purchase of a candle factory.
Made with between 96% and 100% natural raw materials, AB 1882’s alcohol-free fragrances come in a solid format. “With the pandemic, consumers have stopped wearing fragrance for others, and are discovering a different way of putting on scent,” Giffo tells Luxe Packaging Insight. “Women want elegant, eco-friendly and practical products.” The brand’s solid format is convenient for on-the-go-use, highlights Giffo, and also means a lower carbon footprint during transport.
“We wanted to offer durable packaging, with as many personalization options as possible,” she says of the galvanized zamak cases (Metapack) inspired by powder compacts. The cases come in a glossy or matte finish, and consumers can also choose the color of the leather that adorns the top. Sourced in France, the dead-stock leather is cut to size and decorated by leather worker Mauve et Fauve with the brand logo and consumer’s initials: hot stamping is used for the cow leather and embossing for the lamb leather. The refills are held in place with magnets.
AB 1882 decided to forgo traditional paper-based secondary packaging, instead opting for suede-effect cotton pouches (PforPack).
Independent perfumer Sarah Baron-Abrioux reworked Alexis’ Biette’s original fragrances. The brand launched with three extrait de parfum: Narciris, Jardin Bleu and Joli Rien. Its 7g perfume refill (the equivalent of 50ml of fragrance) retails at €60, while refill and the case costs €115. AB 1882 also commercializes soaps, which are made by hand via hot process in small runs in France's Vendée region.
As to the future , AB 1882 is working on new fragrances for 2023, as well as scents for men. R&D projects for local sourcing are on the agenda; as a société à mission (or Social Enterprise), AB 1882 is working on valorizing local fragrance ingredients, notably the natural extraction of lily-of-the-valley.
CompactMetapack
PouchPforPack
LeatherworkMauve et Fauve
PerfumerSarah Baron-Abrioux
