Scents Of The Seventies Return As Shoppers Splash Out On Nostalgia
First the music was rehabilitated, then the fashions and recently even the food. Now 1970s perfumes and aftershaves are making a comeback, as a new generation discovers the somewhat questionable joys of Charlie, Brut and Old Spice. Sales of so-called "heritage scents" are increasing, particularly among younger customers, according to market research by the high-street chain Superdrug. Long-forgotten fragrances are being revived as teenagers embrace all things retro in an effort to smell like their parents did three decades ago. Tim Hughes, fragrance expert at Superdrug, said: "Our customers are always ready to jump on a trend. On the one hand we are being asked for the very latest fragrances from celebrities and designers, and then we are also getting requests for the type of perfumes and aftershaves that our shoppers' mums and dads may have worn in the Seventies."
The lust for the smells of one of the most reviled decades, in fashion terms, has been triggered in part, according to trend-watchers, by film versions of popular programmes such as Starsky and Hutch, The Dukes of Hazzard and Charlie's Angels. Among the best-selling Seventies scents on Superdrug's shelves is Brut aftershave, a product that was one of the first to use a celebrity endorsement to persuade men that grooming wasn't for sissies. The heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper was the original "face" of Brut, urging men to "splash it all over" at a time when David Beckham hadn't even started to shave. The women's perfume Charlie, launched by Revlon in 1973, is also making a comeback. It was a top-seller at the time, advertised with trouser-wearing models to reinforce the perfume's slogan that it was so "now!" Original perfume products and their packaging from the era do a roaring trade on eBay as consumers buy into all things vintage. Other fragrances that have withstood the test of time over the past three decades include Opium, launched by Yves St Laurent in 1977, L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, and Anais Anais, which came in at the tail end of the decade.
Superdrug has drawn up a "hit list" of other Seventies scents it wants to revive, including Max Factor's Maxi, Aviance Night Musk and Hai Karate, an aftershave which at one point was synonymous with gold medallions and tight trousers. Avon, the cosmetic and perfume giant that was also a Seventies institution, is also attempting a makeover of its image. One in three women in the UK buys products from Avon, and the company still sells more fragrance than any other in the world. One retro-fragrance that Superdrug has decided not to stock, however, is Tabac - an aftershave that smelt of cigarettes and was particularly popular in an age before smoking bans had even been considered.
It is not just the scent of the Seventies that is being revived; according to The Grocer magazine, the tastes of the decade are also returning to our palates. Blue Nun and Mateus Rosé wine, the instant potato mix Smash, Nimble bread and Ringos snacks are enjoying new-found popularity on supermarket shelves. Sonya Hook, of The Grocer, said: "Manufacturers have recognised that trends are cyclical and there is a gap in the market for old favourites."
The lust for the smells of one of the most reviled decades, in fashion terms, has been triggered in part, according to trend-watchers, by film versions of popular programmes such as Starsky and Hutch, The Dukes of Hazzard and Charlie's Angels. Among the best-selling Seventies scents on Superdrug's shelves is Brut aftershave, a product that was one of the first to use a celebrity endorsement to persuade men that grooming wasn't for sissies. The heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper was the original "face" of Brut, urging men to "splash it all over" at a time when David Beckham hadn't even started to shave. The women's perfume Charlie, launched by Revlon in 1973, is also making a comeback. It was a top-seller at the time, advertised with trouser-wearing models to reinforce the perfume's slogan that it was so "now!" Original perfume products and their packaging from the era do a roaring trade on eBay as consumers buy into all things vintage. Other fragrances that have withstood the test of time over the past three decades include Opium, launched by Yves St Laurent in 1977, L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci, and Anais Anais, which came in at the tail end of the decade.
Superdrug has drawn up a "hit list" of other Seventies scents it wants to revive, including Max Factor's Maxi, Aviance Night Musk and Hai Karate, an aftershave which at one point was synonymous with gold medallions and tight trousers. Avon, the cosmetic and perfume giant that was also a Seventies institution, is also attempting a makeover of its image. One in three women in the UK buys products from Avon, and the company still sells more fragrance than any other in the world. One retro-fragrance that Superdrug has decided not to stock, however, is Tabac - an aftershave that smelt of cigarettes and was particularly popular in an age before smoking bans had even been considered.
It is not just the scent of the Seventies that is being revived; according to The Grocer magazine, the tastes of the decade are also returning to our palates. Blue Nun and Mateus Rosé wine, the instant potato mix Smash, Nimble bread and Ringos snacks are enjoying new-found popularity on supermarket shelves. Sonya Hook, of The Grocer, said: "Manufacturers have recognised that trends are cyclical and there is a gap in the market for old favourites."
posted by CRUEL KEV. at Monday, October 02, 2006
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