Coty signs up Gwen Stefani for range of fragrances

Coty Prestige is launching a series of five fragrances with pop singer Gwen Stefani. The collection, to be called Harajuku Lovers, is due to arrive in stores this September.

The fragrances will come in individual doll-shaped bottles intended to represent Stefani and each of her four backing singers. The scents, inspired by Stefani’s own vision of her backing singers, are named Love, Lil’ Angel, Music and Baby, and range from light florals to musks. The fifth, based on Stefani herself, is called G.

The fragrances are positioned as individual products, but Coty hopes customers will buy more than one because of the novelty value of the set of figurines.

The name Harajuku Lovers, also the name of Stefani’s 2005 tour, comes from the singer’s strong interest in Tokyo’s Harajuku area. The brand was originally launched as clothing and merchandise to support the tour, but has since extended to encompass jewellery, charms, stationery, stickers and other products intended to appeal to Stefani’s teenage fans.

It is expected that the Harajuku Lovers fragrances will be introduced in the US first, but will also be launched in international markets such as the UK, France, Germany, China, Australia and Japan.

Coty Prestige has already launched one fragrance with Stefani, when it partnered with the singer’s L.A.M.B. clothing and accessory line last year on the perfume, called simply L.

Stefani’s L.A.M.B. brand is pitched at an older, more sophisticated market.