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New
York - Joseph Gregory is an ambitious 34-year
old with an eye for opportunity and a taste for
drama.
That
combination led him to take his chances in the
fragrance business with a scent called Fable,
which he spent eight years developing.
And
not just any fable. It is positioned on the Hope
Diamond, a bauble once owned by Gregory's great
grandmother, Evalyn Walsh McLean. The diamond,
the largest blue stone of its kind in the world,
valued at $250 million, now rests in the Museum
of Natural History in Washington, where it attracts
an average of seven million people a year.
Gregory,
who said he once spent an hour and a half observing
how people reacted to the stone, marveled at its
drawing power. "I felt it would be great
for marketing," he said.
Gregory
also has the benefit of a fragrance background.
While attending Belmont College as a theater major
— "I wanted to be a game show host"
— he was shopping for fragrance at Dillard's
in Nashville, Tenn., when he was offered a gig
as a fragrance model, pushing Casesars Man, a
1988 introduction. That led to a job behind the
fragrance counter at Dillard's in the Grenn Hills
Mall, then to three and a half years as a rotater
for Boucheron, training counter personnel in Caster
Knott stores.
Through
all this time on the selling floor, Gregory kept
a journal of what kinds of fragrances customers
asked for. The result, financed with family funds,
is a woodsy-floral-oriental scent composed by
Claude Dir of Quest of International.
Fable
has top notes of ivy, bergamot, rosewood and ylang
ylang. Middle notes consist of plum, jasmine,
pimento, cherry wood and crème Brûlée
— a favorite of Gregory's great grandmother.
The base contains white iris, musk, amber and
sandalwood.
Marc
Rosen designed the packaging of the line, which
consists of five items, ranging from a 1.7oz eau
de parfum, priced $75, to a 1oz perfume for $375.
The
perfume bottle was designed to resemble the cuff
of a bracelet and Rosen based a 0.25oz purse spray,
priced $125, on an antique container of smelling
salts.
Consultant
Pamela Vaile worked on the marketing. She said
Fable will be launched at Bergdorf Goodman April
12 and makes its debut at Neiman Marcus May 9.
Vaile envisions a gradual build, with a distribution
this year of no more than 50 doors. Industry sources
peg the volume possibilities at $1 million.
Vaile
said that a men's Fable is in the works and another
women's scent is contemplated for 2002. Bath and
body products are also in the offing.
Gregory
apparently seems intent on turning a bit of family
history into a master brand. "This is company
with a vision for the future," Vaile said.
"This is not a one-shot deal."
—
P.B.
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