Swiss luxury group Richemont does not want to be left behind and is following in the footsteps of the luxury giants. Richemont announced last week that it was creating its own beauty division with the aim of boosting and expanding its fragrance business and positioning itself alongside the major players in the beauty and luxury sector.
Richemont has originated this new business branch, which it has named Laboratoire de Haute Parfumerie et Beauté. This unexpected, though predictable perhaps for luxury industry experts and followers, serves "to enable our six houses already involved in the perfume sector to reach critical mass in this highly competitive field, where scale is crucial", as the group, which owns iconic brands such as Cartier and Chloé, explained in a statement. This news comes with three new additions to the company who will be in charge of leading and spearheading the beauty division. Boet Brinkgreve will be the director of this new entity and until then, he held the position of president of the ingredients and purchasing division at dsm-Firmenich, among others. With this appointment, Richemont is relying on Bringkeve's more than 30 years of experience in the chemical and fragrance industry.
The company has great confidence in Boet Brinkgeve, who they see as a key player in the development of this new venture: "He will be instrumental in enabling our houses to reach their full potential in this dynamic market, broadening their customer base while strengthening their capabilities to meet the needs of their highly demanding customers. With his deep knowledge of the fragrance industry, his previous success in driving new businesses, his remarkable track record in building winning international teams and his commitment to sourcing sustainable ingredients, I am confident that Boet will prove to be a remarkable addition to the group," explained group chairman Johann Rupert.
In the press release issued by Richemont, they made it clear that the platform will work together with the six houses, respecting their unique high-end positioning and leveraging their resources to develop "the most refined creations and the most promising licences".