This breathtaking setting high in the hills above Cannes offered a magnificent backdrop to the evening’s proceedings
Coty last night (13 May) unveiled its innovative new Orveda OmniPotent Concentrate serum and Infiniment Coty Paris, the latter described as the company’s most ambitious fragrance project to date and “the future of niche fragrance”.
The dazzling dual launch event, held on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival (16-27 May), was hosted at the renowned Villa Botanica in Grasse – the perfume capital of the world. It was attended by celebrities and beauty and business editors from around the globe, including The Moodie Davitt Report from the travel retail sector.
Coty introduced ‘Coty Protopia’, the house’s vision for empowering bold and creative expressions of beauty. The company said Coty Protopia represents a new approach to power beauty through cutting-edge innovation and science, underpinned by a commitment to sustainability and new art.
“Together, these brands chart a new course for Coty, fusing art, science, and sustainability”
As part of the launch, over 100 VIP guests were able to sample a selection of Orveda’s products and hear from the scientific and creative teams behind the two new innovations inside this specially created bubble
Martin Moodie discovers the world of Orveda via virtual reality
Coty CEO Sue Y. Nabi welcomes guests to Villa Botanica. “Tonight we are thrilled to show you two of our latest projects that are born from the spirit and demonstrate the new direction for beauty at Coty,” she said.
Martin Moodie had the privilege to catch up with the inspirational Coty CEO
Welcoming guests to the evening, Coty Chief Executive Officer Sue Y. Nabi said, “We are opening today a new chapter in the Coty story and in the future of the beauty industry. This is a new era, one which we believe is perfectly embodied by the two innovations that you have discovered today.
“Our purpose is to unleash every vision of beauty. The logical next step in Coty’s journey is to drive serious and progressive improvement in the beauty offering. We call it Protopia.
“It’s a state of continuous technological and creative advancement, step by step to achieve a more human-centred, sustainable and more equitable world. The Coty Protopia is a bold, creative and above all, avant-garde pursuit of science in the service of beauty. It is underpinned by efficacy and sustainability as the ultimate drivers of innovation.
“So tonight, we are thrilled to show you two of our latest projects that are born from the spirit and demonstrate the new direction for beauty at Coty.”
In an official statement Nabi added: “At Coty, we firmly believe that no-one can control or dictate what is, or is not, beautiful. The future of beauty we strive to create is one anchored in a deep respect for, and commitment to, infinite expressions of individual beauty and experiences.
“This ethos is embodied in our latest innovations, Orveda’s new Omnipotent Concentrate serum, which I believe is perhaps the most potent serum of all time. Infiniment Coty Paris, our most ambitious fragrance project to date, aims to usher in a new era for fragrances and perfumery, representing to fragrance what Orveda is to skincare.”
Innovative, futuristic and best in class
Speaking informally during a briefing that morning to international media at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, Nabi said of Orveda’s co-founding by her and Nicolas Vu in 2014, “The dream was to create something that will reinvent what it means to do high-end skincare.”
Coty Chief Brands Officer Constantin Sklavenitis: “This is a very important moment for the brand Orveda. It is probably one of the biggest launch innovations we have done at Coty.”
Sue Y. Nabi: “This new serum is perhaps going to be one of the most potent and most talked-about serums in our industry – it’s really a big innovation”
Loïc Amiot: “It’s about working with skin not against it”
Dr Shimei Fan: “We believe skincare is science. The recipe for achieving success in skincare requires three elements: expertise, IP patent and knowhow and ultimately superior product performance.”
Ulrich Katusevanako: “It took us over three years of development and over 100 trials to get the perfect formula”
She continued: “We created what we do believe today are some of the most innovative and most concentrated blend of actives that do work with the skin not against it. So I’m very happy to see the brand today entering this new chapter. This new serum is perhaps going to be one of the most potent and most talked-about serums in our industry – it’s really a big innovation.”
Speaking of the new fragrance and the fact that it carries the Coty name, Nabi said, “It represents a kind of a comeback to our roots because Coty was created in Paris.
“This new project I do believe is to fragrances what Orveda is to skincare, meaning very innovative, futuristic, and best-in-class with the best technologies of the company encapsulated into it.”
In her subsequent opening speech that evening, Nabi also celebrated Coty’s 30-year partnership with DKMS, one of the most significant non-profit organisations in the fight against blood cancer, as well as the largest stem cell donor centre worldwide.
DKMS Global Chairman Katharina Harf spoke movingly of the organisation’s mission and ethos before sharing a powerful film highlighting some of its critical projects and lifesaving initiatives, thanks in large part to the support of Coty.
Katharina Harf: “DKMS has offices in several countries, and we have registered over 11 million donors worldwide. As a result, over 100,000 DKMs donors have provided second chances to patients in over 60 countries.”
Click on the image to discover how DKMS provides blood cancer patients with a second chance at life
Sitting at the crossroads of scientific innovation
Founded in 2014, Orveda is a pioneer renowned for accelerating the microbiome and prebiotics science in skincare. All products are vegan, sustainably-minded, and genderless.
“As part of our continued quest to power beauty with cutting-edge science, Orveda has created OmniPotent Concentrate, a new serum that sits at the crossroads of scientific innovation in the areas of microbiome and cellular longevity,” said Orveda CEO and Co-Founder Nicolas Vu.
“OmniPotent Concentrate has shown very strong clinical results and is expected to further cement Orveda’s leading position at the nexus of innovation, beauty, and wellness.”
To further highlight its unique relationship between art, science, and sustainability, Orveda also announced a collaboration with the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation to sponsor aspiring fashion designers from across Africa and Asia.
Martin Moodie catches up with Coty Chief Commercial Officer Prestige Caroline Andreotti, a hugely respected figure in the travel retail and beauty sectors
Established in 2007 by renowned designer Azzedine Alaïa, the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation is committed to preserving and celebrating diverse works across the disciplines of art, fashion, and design.
Coty said its collaboration with the Foundation will serve to disrupt mainstream, obsolete expressions of beauty on the global stage, and provide a new arena for under-represented contemporary creatives to explore and unleash their unique perceptions of beauty.
(Not) lost on you: Singer-songwriter LP delivered a dazzling performance before guests enjoyed a four-course dinner curated by multi-Michelin starred chef Dominique Crenn
Introducing Infiniment Coty Paris
Coty described Infiniment Coty Paris as its most ambitious and most premium fragrance project to date.
Harnessing over a century of experience and some of the most creative talents in beauty, Infiniment Coty Paris will be to fragrance what Orveda is to skincare: a leading pioneer in the industry, the company pledge. The collection will ultimately include a range of fourteen diverse scents. It is expected to be launched globally in 2024 and is the first fragrance with patents pending for both the formulation and the packaging.
“Infiniment Coty Paris is a creation that marks a natural progression for the company, fusing beauty, science, and art,” said Nabi. “Today’s announcement is a small teaser of all that is to come in the coming months, when we unveil the full extent of this exciting project to consumers across the globe.”
In celebrating wide-ranging forms of modern beauty, Infiniment Coty Paris has partnered with the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair to showcase innovative works from artists across Africa. 1-54 is the first and only international art fair dedicated to highlighting contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora.
Two of the works selected as part of the collaboration were displayed at the Villa Botanica event. ✈
