Click...Then Sniff

Perfume is more personal than any cosmetic. Modern technology has made it possible to connect with your soul scent by tapping your screen.

- Jessica Matlin

WHEN CULT FASHION brand Maison Margiela launched Replica, its first fragrance collection, in the U.S., it was nearly impossible to smell it in a store. With the exception of select Margiela boutiques and Barneys stores, the collection was exclusive to Sephora.com. Translation: You couldn’t spray it before buying it. Ultimately, it didn’t matter according to Alexandre Choueiri, president of international designer collections at L’Oréal USA, which licenses the fragrances, “People fell in love with the scents’ stories online.” Unlike most perfume packaging, Replica’s wasn’t just decorative. Each box features a Pintereststyle photo: Beach Walk has a seascape, By the Fireplace, a roaring furnace. The shots, and many more, were on its website too—a contrast from the many sites that tend to rely on images of highly paid actresses and models to create the mood. Another twist: Margiela promoted the collection with the hashtag #SmellsLike Memories. People started snapping pics of sand, wintry scenes—whatever the scents reminded them of. All this ignited customers’ curiosity, and Replica took off. The fragrances sold well above the company’s projections, even cracking Sephora’s top-10. “It defeated the paradigm that people will only buy perfume if they can smell it first,” says Choueiri.