George Zaharoff, the 25-year-old heir to the Zaharoff family fortune, has just introduced a new, lush fragrance for women, exclusive at Nordstrom, in celebration of the "modern classic woman." While visiting the downtown Nord-strom store, the stylish, energetic young mogul reminisced about the family dynasty to which he belongs.
His great-grandfather, he says, was "the wealthiest man on Earth in the early 1900s." As a resident of Paris, he exercised lavish interest in his philanthropies and enjoyed a passionate love of life. He was knighted by the queen of England and given medals of honor from France.When he fell in love with the daughter of the king of Spain, he didn't feel worthy to marry her. Zaharoff says his great-grandfather decided he needed a principality of his own first. He purchased a casino in Monaco, then married the love of his life and lived there with her until she died seven years later.
He gave the casino to the Grimaldis, the family that rules Monaco, then moved to the south of France, where he died a lonely, broken-hearted man.
George Zaharoff decided he wanted to blend this fairy-tale story with his own dreams.
"I picture my great-grandfather in 1920, living in the south of France, in a place with wood floors and high ceilings, candles in the windows, and he is fantasizing about this woman he loved so much. I thought, `How did she speak to him? How did she hold him? How did she smell?' At that moment, the scent crystallized in me, and I knew what I was looking for."
Young Zaharoff, who received his degree in operations management from DePaul University in Chicago, wanted the scent to be wealthy, luxurious and unique. He closeted himself and studied the perfume industry.
Afterward, he approached Quest International in Paris, one of the largest perfume houses in the world, and said he had ideas. They were interested, so he sat down and worked on clay to design a bottle in a shape to symbolize the proud stance of a "modern classic woman" - hands on her hips, the back of the bottle curved inward.
Finally, he and the experts at Quest International went through 2,000 fragrance variations until they created the "juice" he envisioned - made of sandalwood and jasmine from France, a deep rose and iris from Italy - something designed to captivate the senses.
The freshness, says Zaharoff, lingers with notes of Muguet, Madonna Lilium, and crisp green Orris. The supportive complex is dominated by exotic amber.
The perfume was designed for the Zaharoff woman, a "woman of the new century, unique, self-reliant, mysterious." Zaharoff breathes energy when he talks about her - a woman who is strong willed, a mover and shaker, a senior executive, a buyer, a housewife, classic but modern.
He sees her using her energies "to make things happen in the world. She sets her path and conquers new territory. She has calm confidence, she is understated and elegant, timeless and modern, growing spiritually and mentally with every day that passes."
Zaharoff put "the juice" through a focus group of 200 people, who wore it for two weeks and reported their experience. Not only were 98 percent pleased with the fragrance, but they had none of the typical side effects, such as headaches or allergic reactions.
Zaharoff's exciting new fragrance hit the streets on Dec. 7, beginning in the Chicago Nordstrom store, and the 1.7 ounce bottle sold for $59. It has been well-received.
"In the first month," says Zaharoff, "you can tell if a fragrance will do well. It's a relief - and it all started with clay. The key is excellence. If you want to compete in the marketplace, you have to do everything right."
Zaharoff is off to a strong start in his dream to create "a full house - the clothing, the shoes, the bag, the fragrance, everything. The fragrance is my first step." In a few years, Zaharoff hopes to become an international household name.