|
 |
|
COMPANY
CREATED BY
Patricia de Nicolaï and Jean-Louis
Michau.
Patricia and her husband Jean-Louis have created together
NICOLAI in 1989, based on a unique concept :
“a company base on its creator, family owned, having
the ambition to create top-notch fragrances, at affordable
prices, with a long term development”.
A Double opportunity at the beginning of the company: Patricia
de Nicolaï, with a third child wanted a different life,
where she could manage freely her own time, and also where
she could express herself as a creator. Jean-Louis Michau,
trained as an economist at the University of Chicago was ready
to change his professionnal occupation, after being a consultant
for large firms.
|
|
From
the beginning of NICOLAI, each of the founder of the company
has its own role: Patricia is in charge of perfume creation,
of buying essential oils, and to produce the fragrance in
the factory.
Jean-Louis is in charge of packaging creation, shop design
and fittings, creation of new products, production and of
course usual management duties.
|
Development and products
From 1989 to 1993, in the first shop 69 avenue Raymond Poincaré
in Paris 16th arrondissement near the Trocadero and Etoile,
all production was organized in the basement.
Quickly space was needed, and NICOLAI decided to locate their
workshop near ORLEANS, 2 hours south of Paris in the “Cosmetic
Valley”, so called because this area gathers more than
60% of manufacture of french perfumes (essential oils are
still made in Grasse on the Riviera). Now with 2.000m2 it
is large enough to face any order.
Home fragrances have quickly been a hit, because competition
for these products was not too large, and mainly because Patricia
was coming in this market with expensive formulas, and no
competitor at this quality level.
|
|
Body perfums nevertheless have always been important, and their share in the total turnover is growing constantly, to more than 50% of value.
An interesting innovation was the labelling of a new concept of catalytic perfume lamp. At that time the only competitor was Lampe Berger, and Nicolaï came with many innovations: to begin with very high quality fragrances, unknown at that time on this market. Now it is a separate company, but Patricia is in charge of creation and have made more than 40 different fragrances for « lampe du parfumeur ». Lamps contribute for a large part to NICOLAI results.
NICOLAI starts from essential oils, and produces finished products. Nowadays it is a unique approach that you can only find by Chanel and Hermès. Other companies do not have their own perfumer, or do not manufacture themselves.
The main reason is that most companies are marketed oriented, and the creator cannot be free; the best creator of the time is in charge of new products; but most fragrances smell about the same at the same period. Exactly like in fashion in addition for “prêt a porter”, you still need “haute couture” where creator can freely sign its own creations. It is not the most market oriented products, but often it tends to be the most elegant and in the long run the highest quality. Patricia de Nicolaï’s creation are unanimously respected in the small world of french perfumery as being today at the highest level both for quality and creativity.
|
|
