JULIETTE HAS A GUN: SUNNY SIDE UP
“I always like doing things a bit differently”, says Romano Ricci. This year the founder of the perfume ‘Juliette Has A Gun’ surprises with Café Juliette, a unique perfumery concept, a bar where people can sit, chat, eat, read and enjoy perfumes like the latest creation: Sunny Side Up (100ml €85). The bright and warm scent with woody notes and sweet vanilla is the perfect winter antidote, and is now on sale at skins.nl.
Romano, you created Juliette Has A Gun 11 years ago, are you still in love with Juliette?
“I am! I still get inspired by her and new ideas keep popping into my mind. The concept of Juliette is much deeper then I thought when I started. In the end I think she lives inside every woman, even in men.”
Do you know the term the ‘7 year itch’? It suggests that happiness in a relationship declines after around year seven of a marriage?
“That’s interesting because it sure feels as if am married to Juliette. After seven years there was a new breath: the launch of the luxury limited edition collection with Oil Fiction for men and women. Luckily the olfactory field is kind of wide, so I never got bored with Juliette and I never stuck to one type of Juliette - who anyway is a kind of impertinent girl. A mix of tradition with the zest of impertinence, that is what Juliette Has A Gun is saying.”
What type of woman did you have in mind when you created Juliette Has A Gun?
“I wanted the perfume to appeal to women who stand out, who do things differently and have a certain character and liberty. That’s why I also added Has A Gun. Juliette is very outspoken: you like it or you don’t.”
If I wanted it to appeal to lots of women then I would have called the perfume Juliette. Just like other fragrances with only a first name such as Chloé or Coco.”
Do you as the grandson of Nina Ricci regret that the Ricci company was sold to Puig?
“Firstly, even if the company was still in the family I would have created my own universe. The DNA of my grandfather Robert Ricci is totally different from mine. My grandfather had a David Hamilton-like vision on femininity: very young and innocent. For me it is more about a spicy femininity.
Secondly, one of the reasons the company was sold to Puig is that my father and grandfather were in a kind of war. Which was sad for them because my father was his only son. It was also sad for me because that fight was my first impression of the perfumery business and fashion world. However, as I said, if it still was owned by the family I would have gone my own way.”
Tell me about Café Juliette, it must be a very particular concept?
“I always like doing things a bit differently. I invented a perfume café with a huge bar and sales girls. It’s very chic. I wanted a place where people come, read magazines and drink free champagne or coffee. There are menus for the Juliette range of fragrances. It is very unusual that customers can sit in a beauty store. Also unique are the restrooms. They are really surprising and very ‘Instagrammable’. With a funny and trendy place like this I want to trigger the idea of the perfumery.”
You call perfume ‘invisible fashion’.
“Just as a certain hairstyle, makeup or shoes, perfume is like an invisible dress that can strengthen a look. Spritz with Lady Vengeance and transform into a more powerful person. You’ll get self confidence. I love that idea.”
