Great-grand-son of Léopold Franck, the founder of the company, and grand-son of Marcel Franck, the man who developed it and helped it to thrive, Bernard Dennery is taking up today, alongside his own children, the challenge of giving a new lease of life to this emblematic company which has long been the leader in luxury sprays.

In the early twentieth century, the Marcel Franck Company, established in Paris in 1882, provided its sprays to perfumers like Molinard, Worth or Orsay and its frames to glassmakers like Baccarat, Saint Louis, Galle and Lalique. But the brand was also well known to elegant Parisian, and even New York women, who appreciated its chic and practical bottles and sprays, ideal for their favourite perfumes, and which they purchased directly. Very active until the late 1970s, the company, however, was unable to cope with the sector’s increasing industrialization, to the competition from mass-produced mechanical pumps or that of standard sprays, and ceased all activities in 2001.

Today, the development of premium niche fragrances and the trend towards limited luxury editions, allow us to consider the renewal of the brand,” explains Dennery, who bets on a high-end positioning and on the use of luxurious materials (brass, possibly coated with electroplated palladium or gold). “We wish to support brands with rare and high quality perfume brands in their search for exclusivity, particularly through the creation of luxury sprays capable of enchanting the eye, while jealously preserving quality juices,” he adds.

New Models

Hence, the trademarks and models of the Marcel Franck Company were registered again and the activity relaunched in 2011. This is how Escale, an emblematic model of the brand, originally created in 1935, was brought up to date with the technical assistance of university partners and the competitive cluster of the Cosmetic Valley who approved the project. If the exterior design of the initial spray was used, the entire internal mechanism was redesigned using the latest technologies and new materials available, such as ceramic, which enables to guarantee the quality of spraying. The product is 100% made in France.

The development of a purse spray is also under way and prototypes should be ready before summer.

In the image of the company created in 1882, Marcel Franck not only offers luxury sprays, but also small series of glass bottles.These are very high quality bottles, mouth-blown by master glassmakers,” explains Dennery.

A targeted distribution

These bottles, along with the sprays, target perfume enthusiasts and collectors who wish to own emblematic objects. They will be available in specialized perfumeries among rare fragrances, and Marcel Franck has also relied upon the expertise of Différentes Latitudes, the company run by David Frossard, specializing since 2005 in the distribution of alternative perfume and cosmetic brands in Europe.

The offering and the expertise of Marcel Franck also fits into the trend of refillable products which are enjoying an increasing success in the perfume world, and it can also meet the needs of brands launching higher end special operations. Very small runs (100 to 200 pieces) are therefore possible. Dennery believes that “these luxurious bottles are intended to be kept almost forever to keep the juices successively discovered by perfume lovers.

With prices for sprays and bottles ranging from 500 to 1,000 euros, it is anyway a far cry from mass production. And subcontractors working for Marcel Franck do not come from the perfume sector, they are specialists in luxury lighters and watches, or fine artwork glassmakers, based mainly in France and Italy. Several partners of the company are also part of the list of companies belonging to the “Living Heritage” list that distinguishes French companies with outstanding artisan and industrial skills.

The revival of Marcel Franck, reflecting the revival of historical French perfume brands, like Lubin or Jovoy is part of a near-craftsmanship-like, very selective and high-end positioning, where the love for beautiful high-tech products is the priority. “The traditional definition of luxury, in a way” says smilingly Dennery.