What can say about “luxury” a true specialist and a luxury expert? What could say about perfumes a true perfumer? Well, Creezy Courtoy is the person you are looking for. Dedicated to luxury and perfume industry in particular, the author of the famous “Les Routes du Perfum” revealed some of the achievements of many years of experience.
Creation. This is Creezy Courtoy passion. “Luxury is making something with nothing and selling it for a high price. I love this idea of starting from nothing and co-branding something to add value to it. Associating ideas, creating concept… I love to see things growing, happening. I love concretisation and materialisation.”
Here it is! Creezy Courtoy’s Essential Luxury Code:
Respect of the Planet * Respect of Air and Water * Respect of the Health * Respect of Culture * Ethical Products * Quality Products * Products as Pieces of Art * Products Soul and History * Ethical Advertisement * Products as Consumer’s Services
Creezy was a succesful fashion model from the beautiful Felicien Marceau novel. “As I needed to be strong selling myself in that profession and as it was a strong name. I took it with the approval of the writer. This was probably my first contact with Luxury, I understood Luxury was not the object in itself but mostly the power we could add to it. The name I choosed for myself changed my whole life.”
deLUXE lifestyle: In how much time crystallized your concept about “Essential Luxury philosophy”?
Creezy Courtoy: This was one of my intuitions. I lived on visions, intuitions… when you talk to me about something, I always can see it successfull or the way to reach success. “Essential Luxury” is born in May 2008 with the same feeling. I always look for perfection.. in every quest, every question, my drivers will be “right” and “good”.
deLUXE lifestyle: Luxury brands? What is your curent relationship philosophy?
Creezy Courtoy: I trust they will understand the need to change. Consumers have changed already and brands will need to follow if they don’t want to loose their market. I am looking for brands that are not luxury yet, good products, simple products we can add the magic to and transform in luxury brand.
deLUXE lifestyle: How can “luxury” be explained to a child?
Creezy Courtoy: A very good product. Good for you, safe for the planet.
deLUXE lifestyle: You are a very active presence in the online area, including social networks. Is Social Media killing advertising?
Creezy Courtoy: No not killing… people who say that do not understand the change. The change is wonderful as everything new is WONDERFUL. I am learning everyday from all the widgets and marketing possibilities the online world is bringing.
The interested thing is even more the links between the widgets than the widgets. It is like electric circuit in a brain… all connections will give visibility to the brand, it is a new way to communicate and the first to understand this will be the most successful brands in the future.
I also believe in networks and opinion leaders, but this is very small next to what will happen with communication on the internet. We are just at the beginning.
deLUXE lifestyle: What are the last victories and challenges of Perfume Fondation? How can we fight against completely synthetic perfumes?
Creezy Courtoy: Fight? It is a long time I killed this word for perfume. You cannot fight against the chemical industry. They are everywhere, perfume, aroma in food…
Most of the perfumers are leaving Europe as regulations where made by the industry (old industry) for the industry (old one too).
If you want to create a real perfume with flowers, the EU regulation will not allow you to sell them.
There is a new association of perfumers called International Perfumery Association http://www.internationalperfumery.org/
This association represent the new industry, Perfumers that are willing to use natural and lobby for new regulation.
The Perfume Foundation will issue labels for their products as soon as the test system we are putting in place will be ready.
deLUXE lifestyle: What were for you the best moments of crisis labeled 2009? What you have lost or gained because of the recession?
Creezy Courtoy: I gained credibility like all thinkers and creative people. The world realise that now they need to use the other part of their brain, not only the money minded side. Value is more in corporate social responsability, understanding of the new markets, the new challenges and rapidity of understanding also.
If you don’t understand, do not loose time and ask someone who understand if not you will loose the market. We are living a wonderful period where people have to understand success is not in a vertical system anymore but in a horizontal one. Networks, complementarity of people.
deLUXE lifestyle: On what research topics are we working right now?
Creezy Courtoy: Branding and communication. Branding in helping China to develop its own luxury, communication in experimenting everyday new communication systems on the web.
deLUXE lifestyle: What are the next activities as speaker at Luxury Network International and as an Expert at EUROPEAN COMMISSION?
Creezy Courtoy: A luxury panel around the Luxury Code in Shanghai in August 2010 and another one in September 2010 in the Belgian Pavillion (introducing Brussels Expertise in Luxury).
deLUXE lifestyle: You have a nice thought that we spotted somewhere on your web resources:
“I truly believe each country has its own luxury to rediscover in its own heritageand to redefine for its own people.”
East Europe, being for so many decades under the communism opression, had noaccess to information, to luxury brands etc. and turned into an uniform mass of people. How do you think we can overcome this obstacle, from the luxury industry point of view?
Creezy Courtoy: The problem is much more important in Eastern Europe than in China. In China, the difference of culture is huge and we all remember Chinatown. I studied Chinese culture, Japanese culture and history, never Romanian culture. It will be up to Romanian themselves to remember their story and scream it to the world through their designers… You need to create a real movement. This is very exciting as everything new is always exciting even if it is not easy…
deLUXE lifestyle: What chances of survival do you give to the East-European luxury brands? The assimilation by the groups that represent the poles of luxury is inevitable for them?
Creezy Courtoy: Inevitable? Branding a country first base on cultural heritage, involving designers, artists could define a new luxury with a strong personality and cultural identity for each of the Eastern Europe Countries. Strong personalities always survive. Money can come from China as China may be the next currency.
deLUXE lifestyle: How do you think will develop these luxury markets in near future?
Creezy Courtoy:
* Chinese 1
* Brazilian 2
* Indian 3
* Russian 4
* East-European market 5
* South African 6
deLUXE lifestyle: What are your recommended readings concerning Luxury philosophy, Luxury branding, Luxury Industry Field?
Creezy Courtoy: I would recommend nothing right now as everything is changing so fast. The market is changing everyday. If you are not a specialist don’t try. You will not make it. Everyone has its own quality and specification. We are made to complete each other also. I think it is very important to go back in the past, read history book, find the real essence of luxury, heritage, culture, knowledge.
The worst thing is to arrive somewhere without any education, any idea of people culture in imposing its own luxury. Respect of the people is very important. Brands have a huge responsibility in making countries losing their heritage.
deLUXE lifestyle: What are your 5 recommended works for learning about the perfumery field?
Creezy Courtoy: Nothing after 1930 (I have a list of 200 books and manual before 1930 – this will be in the museum).
deLUXE lifestyle: How will you describe your personal perfume? Creezy Courtoy: Natural Jasmine
deLUXE lifestyle: What scent will you create if giving the occasion?
Creezy Courtoy:
Pure jasmine flower
Pure rose flower
Pure ginger essence
Just soliflores
deLUXE lifestyle: Made to measure perfumes? It always work or it is a matter of taste, of the nose and the artistic touch of the perfumer?
Creezy Courtoy: It is a matter of trust, right now as it is not because a product is “bio” or “organic” that it is.It may be just the image of natural.
deLUXE lifestyle: Give us, please, a list o perfumers that you admire.
Creezy Courtoy: Roudnitska, Jean Kerleo, Katia Belli, Isabelle Gelle
deLUXE lifestyle: You traveled and lived in so many countries… Also, you developed a turism project which is based on “smell and scent” – “Les Routes du Parfum”. What is your personal top places, countries that have inspired you most and have left most special memories (visual & olfactory)?
Creezy Courtoy: In Les Routes du Parfum, you have majestic visuals like deserts (Yemen, Oman) you have colorful places like India, China and Japan but also interesting places like Russia where the pharmacies use to own land and fields, glass factories to make perfume and sell them. Romania is also important for its rose fields.
deLUXE lifestyle: What artists impressed you lately?
Creezy Courtoy: I like living art like Abramovitch.
deLUXE lifestyle: Now you are a real source of inspiration for others. Who inspired you over the years?
Creezy Courtoy: I will say Wija Wawo Runtu, as he created the first luxury hotel in Bali “Tanjung Sari”, he was the first as Luxury was not yet in fashion. Also Richard Branson because he is a brilliant mind..
Creezy Courtoy in brief:
* Luxury Expert
* Chairman at THE PERFUME FOUNDATION
* Chairman at Perfume Foundation
* Speaker at Luxury Network International
* Owner at LUXURY NETWORK INTERNATIONAL
* Proprietorship at CREEZY!
* Expert at EUROPEAN COMMISSION
* Member at FEMMES LEADER
More about Creezy Courtoy: www.creezycourtoy.blogspot.com | www.perfumefoundation.org | http://luxurycode.wordpress.com
