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NEW YORK -- With a series of sly and seamless moves worthy of a seductress, Robin Burns has changed the character of Victoria's Secret Beauty before anyone quite knew what was happening.
From a shop filled with $25 fragrances and fruit-scented toiletries priced at three for $21, Burns, in her two years as president and chief executive officer of Intimate Beauty Corp., has deftly traded up the merchandise with scents and lotions priced $39 and higher. Bold pink and gold shopping bags have been supplanted by more sophisticated pale pink-on-pink designs. And in-store curved display tables and soft lighting are replacing standard shelving units.
In little more than a year, Burns has launched a trilogy of prestige-priced scents under the lingerie company's Dream Angels banner that have exceeded predictions and are expected to ring up $200,000 in sales this year.
The plan is to build "a portfolio of fragrance" over a period of time, said Burns, a former top Estee Lauder executive, speaking from the company's 43rd-floor conference room, complete with wraparound views of Central Park and the surrounding city.
And now, Burns and her power team -- she poached talent from every corner of the industry -- are girding to prove their staying power. For the first time, it will unveil a prestige scent not directly linked to a successful Victoria's Secret lingerie franchise. The fragrance, called Pink, will make its debut in April.
Pink, according to Burns, "is sexy and sophisticated, ultrafeminine and playful, but it is distinctive from Angels."
Pink, a fresh, floral fragrance, will make its debut in two forms -- Parfum Luxe, a richer, fuller scent with 26 percent concentration, and an eau de parfum spray with 20 percent concentration. Luxe is available only in a 1-oz. size for $48, while the eau de parfum comes in sizes of 0.5 ounces for $25, 1.7 ounces for $39 and 2.5 ounces for $45. Ancillary products will follow in July. Victoria's Secret executives declined to comment on numbers, but industry sources believe the collection could produce sales of $48 million by yearend.
Created by Annie Buzantian, master perfumer at Firmenich, Pink has top notes...