Max Mara Partners With Shiseido to Launch First Fragrance Fronted by Florence Pugh

Max Mara is continuing celebrations for its 75th anniversary with the launch of Le Parfum, the luxury fashion house's inaugural fragrance developed in partnership with Shiseido. The scent hits store shelves next week.

The debut release under a long-term licensing agreement signed in 2024 is fronted by actress Florence Pugh. Its concept draws direct inspiration from Max Mara’s heritage outerwear expertise, specifically referencing the iconic 101801 coat design first introduced in 1981.

“There’s a real sense of confidence that feels natural in Max Mara’s universe,” Pugh said. “The clothes don’t try to transform you or make a statement for you—they support you. They allow women to feel grounded, composed and comfortable in who they are, which creates a very natural kind of confidence. That subtlety, that restraint, is what keeps drawing me back to the brand.”

Pugh noted that her personal connection to fragrance reflects the same philosophy. “Perfume has always been something very personal to me. It’s never about announcing myself or leaving a strong statement behind. I wear fragrance for myself—as a way to feel grounded, held, more present in my body,” she added.

In a joint interview, Shiseido EMEA President and CEO Alberto Noé and Shiseido President of Global Fragrances Yaël Tuil emphasized the conceptual parallel between the Max Mara coat and the new scent, designed to wrap the wearer in a comforting "second skin" layer.

“The first element that comes to everybody’s mind when we speak about Max Mara is the coat,” Tuil said. “Just like putting on your coat before going out, the final gesture you take in your bathroom is spritzing your fragrance. It gives you this invisible coat, this final touch of elegance and confidence. Warmth, sensuality, silhouette, elegance—all these words apply to coats, but also to fragrances.”

Tuil added that establishing a brand-new pillar within prestige perfumery requires strategic focus. “This is not just the launch of a new fragrance; it’s the launch of a new brand within the fragrance arena. That is what makes this project distinctive, ambitious, and deeply aligned with the brand's core identity.”

Perfumers Marie Salamagne and Fabrice Pellegrin formulated the composition around a musky wood base of cedarwood and Australian sandalwood. They layered gentle tuberose notes sourced from Grasse and Guatemala with warm vanilla and deep benzoin extract. Navigating modern fragrance manufacturing complexity remains critical for beauty conglomerates scaling prestige fine fragrances across diverse retail channels.

The glass bottle’s packaging design references Max Mara’s signature tailoring with a lacquered camel belt around its center, complete with realistic stitching and a gold-accented button cap. Formulated for refillability, the scent will be available in 35-ml, 50-ml, and 100-ml formats retailing at $110, $150, and $180, respectively.

Unusually for Shiseido, the fragrance will launch simultaneously across North America and Europe. “We’re not used to doing that—we typically start in Europe and then expand,” Noé explained. “This time we created the scent with the clear intent to enter the U.S. immediately, which is a key strategic market for this rollout.”

In the U.S., the fragrance debuts via an exclusive product launch across Ulta Beauty brick-and-mortar stores and online. In Europe, a parallel retail agreement launches the line at Douglas on Sept. 1.

Following the initial retail windows, the scent will expand into premier U.S. department stores including Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Dillard’s. The combined distribution across Europe and North America will span 10,000 retail doors in more than 50 countries, alongside dedicated window displays at Max Mara boutiques and the fashion brand’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce site.

Rollouts in China and Japan are scheduled for 2027. “In these markets, consumer interest is heavily influenced by momentum established in the U.S. and Europe,” Noé said. “Our goal is to build strong market leadership in the West first before expanding into Asia.”

Noé noted that the strategic objective is to secure a spot among the top three fragrance launches in both the U.S. and EMEA. Key performance drivers are projected to be the U.S., Italy—where brand recognition is highest—Germany, and Spain.

“We have ambitious targets for this launch, which remains entirely consistent with Max Mara’s legacy across product design, bottle aesthetics, narrative storytelling, and global communications,” Noé added.

The supporting advertising campaign, photographed by long-time Max Mara collaborator Mario Sorrenti, features Pugh wrapped in a signature camel coat within a minimalist studio setting.

Sorrenti aimed to capture “a quiet, feminine strength,” designing the visuals to feel intimate and authentic. “There’s a natural, quiet fearlessness in Florence,” Sorrenti said. “She radiates confidence from within.”

Tuil echoed that perspective, noting that Pugh embodies the modern quiet luxury values central to Max Mara. “The Max Mara woman doesn't need to shout to be noticed, but when she enters a room, her presence is undeniable. Florence embodies that exact balance.”

Tuil highlighted Pugh’s global reach, noting that while the Academy Award-nominated actress is British, more than half of her social media audience resides in the U.S., helping to bridge core demographic targets.

The initial release marks the first step in Shiseido’s broader strategy to establish a dedicated luxury fragrance pillar for Max Mara, with executive leadership confirming additional extensions are planned.

The license is operated by Shiseido EMEA, which also manages high-end fragrance portfolios for brands such as Issey Miyake, Narciso Rodriguez, Tory Burch, Zadig & Voltaire, and Serge Lutens. Discussions regarding the partnership began prior to the pandemic and were finalized in 2024 around shared values of craftsmanship, quality, and luxury positioning. As highlighted in recent global beauty earnings reports, corporate beauty leaders are leaning into long-term licensing deals to accelerate growth in the fine fragrance category.

Shiseido stood as the world's eighth-largest beauty manufacturer in 2025, recording annual net sales of 969.99 billion yen ($6.48 billion). Meanwhile, Max Mara Fashion Group—which includes brands such as Sportmax, Weekend Max Mara, Max&Co, and Marella—reported annual revenue of 1.99 billion euros, with international exports driving 56% of sales across 2,300 global retail stores in more than 100 countries.