Interview with Segen Scott
Lafco NY
Segen, Please tell us about any new products you are currently offering at Lafco NY-
The new product assortment this season is really amazing. We have new candles from Santa Maria Novella – the most important being the Candle with Pot-Pourri Fragrance. The LAFCO House & Home candles are IN STOCK and just the best treat yourself gift. Eau D’ Italie’s Newest and I must say my favorite- Baume du Doge….Think rolling around in a bed of spices in Venice!!! Mamma Mia – Now that is Carnival! Plus we have all the Beautiful Holiday Gift Boxes ready and waiting to be brought and shared with your loved ones. **Can you believe we are upon another Holiday Season….For all of you traveling for the Fall Ball…Make that list and check it twice…at LAFCO!
Now for the Real bit of NEW NEWS: The Newest of them all is the New EDP’s from Linari! They are Launching in America on October 26, 2008 at noon! That’s right – Launching during the Fall Ball at LAFCO. Mr. Linari is flying from Hamburg Germany to present them to you and give us the real inside scoop on each fragrance! Who knows – he may bring samples for us.
What are some of the most popular fragrances and/or products at Lafco NY?
I love you Mrs. RB, but I hate this question! I mean come on, but if I have too…SMN’s Honeysuckle Cologne, SMN’s Pot-Pourri (always and forever) and anything Pomegranate. The Rozan candle from Claus Porto and the matching Pump Soap has become the IT “twin-set” for any chic powder room. LAFCO’s House and Home – the tops are Ski House, Kitchen and Town House. I have a new addiction…..Burning Ski House and Living Room together at the same time - the blend of Floral with Feu De Bois – OUT OF THIS WORLD.
I understand that a Lafco will be opening in Texas-can you tell us about that?
The Dallas store is open as of October 21, 2008! It holds true to the LAFCO experience as being yet another Fragrance Lovers “Play Station!” The store is located in Highland Park Village, Dallas’s ultra shopping plaza and we have this divine jewel box store. For those in the know, you will find all your needs and for the Newbie – “Play Station now activated.”
What do you like best about managing Lafco NY; it must be very exciting and rewarding…
Luxury goods, people, selling, talking, teaching and believing: these in no special order are the top enjoyments of my post at LAFCO/Santa Maria Novella USA. My career as always been wrapped in luxury goods and selling them to people of all kind, as long as I believe in what I am selling and where it comes from. I am thrilled and willing to come to back to LAFCO each day do “this” again.
I have the opportunity to work with people from both retail and wholesale in order to have the best understanding of where our customer comes from want luxury products turn them on. I/we also understand that luxury products do not have to cost a lot of money. I as well as my staff take each customer and treat them with the same level of respect – no matter if you are buying a $16 bar of soap or a $3000 Santa Maria Novella Gift Box – what matters to us is the relationship we develop. These are just some of the “pieces of the puzzle” that I get to help put together in order to build continued success in LAFCO/Santa Maria Novella USA.
Look at what we have with all you Sniffas! We have loved watching you grow and become so large….you almost don’t fit in our store anymore! (I said ALMOST, calm down Karens) and you allowed us to grow too.
Every year, twice a year you come and see us – as a group. I love being the kid who has his friends over for a “play date” and show you all the new toys. You have the same passion and enjoyment as I/we do and no matter if I/we have new things, a goodie bag or nothing new and no goodie bag – I still get to see you, catch up, teach and learn with you and if I am lucky…sell you something. (Hopefully your favorite and something NEW!)
SMN Potpourri Candle
Candela Al Pot Pourri
The essence of Santa Maria Novella's famous pot-pourri now available in this beautiful candle. Made in the traditional way at the SMN factory in Florence, each candle is infused with Santa Maria Novella's very own oragnic fragrance.
This clean burning 2 3/8 x 7 inch candle is a 100% natural palm wax base and will give you a virtually dripless burn of over 90 hours.
Lafco New York
Highlights of LAFCO New York
By Mark David Boberick
Always on the cusp of fabulousness –
LAFCO New York has a reputation for
bringing us a wonderful trove of imported
scented luxury products. This includes,
but is not limited to, the exceptional
products of Santa Maria Novella from
Florence. This Pharmacy has been in
business since 1612 and offers a
staggering collection of colognes
and products ranging from Iris toothpaste
to Almond foot cream and Potpourri to amazing, rose infused liqueurs.
One of the best-selling products from the line, and certainly one of my favorites, is the Melograno Colonia.
This fragrance mixes the tart taste of the pomegranate with an insistent, powdery floral undertone and is
perfect for day or night, and for men or women. It is elegantly comforting and also manages to be
comfortingly elegant. The Melograno line is one of the largest in the Santa Maria Novella collection
which also includes Men’s after shave balm, bath oil and salts, shampoo for dry hair, powder, and
candles as well as one of the most glorious soaps one could ever use. Their soaps, which are made
from all natural whole milk and are aged for 2 months are by no means a best-kept secret of the line
– in fact they are one of the most praised products in the collection and can be found in a vast array
of scents including Iris and Musk.
LAFCO also features the Le Sirenuse Eau d’Italie range which first began as products the
Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano offered to their guests. Eventually, the products became
so popular that they decided to sell them in their hotel and fortunately for us, at LAFCO
as well. Their signature scent, Eau d’Italie was recently named one of the best unisex
fragrances by Allure magazine and continues to be one of LAFCO’s best sellers.
Perfect for fall from the range is the scent Bois d’Ombrie which is a smoky warm wood
fragrance that really radiates and produces some amazing, subtle sillage.
Recent Prix Coty award winning perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi’s line of stunning fragrances
is also featured at LAFCO. The latest Villoresi scent, Alamut is a warm and sensual
journey right out of 1001 Arabian Nights. The exquisite floral top notes of rose and
jasmine meld into even more glorious florals in the heart such as Narcissus and
Tuberose and eventually come to rest on a warm amber and musk base with exotic
woods. There is a slight powdery feel to this fragrance from start to finish, but I urge
powder-haters to try it anyway – you may be pleasantly surprised.
LAFCO is a fabulous destination teeming with luxuries for everyone. For a list
of products in the Santa Maria Novella, Eau d’Italie, and Lorenzo Villoresi
ranges, as well as a complete listing of their other lines including their superior
home fragrance collections, be sure to visit their website at www.lafcony.com
