Red Door is Elizabeth Arden’s classic, elegant signature fragrance. Introduced in 1989, it is a symbol of glamour and luxury, inspired by the iconic red door.
In honor of its 100th anniversary, Elizabeth Arden is re-launching Red Door with a captivating new bottle and package design. It’s the same classic fragrance you love, now with a luxe new look.
“The Red Door is a timeless symbol for the Elizabeth Arden total beauty experience, which is as modern and relevant today as it was when Elizabeth Arden first opened her door back in 1910,” explains Elizabeth Park, Executive Vice President Global Marketing and General Manager Elizabeth Arden USA. “This year as we celebrate our beauty heritage and look to the future, it is the perfect time for Red Door to make a bold new statement.”
“Red Door is a true fragrance classic,” says Geri Archer, Vice President Global Fragrance Marketing Elizabeth Arden. “It’s a bold, assertive floral that evokes glamour and confidence. It has a beautiful complexity that’s always intriguing and always new. Red Door has stood the test of time and built a lasting following, as women around the world continue to discover it and make it their own.”
Perfumer’s Inspiration
Q&A with Red Door Master Perfumer Carlos Benaim of International Flavors & Fragrances
The Red Door is an iconic beauty symbol. How did you go about creating a fragrance that would capture this?
When I created Red Door, I knew it was a very special moment for Elizabeth Arden. I had to be on par with that expectation. At the time, I was working on a luxurious floral accord, a rich bouquet of the highest quality red rose, orange flower and ylang ylang, which became the starting point of the fragrance.
In 1989, did you know you were creating a truly classic fragrance?
I did not know I was creating a classic fragrance, but the rich floral bouquet was resonating with women; I knew I had something special.
What makes a classic fragrance?
When a woman is excited about wearing a fragrance and always has the desire to go back to it; it’s about the “love” factor.
What attracted you to this project?
Elizabeth Arden is a prestigious brand, a brand with a strong heritage and cachet. It was exactly the time when Elizabeth Arden wanted to tell its story in a new way, with the Red Door fragrance.
What was your inspiration? How did you start the process of creating this fragrance?
I started with the floral bouquet of red rose, orange flower and ylang ylang. I then brought in more sensuality with a combination of honey and oakmoss.
How did you choose the notes?
I chose ingredients of the highest quality, aesthetics and beauty.
What are the elements that make Red Door a fragrance classic, even more than 20 years later?
All must be in harmony, including magically evocative notes that come together and tell a story.
If you were to describe this fragrance in one word or phrase, what would you say it represents?
A bold statement of pure luxury.
The Fragrance
Fragrance Classification: Floral
Red Door is Elizabeth Arden’s classic, elegant signature fragrance. A mèlange of rich, rare florals. Sensuous and sophisticated.
Red Door instantly gets noticed with an opulent essence of Lily of the Valley, opening into a vibrant trail of freesia and Wild Violets. The heart of Red Door continues to provide an endless source of inspiration and expression. A stunning bouquet composed around the exquisite scent of Red Roses, Moroccan Orange Flower, Jasmine and Ylang Ylang creates an impression of sophistication and style. Magically evocative notes immediately awaken one’s deepest senses with a unique lingering essence of Honey and Sandalwood, combined with Oakmoss.
Red Door, a fragrant creation with a wealth of personality that will capture the heart of every woman.
Top Notes:
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is one of the earliest flowers of Spring. Very delicate and small in size, it spreads a very diffusive fresh, floral green scent, greeting the first warmth of the season.
Freesia
Native to the Cape Province of South Africa, Freesia has a bright floral fragrance evoking jasmine or orange blossom, with sweet, almost fruity accents.
Wild Violets
This small, heart-shaped leaf envelopes the top notes in silken, amethyst scent… creating a fresh, sumptuous ribbon of femininity and allure.
Mid Notes:
Red Rose
A prominent symbol of spirituality, divine perfection and beauty… the rose is a precious symbol throughout the East and West. Its unmistakable scent is luxurious and full; both spicy and green, the rose brings a velvety richness and volume to the fragrance.
Moroccan Orange Flower
Exquisite and sunny, heady yet delicate, this bright airy floral exhales its luxurious aura to impart a romantic touch into the heart of the fragrance.
Ylang Ylang
Translated as “flower of the flowers,” the yellow, star-shaped flower from Indonesia is highly fragrant, while the jasmine-like scent is rich and bright with a slight neroli undertone.
Jasmine
This small, delicate flower only blooms at night, revealing its exotic, sensual scent in the early morning hours just before dawn. The luminous flower is then harvested in small quantities and immediately extracted on site. Jasmine adds an uplifting, fruity-floral scent to the heart of the fragrance.
Base Notes:
Oakmoss
Found throughout the mountains of North America and Central Europe, this moss is woody and dry with layered dimensions of damp earth and green foliage.
Honey
Legend has it that Cupid dipped his love arrows in honey before aiming at unsuspecting lovers. This once sacred, fragrant ingredient is now widely favored for its succulent, sweet and golden taste.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood has been highly valued throughout the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean cultures for at least 2,000 years. The highly aromatic wood imparts a soft, buttery and creamy scent to the skin.
Design Concept
The iconic Red Door is the symbol for the Elizabeth Arden beauty experience. It embodies Elizabeth Arden’s rich heritage and characterizes its continuing, dynamic evolution as the brand that fulfills the changing beauty needs of women around the world. It is the inspiration for the new Red Door fragrance packaging, designed by Elizabeth Arden Senior Designer, Jean Antretter.
Bottle
The Red Door bottle has been modernized in a captivating and bold red glass design, reflecting the famous Red Door.
Carton
A contemporary design in Elizabeth Arden’s signature red hue, it has a high gloss finish accented with gold.
Advertising Concept
Mark Dixon, Vice President Creative Director Elizabeth Arden describes his inspiration for the Red Door TV ad print campaign: “The iconic Red Door represents the point where a woman is transported and transformed from her “everyday self” to her “best self”. This is a fantastic, yet not totally unrealistic approach. Fragrance and beauty products have the magical ability to transform the way a woman looks and how she feels about herself and the world around her.”
Red Door Fragrance Lineup
Eau de Toilette Spray Naturel
1.0 fl. oz./ 30 ml R255-00
1.7 fl. oz./ 50 ml R295-00
3.3 fl. oz./ 100 ml R395-00
Red Door is available at Elizabeth Arden counters nationwide beginning September 2011.