Danielle Bernstein is bringing WeWoreWhat into beauty — and has teamed up with Parlux to do it.
The influencer-turned-entrepreneur is launching a scent dubbed WeWoreWhat 001, which will retail at $28 for a travel spray and $79 for a full-sized bottle. It debuts on the brand’s website on Nov. 18, and will enter full distribution with Ulta Beauty in 2025.
Industry sources anticipate the fragrance to hit between $15 million and $20 million in sales for its first year on the market.
Bernstein said fragrance was always in the cards for the brand, having always layered her own fragrances to come up with a one-of-a-kind olfactive signature. Given recent category expansions, the timing for WeWoreWhat to enter the category was right.
“WeWoreWhat is really becoming a head-to-toe brand, and that includes the way you smell,” she said. “We’ve had steady growth over the past few years, we’ve done a lot of collaborations, and we’ve expanded to reach a larger audience outside of just me and my following. We introduced footwear and accessories, and our revenue continues to grow.”
The fragrance, nosed by Robertet perfumer Jerome Epinette, features notes of cedarwood, creamy fig, cardamom, patchouli and amber. “There’s something about it that’s addictive, but it’s very versatile and a lot of different people can wear it,” Bernstein said.
Bernstein acknowledged past controversies, including allegations of copying designs in years past, but said they didn’t impact the business’ performance. “None of it was legally proven, and we continued to grow through all of that,” she said. “We just kept on moving forward, and our customers and followers stayed with us.”
It’s that level of loyalty that drew Parlux to Bernstein, said the company’s president Lori Singer. “We didn’t have an ‘influencer brand’ in our portfolio, and I don’t know if you can call it that — she’s built a whole fashion brand that covers everything,” Singer said. “She comes with her own vision, and this engaged community of people that are giving real-time feedback. They’re helping to shape the brand, we’re listening, and she’s listening.”
Singer was bullish on the brand’s direct-to-consumer presence, given how closely followers pay attention to Bernstein’s moves.
“She’s going to knock it out of the park with her fans on her DTC, because she knows what they like,” Singer said. “She’s a master at leading up to every new drop. Ulta then brings in a whole new customer, and the juice is so exceptional that it’s an incredible option for fragrance lovers.”
“We have a full-blown digital marketing strategy, and we will do what we do with every launch — build up the hype to introduce it, and then release it,” Bernstein added. “There’s video content on the behind-the-scenes — we have been documenting the making of this for the past year and a half, every meeting I’ve gone through, every iteration. Bringing my customers along gives that inside look into the creation.”
The bottle itself takes cues from Bernstein’s own apartment, drawing textural inspiration from her travertine dining table, stone pots and planters and brass plating. “I wanted it to feel special and different from what exists out there, and it’s a subtle decor piece you can be proud of having sit on your vanity.”
