Perfume News: 2013 U.S. FiFi Awards – Fragrance Foundation Winners

Tonight, at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Fragrance Foundation issued its 2013 awards for mainstream, commercial fragrances. This is the U.S. arm of the foundation, as the UK and French FiFi awards were awarded earlier this year. Winners were announced via the Fragrance Foundation’s Twitter page, but, for ease of reading, I’ll just rely on CaFleureBon‘s announcement post:

Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas of Firmenich is the first recipient of a new category, Perfumer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award.

Perfumer Extraordinaire of the Year: Robertet

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Luxury Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige) Perfumers Olivier Polge and Jean-Christophe Herault

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Prestige
DOT Marc Jacobs (Coty Prestige) Perfumer Annie Buzantian

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Popular
Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend (Elizabeth Arden)

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Luxury
Colonia Intensa Oud by Acqua Di Parma

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Prestige
Tom Ford Noir (Tom Ford Beauty) Perfumer Olivier Gillotin

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Popular
James Bond 007 (P&G Prestige Products)

Best Packaging of the Year: Women’s
Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige)

Best Packaging of the Year: Men’s
Montblanc Legend (Interparfums Luxury Brands)

Media Campaign of the Year: Women’s

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme (P&G Prestige Products)

Media Campaign of the Year: Men’s
Dolce & Gabbana The One for Men Sport (P&G Prestige Products)

Retail Innovator of the Year: QVC

Consumer’s Choice Award-Men’s:

Acqua di Giò Essenza by Giorgio Armani Perfumer Alberto Morillas

Consumer’s Choice Award-Women’s: 

Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend (Elizabeth Arden)

Fragrance Celebrity of the Year: Taylor Swift

Fragrance Hall of Fame:
Red Door by Elizabeth Arden

Again, these FiFi awards are only awarded to mainstream, commercial scents. The Niche category has its own separate section and awards, though it is relegated to the sidelines and (sadly and pathetically) lumps in all sorts of perfumers from artisanal to some extremely high-end luxury lines. You can see the full list of the finalists who were going up for the prize in my post on the nominees here. If you want to read more about the Fragrance Foundation and past winners, you can turn to the organisation’s website here. I have no commentary on the choice of Taylor Swift, let alone the double win for Justin Beiber’s fragrance. I shall only say that I think Alberto Morillas is a great perfumer, and a hearty congratulations to him on receiving the very first ever Fifi Lifetime Achievement Award.

16 thoughts on “Perfume News: 2013 U.S. FiFi Awards – Fragrance Foundation Winners

  1. Justin Bieber? Twice? Realizing this is mainstream, couldn’t they have picked anything better? This just tells me that Elizabeth Arden must have set aside money they were supposed to spend on coming up with a good perfume and spent it on FiFiFrouFrou ads instead. Ptooey!

    • I’ve given up even bothering or caring. Truly. It’s just that hopeless. I was all frustrated back in April when the finalists were first announced and there was a good discussion at that time in the comments of the thread (linked up above), but the bottom line is that the Fragrance Foundation seems to be the LEAST inclusive, fair, balanced organisational body around. Even the way the whole Niche thing is set up and the winners chosen, it’s unfair. Honestly, the FiFis seem to be the biggest lobbyist-bought farce around, in my opinion. Until the FF can be a more truly representative body that accords as much attention to niche (which it should separate out into artisanal, high-end luxury, large niche and real niche), then it shouldn’t claim to represent “everyone” at all!

  2. I love Acqua Di Parma’s Intensa Oud. Ive been wearing it daily. Its my favorite Oud so far.

  3. I don’t care about the FiFi awards. It’s just a bunch of people who actually paid to be considered for the award.

  4. Hmmm. Well…hmmm. I guess if I can’t say anything nice I won’t say anything at all! This is unsurprising, but still frustrating nevertheless.

  5. Justin Bieber´s Girlfriend? That thing got an award? I smelled that in a sample paper they gave me at the mall and had to throw it to the garbage, I don´t know if the other winners are bad but the Justin Bieber one is ridiculous, like the Paris Hilton perfume and all those generic bad quality fragrances.

    • Haha, I love it! You know, the fact that Justin Beiber’s perfume got two awards is, in a way, one of the funniest things I’ve heard. It’s just so ludicrous to me I can’t help but laugh.

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