From Publishers Weekly
Written by the L.A. Women's Wear Daily bureau chief, this account of the multibillion-dollar perfume business reads like a superior novel about Hollywood glitz. Ginsberg's wit spices the account of Fred and Gale Hayman, who trounced the competition with the introduction of the new scent Giorgio at their Beverly Hills boutique in 1981. Rivals claimed Giorgio was too heavy for a woman to wear in a confined space but were quick to offer their own "elevator gaggers." None of the imitations, however, approached Giorgio's astronomic sales. Such was the Haymans' happy position until their divorce and legal battle for ownership of the perfume ended with an agreement to share equally from its enormously profitable sale to Avon in 1985. There is much inside fodder in Ginsberg's report on "havoc-reeking" in the fragrance industry.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Ginsberg tells the story of a perfume so alluring that in four years, Americans spent $70 million to smell like Giorgio. Born in the high-toned Hollywood retail store of the same name, this blockbuster scent made its creators, Gale and Fred Hayman, an overnight success. Ginsberg attempts to convey his fascination with both the business success of the couple as well as their glitzy Beverly Hills' lifestyle. Details about the creation, marketing, and distribution of the product detract from what might have been a glamorous story. The result is uninteresting, and a marginal selection.
- Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point, N.Y.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point, N.Y.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
