Fragrance and Beauty for All
Eyeing modern shoppers, Horizon Beauty Group bolsters its portfolio with new brands including Pardon My Fro, Badgley Mischka, Freeze 24/7 and Candie’s.
A leader in the global prestige beauty category, Horizon Beauty Group aims to continuously improve through innovation and creating new experiences by putting today’s contemporary consumer first.
The majority of Horizon’s fragrances are lines by designer apparel brands, including Tahari, Badgley Mischka, Jones NY and Bob Mackie, while others bring vintage or retro brands back with a modern twist, as seen with fragrances Jordache and the iconic Candie’s.
“By creating new ideas, new opportunities and new markets, we are forever building the horizon of beauty for the next generation,” says Carmela Palladino, President of Horizon Beauty Group.
Horizon provides development, representation and distribution in all channels worldwide for these brands to enter the fragrance and beauty space, forging strategic partnerships with their brand owners and retailers — which builds upon the company’s existing expertise and reputation for integrity, transparency, a swift journey to market, and a successful launch.
According to Robert Crames, CEO and Founder of Horizon, Horizon’s fragrances come out of established brands and are often just as sought-after as the original products from the brands. The Horizon leadership team is constantly looking ahead, listening to the market and anticipating trends.
In partnership with Lombardo, a luxury branding and advertising agency, Horizon helps craft the strategy and launch of campaigns for brands across all platforms, acknowledging the importance of the story that comes with a product. Their ongoing search to create disruptive licensing deals is part of an initiative to launch new and emerging brands as well as to develop heritage brands for a modern audience.
“Today it’s a matter of knowing your audience and refining your message to connect on an emotional level,” said Palladino. “The messaging we strive for makes the audience the hero and the products part of their world, allowing them to express their full selves. Fragrance and beauty are like palettes for them. Every individual has something to say and is looking for new experiences and more choices with which to share their story.”
When considering new brands to add to its portfolio, Horizon has today’s consumer sentiments in mind, seeking brands that can create ownable mid-tier and luxury-tier products to accommodate diverse economies as people become more selective on how they spend. These brands should also speak to the world by appealing to a range of generations, having a fresh, modern, progressive take.
To illustrate, Palladino points to Horizon’s new addition Pardon My Fro, the lifestyle brand created for women who are proud of their hair and their heritage.
“Pardon My Fro, created and founded by Dana Bly, a self-taught graphic designer, has a unique voice and a mission to give back to its community,” says Palladino. “There’s a great story behind the creator, and their offering spans multiple categories including beauty, hair, fragrance and lifestyle. They’re a great example of the kinds of brands we’re looking to work with.”
Importantly, over the past 14 years, Horizon has made it its mission to lead a shift not only in the marketplace but for those working in the industry toward greater practices in diversity.
“Internally we’ve made a point of promoting women-owned businesses,” says Palladino. “We’ve also championed working with minority-owned businesses, as we have since the inception of Horizon Beauty Group in 2008. We very much seek out partnerships with brands that likewise speak to all people, multi-cultural, women-owned and of all economic backgrounds.”
Looking ahead to Horizon’s future in 2023 and beyond, Both Crames and Palladino say the company looks forward to partnering and collaborating with more like-minded artists.
“We will be working with more brands that use their creative expressions to speak to the next generation,” says Palladino. “We’re most interested in brands in cosmetics, fragrance and skin care, and opportunities to collaborate between brands. And we’ll always be a company that gives back through who we serve, and through product donations and financial contributions.”
Putting the customer first, the company aims to deliver glamour and excitement with an uncompromising commitment to innovation and quality. These are exciting times to be in the prestige beauty and fragrance space, and Horizon is one of the leading reasons why.