An ambassador for excellence in order to strengthen the overall reputation of the

luxury goods brands, YSL Beauté creates, produces and distributes fragrances and cosmetics under the Yves Saint Laurent and Roger & Gallet brands, as well as fragrances for Gucci Group brands such as Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Boucheron. The company also produces fragrances under license for Oscar de la Renta and Ermenegildo Zegna.

 

The company develops and expands each of the brands in its portfolio by relying on their distinctive features and offering products that represent the state of the art in terms of quality, creativity and technology.

YSL Beauté contributes to the global awareness of the Yves Saint Laurent brand as well as Roger & Gallet, Boucheron and Stella McCartney, and provides Gucci Group with privileged access to the luxury fragrances and cosmetics sector. YSL Beauté’s flexibility and reactivity enable it to anticipate and respond promptly to changing market trends. Gucci Group has succeeded in significantly improving the performances of YSL Beauté in the past 3 years thanks to a strong managerial team and dedicated employees. The next step will be a more intense growth plan with the turnaround of international markets.

YSL Beauté’s operations are fully integrated in a single production plant in France and marketed through 17 retail subsidiaries. YSL Beauté sells its products through leading department stores, prestige specialty stores and duty-free shops. The brand uses distributors and agents, overseen by its regional offices, to reach the markets not covered by its subsidiaries.

 

2007 was marked by the launch in October of a new Yves Saint Laurent women’s fragrance, elle, which is a turning point for the brand. Its masculine equivalent, L’Homme Yves Saint Laurent, launched in 2006, secured Yves Saint Laurent’s position as a leading brand in men’s fragrances. By launching, with Stella McCartney, the first luxury skincare line with 100% organic ingredients, YSL Beauté has acted as a genuine pioneer and marked a major technological step in the luxury cosmetics sector. Boucheron offered a new vision of its brand, younger, more coloured but still luxurious, thanks to Miss Boucheron.

 

In 2007, YSL Beauté posted revenue of €649 million, up 6.5% on a comparable basis driven by the success of Yves Saint Laurent make-up, which recorded double-digit growth for the sixth year running. Recurring operating income rose sharply from €32 million in 2006 to €65 million in 2007.

 

In 2008, Yves Saint Laurent will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Beauty with 4 collections which will each reinterpret an emblematic classic of the brand legacy. Boucheron will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its fragrances.