Sex and the City has inspired a line of signature eau de perfumes created by Givaudan under a licensing agreement  between HBO and JTG Trading Company, which will manufacture and distribute the collection worldwide.  Two new fragrances, “Sex and City” and “Sex and the City by Night,” as well as “Sex and the City” Body Collections sets, will debut in Europe this month.

The new fragrances were developed by three of Givaudan’s perfumers:  Adriana Medina, known for her creations for Gwen Stefani and Ed Hardy; Rodrigo Flores-Roux, who has created scents for Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Estée Lauder; and Claude Dir, the fragrance creator behind Bobbi Brown and Tommy Hilfiger colognes.

“The Sex and the City series continues to resonate with women worldwide,” says James Costos, vice president, Global Licensing & Retail at HBO.  “The appeal of the four main characters, who are as unique, complex and trendy as any woman aspires to be, symbolize the show’s eternal allure.  We’re extremely pleased to partner with Givaudan – the global leader in the fragrance industry.  Their elite perfumers have developed fragrances that capture the essence of Sex and the City and JTG Trading Company has the expertise to execute our vision and deliver this collection around the world.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Rose has a great story today on luxury hotels and how they’ve created their own branded personal care items in order to lure discerning customers. By “discerning customers,” we mean thieves.

Rose explains that the W chain of hotels uses Bliss soaps, shampoos, and lotions to lure customers. She explores the habits of other hotel chains including Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Ritz Carlton, and Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group. Many of the agreements involve licensing between hotel beauty product suppliers and luxury brands.

UK Judge Rules Against Lucasfilm

The designer of the original Storm Trooper helmets for the Star Wars franchise has won a legal battle in the United Kingdom that will allow him to continue selling the helmets there, BBC news reports.

Andrew Ainsworth of London is not allowed to sell the helmets in the U.S. due to American copyright law, but British Supreme Court judges accepted Ainsworth’s argument that the helmets were not artistic works but functional ones, and therefore not subject to the same copyright protection as works of art. The court ruled that three-dimensional creations are not considered sculptures, limiting their copyright protection in the United Kingdom to 15 years.

Retail Sales Up, But Profits, Not So Much

Reuters reports that U.S. retailers will report a nearly 3 percent increase in sales from last year, but that an increase in sales of discount merchandise has kept margins razor-thin.

The article posits that the large number of sales is designed to clear store shelves before the back-to-school season—but it is unclear whether BTS items will command full price.

As we’ve written before, licensed goods should fare pretty well during BTS season, regardless of overall sales numbers.

—Bryan Joiner

Marvel Entertainment, LLC has partnered with Diesel, fragrance licensee of the Luxury Products Division of L’Oréal, to launch an exclusive co-branded men’s fragrance tied to the upcoming release of Iron Man 2. The new Diesel fragrance, Only The Brave— Iron Man Limited Edition, will be available worldwide at high-end retail, including perfumeries, department stores and Diesel stores, beginning mid-April 2010, in advance of the worldwide premiere of the Iron Man 2 feature film. Diesel Only The Brave—Iron Man Limited Edition is bottled in the iconic Only The Brave flacon, garbed in flashy red for the occasion. Marvel and Diesel will support the launch of the fragrance with several digital initiatives, including a dedicated website, downloadable video game, online contests and more.  Iron Man 2 hits theaters on May 7.

The launch of a new range of Scarlett & Crimson everyday cosmetics and beauty accessories for teens in the UK has been announced by the co-owner and brand manager of the Scarlett & Crimson brand, Coolabi. The range will be available in Superdrug stores nationwide from mid April.

This fashion and lifestyle brand, jointly owned by Coolabi and creator, Ged Backland, is centered around the characters Scarlett and Crimson, best friends who create their own fashion, music and style – encouraging every girl to “Be Your Own Scene”.

The announcement follows the sell-out success of the Boots Christmas 2009 Scarlett & Crimson gifting range, also created by Ruby and Millie. Boots plans to introduce a new Scarlett & Crimson range for the 2010 Christmas period.