Article by: DEBORAH VANKIN , Los Angeles Times
Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is the latest star to pitch his own fragrance in a crowded field.
Macy's Herald Square teemed with tweenage girls on a recent muggy afternoon in New York City. One of them, Miranda Santiago, had chosen to spend part of her vacation from Argentina camped outside the store, near a life-sized cardboard cutout of singer Justin Bieber promoting his just-released fragrance for women, Someday.
Never mind that most of the "women" there were in middle school.
"I love him! I love him!" Santiago wailed. "When I use the perfume, I feel him!"She and the others vied to be among the first 325 to buy Bieber's $135 VIP gift set the following morning, which came with a chance to meet Bieber at Macy's later in the week.
Two days later, Bieber sauntered down the purple carpet, ensconced in rings of security, as about 300 fans shrieked in unison: "Justin, Justin, Justin." He stared blankly into the swirl of journalists, fans, store employees and perfume execs. Then he instinctively straightened up, remembered to smile, and called out: "OK, love you, peace," before heading offstage.
The 17-year-old singer sold more than 3.7 million albums, nearly 14 million digital tracks and almost 1 million concert tickets in the United States in 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan and Pollstar. So why is he bothering with a perfume for which all net profits are donated to charity?
"I wanted to create my own [scent] that I liked on a girl," he said with all the succinct polish of a well-edited press release. Bieber acknowledged that perfume also is a great way to interact with fans. "I'm able to be, like, 'Oh, you're wearing Someday,'" he said. Then he shot a look at one of his handlers. "And I wanted it to be charity, as well."
Bieber's arrival as a perfumer is another de rigueur part of the 21st-century celebrity lifestyle, as much a part of the portfolio as a robust Facebook page, an active Twitter feed and an adopted charity. The trend has even become part of TV content itself: an episode of E!'s reality show "Khloe & Lamar" followed the couple sampling scents while developing their new unisex fragrance, Unbreakable.
