Wednesday, July 14, 2021

An Ode to Rodin Olio Lusso

Linda Rodin at Barneys New York (2016)

Back in 2016 I was invited to meet Linda Rodin at a press event at Barneys New York, and given the extent to which I admired her, and loved her skincare products, I jumped at the chance. What ended up happening was a remarkable day in which we hung out, along with her close friend and stylist Marlene, for most of the afternoon. She is an incredibly intelligent, and trail-blazing, person who is a true visionary (and an utter delight to be around). 

Linda told me about her decision to sell Rodin Olio Lusso to Estée Lauder (acquired in 2014), and even told me about her meetings with the top brass (who incidentally bore the surname Lauder). She maintained creative control, her vision for the company, and she assured me that her formulas were to remain completely intact.
In 2017, however, Linda stepped down as creative director of Rodin Olio Lusso, and that was about the time that I noticed that a new marketing strategy was put in place. The once exclusive brand, with a cult following, began to market to a decidedly young audience, where before there was no indicated demographic. Clearly the intention was to introduce a wider range of people to this luxury niche brand (who probably hadn't heard of it before, and likely didn't shop at places like Barneys New York), but I remember thinking how odd it was to launch campaigns depicting people (of any age, frankly), where before campaign photographs only depicted the products themselves. 

There was a timeless and ageless quality to Linda's visionary brand that didn't make wild claims about the products, but instead she created effective and gorgeous skincare and makeup that pampered the skin. I wondered whether this new Estée Lauder strategy would work, or if it foreshadowed the ultimate demise of the company. I hoped that it was going to pay off in a big way, and that I would always be able to buy my favorite Rodin Olio Lusso products, but clearly that was not the case.
Estée Lauder announced that it would shutter Rodin Olio Lusso on April 19, 2021, and they offered a 20% discount sitewide. Presumably the company was not profitable enough to keep going, and therefore they shut it down. 

However, they announced that in October 2021 that Rodin Olio Lusso and Jo Malone (another Estée Lauder brand) will release a limited-edition collaboration.

According to the Jo Malone website (Affiliated Link), 

An Enchanting New Collaboration: Jo Malone London will be joining with Rodin olio lusso for a limited-edition collaboration. This is a journey forged in true common ground - a love of unique, treasured ingredients and olfactive clarity.

In signature Jo Malone London style, this collaboration will explore both houses' heritages and commitments to craftsmanship, whilst continuing to deliver unexpected fragrances, beautiful textures, and uplifting new ways to slow down and escape through scented rituals.

This fragrant skincare collaboration will launch in October 2021.
I have no idea what such a collaboration will look like. Resurrecting Rodin Olio Lusso 7 months after its demise, and in collaboration with Jo Malone, sounds like the launch of new collaborative products, rather than bringing back brand staples. We will all have to wait and see. I really hope that this collaboration is amazing, and that it could lead to bringing back Rodin Olio Lusso in a more permanent way.
I mourn the loss of Rodin Olio Lusso, and I am coveting the last drops that I have of my remaining products. If I feel this way, I can only imagine how Linda must feel. I completely see the way in which a big company can take a small brand to new heights because of their seemingly unlimited resources, but they also have a very different financial threshold for determining the health of a company than do small companies. I just wish that there was some way that they could have kept Rodin Olio Lusso going, perhaps by creating a different division for comparatively tiny businesses that could allow them to thrive. 

10 comments:

  1. I had no idea that brand did anything other than super fancy oils! Those lipsticks are gorgeous!

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    1. They had several makeup items, and the lipsticks and lip liners were wonderful. The face and body oils were among my favorites!

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  2. I did not know EL was closing the Rodin brand. That makes me really sad. Like you, I enjoyed the brand and Linda’s story and approach to beauty. While I’m sure it’s a thrilling milestone for brand owners who are bought out by EL, it seems to me like every brand they’ve acquired has either diminished in quality, gets sold off repeatedly, or just dies. It’s unfortunate.

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    1. I agree with you completely, it makes me really sad as well. It also made me sad to think that Barneys New York was also gone! I agree with you about Linda's story and approach. It definitely seems as though when small brands are purchased by huge companies that their brand ethos radically changes, and so too do their products quite often. I am just so sad that such a lovely brand is no more. Who knows what this collaboration with Jo Malone will be, but I wish that EL had sold it off, or perhaps handed it back to Linda. Simply shutting it down is just sad!

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    2. It really is sad. I hope someone does resurrect it!

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    3. I completely agree, and I really hope so too! I really wish it was back in Linda's hands! Fingers crossed that we see Rodin Olio Lusso again (permanently)!

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  3. What a shame that this once indie company has fallen so dramatically. It has such a great reputation. Sadly Lauder has changed a lot of brands, not for the better. Hopefully this new collaboration will bring it back and go forward.

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    1. You are so right, Marcia! It really is such a shame! EL really does change the brands that the acquire, and it seldom seems to be for the better. If they continue to purchase small brands, I wish that they would open a division that maintains the ethos of those companies rather than turning them into something else. There is no reason that a brand such as Rodin Olio Lusso needs to end up in the dustbin! I am so sad. I hope that this collaboration amounts to something wonderful and more permanent, but who knows!

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  4. Oh, I am so sorry to hear this. I know how much you loved the Rodin brand. I got to try it initially in my swag bag from Barneys NY and now that iconic brand is gone too. What a shame. Frankly, EL doesn't really do anything good for the brands it buys other than make the former owners rich - that may be a good thing in and of itself, I guess. I hope that Linda Rodin didn't have any regrets, and it would be terrific if she were involved in the Rodin/Malone collaboration in October. The lipstick swatches you posted are stunning. Why, oh why didn't I buy some of the lipsticks before they disappeared?

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    1. You and me both, Allison! I really have such love for Rodin, and I am heartbroken that this is its fate. I read an article somewhere online that suggested that Linda was not happy about this, and that she never would have sold it if she had known this would be its fate. However, this article cited another, and was not the primary source (which I haven't taken the time to track down, yet), therefore, I can't verify the veracity of this statement. Reading about this ended up being a sad reflection, or a post mortem about Barneys New York for me as well. That was my very favorite luxury store, and Rodin was one of my very favorite brands, and the loss of both deeply saddens me. I have no idea whether Linda is involved in the JM collaboration, but if she is that could be a bit of hope. To me, however, this feels a bit like Barneys New York at Saks, rather than BNY. I suppose time will tell. The lipsticks really are stunning, and I now wish that I had more shades than So Mod!

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