Shiseido has announced it has entered into a “memorandum of understanding” for acquiring the Serge Lutens trademark. The agreement also provides that Serge Lutens will continue as Creative Director of the brand. Serge Lutens, the brand’s founder, has been Shiseido’s artistic director since 1980.

Shiseido explained in a press release: “For the future prospective of the brand, Shiseido and Mr. Lutens have agreed that it is best for Shiseido to acquire the trademark and then to invest further on the brand while enhancing the strong relationship with Mr. Lutens.”

It has been reported that Shiseido will swap Serge Lutens’ image as a designer fragrance brand for a ‘lifestyle’ one.

Until now, Lutens has led the way in the niche fragrance market by being so exclusive, withy limited availability. Shopping for a Serge Lutens fragrance at its opulent Paris boutique, at the Palais Royal, tops the list of experiences for fashionable tourists in Paris.

But now, Shiseido says it will open freestanding Serge Lutens boutiques in major cities around the world. The blog MimiFrouFrou calls this a sign that “the elitism of the brand is going to undergo a reformulation.”

Lutens has always said he believes that fragrance creation can be driven by personal inspiration rather than trends.

The brand’s packaging is minimal, and luxe – and limited edtion packaging, in bottle with more ornate decorations, are often created.

The photo above shows the fragrance, L’Orpheline by Serge Lutens, in its original rectangular shaped bottle. On the right is a limited edition bottle created for the scent.