In July, sources familiar with the matter reported that The Estee Lauder Companies was in talks to purchase luxury brand Tom Ford in what could be a $3 billion deal. Now, the company is rumored to be in talks with Balmain, a French luxury house, to create a new beauty line.
 
If the alliance comes to fruition, it wouldn’t be the Paris-based fashion house’s foray into the world of beauty; Balmain’s stable currently includes haircare products and accessories.
 
Balmain played more in the designer fragrance arena in the early 2000s, with licenses including Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger and Tory Burch, but shed those brands over the last couple of years in favor of a strategy focused on luxury niche fragrance brands like Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle, By Killian and Le Labo.
 
Representatives from both companies declined to comment on the published reports.