Ten years ago "smells like Zara" was an insult. Today it's a search term with millions of hits, and the reason is simple: the high street quietly hired real perfumers.
Zara's collaboration with Jo Malone CBE (the person, not the brand she sold) produced some of the best value fragrances of the decade. And the standalone lines have developed a habit of landing suspiciously close to €300 niche bestsellers — Red Temptation being the most famous example.
The economics are brutal for designer houses: a €13 bottle that delivers 85% of a €325 experience doesn't just steal budget customers, it teaches everyone to ask what the other €312 actually buys.
Our take: the answer is usually "better ingredients, better longevity, and a nicer cap." Whether that's worth 25x the price is a question only your wallet can answer.