Dolce & Gabbana wants to make sure your pooch smells of luxury: with a RM480 dog perfume

PETALING JAYA, Aug 6 — Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has unveiled a new luxury perfume — designed specifically for dogs.

Named Fefé after the pet of co-founder Domenico Dolce, the scent comes with a price tag of €99 (RMRM481) and features an alcohol-free blend of ylang ylang, musk, and sandalwood.

The fragrance is housed in a glass bottle adorned with a 24-carat gold-plated paw and is accompanied by an exclusive Dolce & Gabbana dog collar with a matching tag.

The Italian fashion house's campaign for Fefé highlights themes of “unconditional love,” “loyal,” and “playful”, reported The Guardian.

The advertisement opens with the line, “I am delicate, authentic, charismatic,” and showcases footage of a finely groomed dachshund, chihuahua, and bichon frisé perched on a stool. “Cause I’m not just a dog, I’m Fefé,” the ad proclaims.

The fragrance however has resulted in the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) expressing concerns about the potential effects of such fragrances on dogs.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Alice Potter cautioned that, “Sometimes dogs can be anthropomorphised and the lines can become blurred between what dogs like and what we, as humans, think they’ll like.

“Dogs rely on their sense of smell to communicate and interact with their environment as well as the people and other animals within it. Therefore we advise that strong-scented products such as perfumes or sprays are avoided, especially as some smells can be really unpleasant for dogs.”

Stefano Gabbana, Dolce & Gabbana’s other co-founder, remains optimistic about the product’s market potential.

“We’re distributing Fefé right away throughout Europe, in the US and then, little by little, we’ll expand; it’s already available online,”

Gabbana told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “The market has reacted well; everyone went crazy at the announcement.”

While dog fragrances are not new, Dolce & Gabbana’s entry into this niche market is a first for a high-fashion brand.

The global pet industry — including vet care, pet food, and pharmaceuticals — is expected to grow from US$320 billion (RM1.43 trillion) annually to US$500 billion (RM2.23 trillion by 2030, according to a 2023 Bloomberg Intelligence report.

Diana Rosero-Pena, a Bloomberg analyst and co-author of the report, stated, “We’re seeing a profound increase in consumer spending on pets and expect to see this continue through 2030. Consumers are willing to pay more for items for their pets.”

Past luxury pet fragrances include Harrods' 2007 “Sexy Beast” and Elizabeth II’s “Happy Hounds” cologne, launched in February 2022. British retailer Space NK offers a £20 (RM114) dog spray with “crisp top notes,” while Kiehl’s, owned by L’Oréal, sells a £18 (RM103) cuddle coat spritz.