Coty Inc. to Launch La Voce by Renee Fleming

Coty Inc. to Launch La Voce by Renee Fleming

Beauty Company to Donate Proceeds from Sales of Limited Edition Prestige Fragrance to the Metropolitan Opera

NEW YORK, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Coty Inc., a global beauty leader and the world's largest fragrance company, is proud to announce the launch of La Voce by Renee Fleming, a new limited edition prestige scent honoring Metropolitan Opera star soprano, Renee Fleming. In keeping with Coty's long-standing support of philanthropy, arts and culture, the company will donate its proceeds from sales of the fragrance to the Metropolitan Opera. The fragrance's debut will coincide with the Metropolitan Opera's Opening Night Gala on September 22, 2008, starring Renee Fleming performing in three of her most acclaimed roles, in fully staged scenes. Beginning in late fall, the opulent fragrance will be sold through a select number of high-end retailers worldwide, in addition to the Metropolitan Opera's Web site and its Lincoln Center shop in New York City.

"It is truly an honor to create a fragrance that captures Renee Fleming's extraordinary artistry, as well as the uniqueness of the opera and the beauty of the performing arts," said Bernd Beetz, Chief Executive Officer, Coty Inc. "Our support of the Metropolitan Opera reflects our supreme dedication to philanthropy, arts and culture. We are delighted and honored to contribute to the world's most widely heard and known opera company."

"We are pleased that Coty is honoring Renee Fleming, one of the great sopranos of our time, with a perfume," said Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. "And we are very appreciative that Coty is supporting the Met by donating the proceeds to us."

Embodying the beauty, spirit and passion of opera, Grammy-winning artist and recent recipient of the Polar Music Prize, Renee Fleming has joined the partnership on behalf of the Metropolitan Opera. Renee Fleming will be the face of La Voce by Renee Fleming in all advertising and promotional materials for the fragrance.

"Discovering that music and fragrance have harmony and even individual notes in common has taken me on a delightful journey. How wonderful then, that Coty is enabling the Metropolitan Opera to benefit, combining luxurious scent and sound," commented Renee Fleming.

Inspired by the artistry of Renee Fleming, creator Ann Gottlieb developed this sophisticated floriental fragrance. La Voce by Renee Fleming opens with top notes of passion fruit and white truffle accord and transcends to a rich floral heart of jasmine and lily of the valley. Notes of dark chocolate mousse and ebony wood winds complete this luxurious fragrance.

La Voce by Renee Fleming will launch on September 22nd, 2008. Distribution and additional information will be announced closer to the fall unveiling.

About the Metropolitan Opera

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera has launched many new initiatives to connect the company with a larger audience. The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world. New audience development initiatives include free open houses that offer the public access to final dress rehearsals of new Met productions; reduced ticket prices, including an immensely popular new rush ticket program; and the new Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met exhibiting contemporary art. The 2008-09 season will feature six new productions including the Met premiere of John Adams's Dr. Atomic in a new production by Penny Woolcock, and Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust, in a new production reconceived for the Met by Robert Lepage.

About the Metropolitan Opera's Opening Night Gala

The Met's Opening Night Gala on September 22nd features the superstar soprano in Act II of Verdi's La Traviata, Act III of Massenet's Manon, and the final scene from Richard Strauss's Capriccio. Each of the acts will be fully staged, and Renee Fleming's co-stars include tenor Ramon Vargas and baritones Thomas Hampson and Dwayne Croft. Met Music Director James Levine will share the conducting responsibilities with Italian conductor Marco Armiliato. The performance will be transmitted live to movie theaters across North America as part of The Met: Live in HD series, and will also be seen live in Times Square and in Lincoln Center.

   For more information, please visit: www.metopera.org.    About Renee Fleming  

Described as "the people's diva," renowned soprano Renee Fleming continues to charm audiences throughout the world with her superb vocal intelligence, exquisite musical grace, and voice of "liquid gold." On September 22, 2008, the Metropolitan Opera celebrates her in their Opening Night Gala -- an evening starring this beloved singer. Additional appearances at the Metropolitan Opera this season are in Massenet's Thais and Dvorak's Rusalka. A two-time Grammy winner, Ms. Fleming's most recent CD, Strauss: Four Last Songs conducted by Christian Thielemann, is scheduled for release in fall 2008. Among her numerous awards are Sweden's Polar Prize (2008); the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French government (2005); Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music (2003); and a 2003 honorary doctorate from The Juilliard School, where she was also commencement speaker.

About Coty Inc.

Coty was created in Paris in 1904 by François Coty who is credited with founding the modern fragrance industry.

Today, Coty Inc. is the world's largest fragrance company and a recognized leader in global beauty with annual net sales of $3.5 billion(1). Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, passion, innovation and creativity, Coty Inc. has developed an unrivaled portfolio of notable brands and delivers its innovative products to consumers in 91 markets worldwide.

The Coty brand portfolio includes adidas, Aspen, Astor, Baby Phat, Calvin Klein, Celine Dion, Cerruti, Chloe, Chopard, Chupa Chups, David and Victoria Beckham, Davidoff, Desperate Housewives, Esprit, Exclamation, Halle Berry, Home Skin Lab, Jennifer Lopez, Jette Joop, Jil Sander, JOOP!, Jovan, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, Kenneth Cole, Kylie Minogue, La Cross, L.A.M.B. fragrance by Gwen Stefani, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs, Miss Sixty, Miss Sporty, Nautica, Nikos, N.Y.C. New York Color, Phat Farm, Pierre Cardin(2), Playboy, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shania Twain, Stetson, Tonino Lamborghini, Tim McGraw, Vanilla Fields, Vera Wang and Vivienne Westwood.

Coty and Puig Fashion and Beauty S.A. have a strategic partnership for the distribution of the perfume lines of Nina Ricci, Carolina Herrera, Prada, Paco Rabanne, and Comme des Garcons in the United States and Canada.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com.

(1.) Includes Del Laboratories, Inc., which Coty acquired on December 31, 2007.

(2.) Not available in North America

Source: Coty Inc.

CONTACT: Jeanette Casselano, of Fleishman-Hillard for Coty Inc.,
+1-202-828-8833, jeanette.casselano@fleishman.com; or Mary Beth Wood of Coty
Inc., +1-212-389-7114, marybeth_wood@cotyinc.com

Web site: http://www.coty.com/
http://www.metopera.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment