Jaclyn Smith, the “Charlie’s Angels” actress and the name behind America’s longest-running celebrity fashion collection, is launching a fragrance called “Jackie” on HSN.
“It’s soft, it’s timeless, it’s feminine, it’s powdery,” Smith told WWD. “It doesn’t hit you in the face and it lasts all day. When you get into bed at night and you’re reading a book, it can feel light, but it’s there.
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“One of the best gifts my husband ever gave me was the opportunity to create a personalized scent. He knew I loved vanilla and musk, and he surprised me by taking me to a little store in France where you could mix your own scent. I started mixing all these oils and used that scent for years until I couldn’t find them anymore. So when HSN approached me about this project, it was perfect timing. I could wear something similar to something I’d loved for so many years. It wasn’t an oil, but it was so evocative.”
Jackie launches July 24 on HSN and HSN.com as a single scent in a 3.4-ounce bottle for $75. The bottle has a simple, classic rectangular shape with a clear top. The three top notes are bergamot, aldehyde and amber. The heart notes are earthy musk, sandalwood and heliotrope. “That heliotrope really grounds it and brings everything together,” Smith said. The Jackie campaign was photographed in the garden of the actress’ Los Angeles home by Randee St. Nicholas.
Smith said she worked closely with RJTB Group, the Greenwich, Conn.-based manufacturer and perfume licensee. “This perfume is truly mine,” Smith said. “I was involved in every aspect of the development of the perfume and I was involved in the bottle. It’s very simple and refined,” said the actress, who became an overnight icon when she played Kelly Garrett on the television series “Charlie’s Angels,” which ran from 1976 to 1981. She also starred in the TV movie “Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy,” appeared in miniseries such as “The Bourne Identity” and “Rage of Angels,” and had small roles in the “Charlie’s Angels” movies.
Smith’s fashion line first launched in 1985 and has always been sold exclusively at Kmart. Her brand was one of the reasons Kmart has survived through years of mismanagement, bankruptcy, and constant store closures. The Jaclyn Smith collection disappeared for a while until it relaunched on HSN in January 2023. Targeting women 35 and up, it offers classic and on-trend pieces in a wide range of sizes that are wearable from day to night, flexible, and, as the actress says, “fit real people.”
When the Charlie’s Angels series was cancelled (still seen in reruns) Kmart approached Smith for the series. At the time, Smith was under contract with Max Factor, which made him give up on Kmart’s offer. After Smith backed out, Kmart insisted and encouraged him to look into Kmart’s Hunter’s Glen series, which impressed him and convinced him to work with Kmart, against the many people who said “don’t do that”.
“It was one of the smartest decisions I ever made,” he once told WWD.
Now, the launch of Jackie perfume marks another step toward turning the Jacyln Smith collection into a lifestyle brand. Smith said a body lotion is in development as well as the perfume and that she wants to make additional fragrances, including an air freshener. “I’m still finishing my book. I want a book that really represents where I come from and my life.” She said she will introduce 14 new fashion pieces later this month and that Kohl’s will begin selling some separates that coordinate with outfits and are interchangeable this fall. Kohl’s declined to comment.
“I’ve loved scents since I was a little girl. My mother used to wear Guerlain; she also mixed some of her own. Sometimes my mother would put oil on the stove and the scent would spread throughout the house. Later, when she visited me, even when she opened a suitcase, I remember that scent was on her clothes, in her suitcase. It’s amazing what scent can do to a memory. You don’t want to lose that. Scent has always been a part of my life. My mother thought it helped define your personality, that it was the finishing touch or something that accentuated your look. It’s romantic, isn’t it?
“I remember a girl stopped me in New York once. She said, ‘I don’t want your autograph. I know you’re in Charlie’s Angels, but I want to know what perfume you wear.’ I put on the oils I had mixed.”
While under contract to Max Factor, Smith represented Epris, which launched in 1981. “It was a very provocative scent. It won many awards.” Her slogan was: “Part of the art of being a woman is knowing when not to be too ladylike.”
A decade later, Smith launched the fragrance “California” with Max Factor. “It was really a lifestyle scent,” said the former Charlie’s Angel. She said she was involved in the development of those scents, but that others involved in the development along with Jackie were more open to her ideas. “I didn’t get that many no’s.”
When asked about the longevity of her brand, Smith said, “I was wondering about that. For my age (at 78), I work harder than I have in years. It’s good for my brain. I spent a lot of time on clothing. This group just came to me and now I’m coming out with a fragrance. I have a very strong work ethic. I work hard. I don’t know. I’m lucky. I’m approachable. I’m open to everyone. It’s all about the team, whether it’s perfume or clothing.”
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