Trump's new Success takes a more subtle approach

NEW YORK (AP) - March 30, 2012 (WPVI) -- Could Donald Trump's sweet smell of Success come without a lot of bells and whistles? That's the approach he's taking with his newest fragrance, showing off a subtler side.

Success by Trump is a clean and spicy mix of juniper and red currant with a heart of ginger, bamboo leaves and geranium, and a base that includes vetiver, birch wood and musk. It comes in an architectural, squared-off clear glass bottle with a brushed silver top.

"It is different from my normal packaging. I felt it was very elegant, modern and a very successful look," the 65-year-old real estate mogul and TV personality said in a recent telephone interview.

Success is made by the Five Star Fragrance Co., which also makes Kim Kardashian's perfume.

Trump says he wears his new scent to formal events. It pairs nicely with the shirts, ties, suits and cuff links, all sold at Macy's, that have his name stamped on them, he said, not missing an opportunity for a pitch, although a softer sell than what audiences might see on his TV show, NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice."

The fashion world is particularly finicky and, Trump said, while he's done well, he wouldn't want it to be his primary source of income.

"I think fashion is a great thing, it can be a beautiful thing, but it's always very complicated. No one can define it, and it can be scary. It's like tech companies that can be hot as a pistol and then be out."

Trump says he is feeling a public preference right now for things that are more streamlined, simple and no-nonsense. All the gold adornment that he loves - on a fragrance bottle, logo, fabric and even in a bathroom - isn't with the zeitgeist at the moment, he explained.

"Look at bathrooms, now they (the public) likes the nickel brush fixtures. Do I like it? No, but I'll do it because it's what the public wants," he said. Taste can change on a dime, and it'll happen quickly, too. A business isn't going to last if it cannot evolve, he said.

This is Trump's second fragrance. The first scent, launched in 2004, was sold mostly at his properties.

What's next?

"I think I've got some of the great buildings of the world, in major cities, so I can't think of anything else, but I will after this conversation," he said.

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