Old Navy Enters Beauty With Seven Fragrances Built on Nostalgia Appeal

Old Navy, the Gap Inc. staple known for affordable fashion, is entering the beauty space with 21 products spanning hair and body mists, lotions, and body washes. The launch centers on seven fragrances, each priced at $14.99. The move capitalizes on a trend documented by CivicScience, a consumer research firm that found nostalgia influences at least 68 percent of US adult purchases.

The company’s parent, Gap Inc., has recently invested in category leadership. The group hired designer Zac Posen, Reed Krakoff (a multidisciplinary designer), and Debra Redmond, who previously held a senior role at Nordstrom Inc.’s beauty division, to head Old Navy’s beauty category. Richard Dickson, who joined as president and CEO after his tenure at Mattel—where he is credited with steering the Greta Gerwig Barbie phenomenon into cultural dominance—oversees the overall strategy.

The Gen Z Craving for 1990s Optimism

Although older generations lived through the era Old Navy is evoking, the brand is positioning these fragrances as cross-generational. Yet Redmond acknowledges the strongest resonance lies with Gen Z, a demographic that did not experience the 1990s directly.

“I always find it interesting that a generation like Gen Z never lived that era, but they’re craving it,” Redmond explains. “It goes back to this optimism, this joy, this moment in time where, as a Gen Xer, it was all about that self-expression and really embracing who you were. For the generation now, while they didn’t live it, they’re craving it because it was a simpler time.”

This approach follows Gap’s own fragrance launch earlier in the summer, which revived scents from the brand’s classic 1990s lineup alongside a new addition, Harmony. The fragrances received mixed-to-positive reception. Old Navy’s beauty push also comes alongside apparel collaborations Gap has pursued with Hailey Bieber and Victoria Beckham.

The Perfumer Behind the Scents

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Old Navy enlisted Jérôme Epinette to develop the collection. Epinette has established credentials in high-end fragrance, having worked on scents for Byredo and contributed to Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 62, a fragrance with a dedicated following.

Crafting for Accessibility, Not Niche

Epinette describes his creative process as balancing commercial appeal with subtle sophistication. “When you start working on a collection, it’s hard in the beginning. You ask yourself, Do I go completely crazy? Do I go super niche? Do I do [something] more commercial?” he says. “After speaking with Deb and the Old Navy team, it was obvious that we needed some common ingredients—nothing crazy or niche—but with an edge.”

This middle ground is Epinette’s established territory. His fragrance Bal d’Afrique for Byredo brought warm, earthy depth to floral notes and became a cult favorite in the fragrance community.

Layering as a Playful Entry Point

One deliberate design choice was simplicity in the notes themselves. Most Old Navy fragrances employ a minimal ingredient list, particularly those favored by younger consumers. Redmond notes that Epinette prioritized accessibility through layering—a technique that can intimidate newcomers to fragrance.

“Jérôme really looked at how the customer could take any of the scents and layer them on top of each other. It was providing the bases or the prime of citrus, and/or amber, and/or vanilla in a new way,” Redmond explains. “If you think about the playfulness of layering—the mixing, the matching—he provided that in a way that feels very accessible and welcoming.”

Breaking Down the Seven Scents

The collection spans a range of profiles, each built on straightforward note combinations.

Gourmand Thrill

This fragrance centers on toasted pistachio, creamy coconut, and salty amber—a sweeter profile designed to appeal to those drawn to gourmand fragrances.

Fresh Splash and Other Fruity Options

Fresh Splash emphasizes juicy pear, salty beachwood, and white woods, offering a fruit-forward opening that dries down to warmth. Sorbet D’Lish and Floral Sweet present other fruity and sweet directions within the range. Floral Sweet blends crushed raspberry with sensuous amber and white patchouli.

Softer Florals

Suede Embrace takes a quieter approach, featuring jasmine blossom, sheer amber, and wild honey for a more nuanced option compared to the sweeter scents in the range.

Formulation: Moisturizing Without the Sweetness

The body washes in the collection are infused with vitamins E and K to address emollience concerns. Redmond was explicit about avoiding drying formulas. “We didn’t want anything drying,” she confirms.

Several Allure editors tested the body washes and found them neither drying nor notably hydrating compared to other options on the market. The body mists underwent pilot testing in 150 Old Navy stores before the broader rollout. Based on customer feedback, Redmond made the decision to add two additional scents before expanding distribution to Old Navy’s 1,000-plus store fleet.

A Brand for the Whole Household

Old Navy’s positioning emphasizes inclusivity. The brand serves all genders, ages, and backgrounds—often with multiple family members shopping together. Epinette acknowledges this reality in designing the collection.

“Everybody shops at Old Navy—a mom, a daughter, a husband, et cetera,” he notes. “I think it’s keeping the family vibe of Old Navy.”

Redmond reinforces the strategy: “You have the young adult that’s coming in and shopping, expressing their fashion and personality. Then you also have the family, so we came from a place of creating something that feels very relevant and modern and, at the same time, if you were to use this on anyone in the family, you could use it with confidence.”

How Beauty Editors Responded

Allure’s editorial team tested the collection with varied reactions.

Sarah Kinonen, Allure’s beauty director, found Fresh Splash the standout. “It’s very fruit-forward with juicy pear, but the dry-down warms things up with the salty beachwood and white woods. It’s nice,” she says, though she noted the eight-ounce bottle size may not suit her regular rotation.

Jesa Marie Calaor, an Allure editor, connected with Floral Sweet’s saccharine sweetness as evoking her middle school preferences. “Floral Sweet would have been my jam in middle school. The body spray smells as juicy as it does saccharine. I wouldn’t reach for it now. I prefer musky florals these days, but it does satisfy my inner teen.”

Bianca Richards, Allure’s social media manager, experienced nostalgic resonance with Sorbet D’Lish. “It brings me back to those early mornings before school when my mom would wash and style my hair. These products definitely feel nostalgic to me, and though I have no qualms with the body wash and mist, I don’t think I would use them in my day-to-day routine.”

Sophia Panych, Allure’s content director, found Suede Embrace appealing enough for regular use throughout the workday, citing its more restrained profile as an advantage.

One observation emerged that captured the simplified aesthetic: a comparison to L’Oréal’s discontinued No More Tears 2-in-1 kids’ shampoo bottles. While undeniably nostalgic, these fragrances are more streamlined than a Byredo fragrance such as Mojave Ghost.