We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isaac Lekach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isaac below.

Isaac, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Given the economies of scale, it’s common for companies (especially independent ones) to use a uniform bottle shape across their fragrance lines to save on costs. While this approach can create a cohesive and beautiful presentation—especially if the bottle or cap is striking—it often limits a brand’s ability to tell a deeper story.

At Flower Shop, Lillian and I draw inspiration from visionaries like René Lalique and Elsa Schiaparelli, whose groundbreaking packaging designs remain unparalleled even a century later. Their work reminds us that great fragrances are as much about presentation as they are about the scent itself. In today’s crowded market, where countless options vie for attention, we believe it’s time to return to this artistry.

By creating distinctive, story-driven packaging, we aim to transcend the clutter. A great fragrance should stir emotion, but its presentation should stop someone in their tracks—whether in a store or on a small screen—inviting them to explore what lies within.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

By way of introduction, my name is Isaac Lekach. Flower Shop Perfumes Co. is the company I founded with my wife, jewelry designer, Lillian Shalom.

I started in fragrance, working for my father, Ilia Lekach, over 20 years ago. He built a perfumery chain called Perfumania and another company built on the licensing model called Parlux Fragrances, which made fragrances like Perry Ellis, Guess Jeans, and Paris Hilton, to name a few. In fact, I identified the potential of Paris Hilton as a fragrance partner and championed the collaboration. The debut fragrance we created remains the cornerstone of her remarkably successful fragrance empire.

At Flower Shop, we continue this tradition of innovation by creating fragrances in partnership with leading brands and artists. Our portfolio includes L’eau de Parfum, the debut fragrance by Cirque du Soleil, and Portals Parfums by Melanie Martinez, with many exciting projects underway—including the launch of our own proprietary line.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

When we were preparing to launch Katy Perry’s debut fragrance, the standard approach was to partner with Macy’s, typically as an exclusive retailer. They were the go-to for fragrance launches at the time. We presented the brand to them, but for one reason or another, they passed. It was a gut punch—but I wasn’t deterred. I believed in Katy, who was then a burgeoning singer, and in the fragrance we had created together. While celebrity fragrances had lost some momentum in the market, I was confident that if we could properly showcase the product, it would sell.

I approached Nordstrom, despite knowing they had a strict “no celebrity” policy. To my surprise, they were intrigued and agreed to a meeting. Long story short, they decided to take a chance on us and became our launch partner. But being featured in-store wasn’t enough. For the fragrance to succeed, we needed an experiential event that would create buzz and reinvigorate the market.

The challenge? Nordstrom didn’t have a New York City location at the time, and NYC was crucial for media coverage and visibility. To solve this, I decided to build a Nordstrom-branded pop-up shop directly outside Macy’s Herald Square. We live-streamed the event (a costly endeavor 15 years ago), and Katy arrived in a milk truck—tying in with the bottle’s cat-shaped design. She signed autographs, gave interviews, and created the excitement needed to kick off what became an incredibly successful fragrance launch.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Eventually, we sold Katy Perry’s fragrance license to Coty. Having always enjoyed working with her, I looked for opportunities to continue our collaboration. In need of a job, I joined her management firm and was tasked with developing new ventures outside of music. While there were some missteps—like an ill-advised video game project (not my idea)—I also helped bring her successful (and often-times whimsical!) shoe line to market.

My most celebrated contribution came during the rollout of a new album. Katy had a new single and needed a marketing campaign. Fond of experiential experiences, and seeing the need to carry the conversation online, I proposed to premiere the single “Chained to the Rythm” in a way that provided a unique experience and compelled people to share it online:

We designed massive ball-and-chains shaped like disco balls and placed them at iconic landmarks around the world. Each contained an embedded iPod that played the single on repeat. Fans were invited to find these installations and plug in their headphones to hear the song for the first time. The campaign went viral, generating immense buzz, and ultimately won awards.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://flower-shop.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/flowershopperfumesco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-lekach-476160140/
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@flowershopperfumesco

Image Credits

Lillian Shalom