Coty holds a licence agreement to produce and distribute all BOSS and HUGO fragrances, a partnership that began in 2016 and has been extended beyond 2035. Hugo Boss remains the owner of the fragrance brands, while Coty acts as their fragrance partner. Coty is majority-owned by JAB Holding, whose Reimann family history includes direct Nazi-era complicity. Today, JAB channels funds to pro-Israel institutions through the Alfred Landecker Foundation. Coty continues to sell in Israel and in markets with mandatory animal testing, while being criticised for weak labour protections and greenwashing.
Coty is rated High Impact because consumer spending on its brands ultimately fuels JAB Holding, the Reimann family–controlled parent company. The harm here is structural: ownership profits are channelled into philanthropic vehicles that directly support pro-Israel institutions, embedding Coty within the global political economy that sustains apartheid and occupation.
The significance is twofold. First, Coty’s scale in beauty and personal care means everyday consumer purchases flow steadily into this ownership structure. Second, the model illustrates how global brands can appear politically “neutral” while their profits consolidate power among elites funding Zionist initiatives.
This differs from a military supplier: Coty’s complicity is financial and infrastructural. Boycotting Coty targets both exploitative beauty supply chains (greenwashing, animal testing, weak labour protections) and the wealth networks that redirect consumer money into institutions underpinning apartheid.
Shiseido
Dossier
Paraphrase Perfume
Kayali
Maison Louis Marie
Try an Indie perfumery