Business Notes Advertising

Claudia Schiffer wasn't even a contender. Neither were other supermodels. They were . . . well, too glamorous, too intimidating for Oscar de la Renta's new perfume Volupte. Though Polish-born Derota Puzio, the model chosen by the designer, will surely turn heads, she looks like a regular person.

"We wanted to use a girl any woman could relate to," says de la Renta. "She is not a great beauty. But she feels confident, and is comfortable with who she is. She could be any woman." In television commercials for the exotic fragrance debuting next month and in magazine ads in the fall, the adventurous Puzio will be shown on a solo vacation in India. And while the use of a "nonmodel" to promote a high-fashion scent may be unusual, Volupte isn't likely to turn up in your local bargain basement. A 1-oz. sculptured crystal flacon retails for $300.