Parfums Gres : History and Tradition

If like me you are an avid admirer of Parfums Grès, from Cabochard to Cabotine and if you are interested in learning more about its history, a wonderful website Parfums Grès will be a great discovery. Besides photos and background on Alix Grès herself, the website features excerpts from Michael Edwards's French Perfume Legends that revolve around the history of the house as well as a timeline of the entire collection. I have discovered a few fragrances that were new to me: Grès pour Homme (1965), Quiproquo (1976), Eau de Cologne Grès, Eau de Grès (1980), Alix Grès (1981). The water hyacinth scented Chouda (1959) has also captivated me.

Photo: Madame Grès evening gown with peplum, silk jersey, 1940, taken by George Platt Lynes. Please see more information about this stunning gown and photograph from The Met Museum.

Jean Patou Perfume Bar

I pick up a delicate Bordeaux wine glass and bring it close to my face. However, instead of taking a sip, I inhale deeply and lose myself in the banana jam redolent sweetness of the prized jasmin de Grasse. The rose walls are lined with shelves of liquid filled bottles and the counter is graced with the silver martini shaker, however despite the illusion, I am not at a bar. At least, this place does not serve alcoholic cocktails for internal consumption. Instead, the glasses are especially made for fragrance testing by Henry de Monclin, and the traditional perfumery bottles on the shelves contain 200 of the finest raw materials and essential oils. Mme. Catherine Saudubray tending the bar has a degree from ISIPCA, the most prestigious perfumery school in the world, and as she gracefully threads paper strips dipped in various absolutes through the upturned Monclins, she narrates the history of the house, interspersing it with the absorbing comments on the materials I am smelling. ...

Perfumer Germaine Cellier

One of the first famous female perfumers, Germaine Cellier (1909-1976) was a creator ahead of her time, relying on short formulas to paint dazzling abstractions and treating notes as colours, much like a painter would. She was not afraid to use a large quantity of the aggressive aroma-chemical isobutyl quinoline in creating of the leather accord for Robert Piquet Bandit or 8% of galbanum for infusing Balmain Vent Vert with a fierce verdancy. She was also responsible for Robert Piguet Fracas (1948), Balmain Jolie Madame (1953), Balmain Monsieur Balmain (1964), and Nina Ricci Coeur-Joie (1946).

It is said that she was a striking woman—elegant, tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed. She had a sharp sense of humour and was full of vitality. She posed for André Derain and counted other famous painters and sculptors among her friends. ...

Estée Lauder: The Woman Behind Youth Dew

Estée Lauder and her husband Joseph started a business in 1946 to market her uncle’s skincare preparations. Lauder launched her first fragrance Youth Dew in 1953, cleverly marketing it as bath oil. Although at the time perfume was considered a luxury item reserved for special occasions, bath oil could be applied every night. In 1964, Lauder introduced her first masculine fragrance, Aramis, which like Youth Dew has become an enormous success.

Photo: Estée Lauder, read more on osmoz.com.

Rise of Grasse as Perfumery Center: Story of Scented Gloves

Guild of Glovers was among the most important guilds, and in 1268 it was granted a status of corporation in Paris. Due to the fact that tanning process made use of maloforous nitrogenous wastes, gloves and leather goods had to be reodorized. Therefore, it would be fair to say that glove-making was an important starting point for the inception of perfumery in France, and particularly in Grasse. “In March of 1673, Colbert’s Ordinance of Commerce put the industry of gantiers-poudriers-parfumeurs on a more stable footing as part of the Six Corps, the six most powerful business societies of the day, with priviledged access to products from overseas” (156).

Leather goods would remain an important part of the luxury industry, however in the 1760s the government introduced high imposts on hides, which crushed the revenues of the gantier-parfumeurs, the glove-making associations. Thus, Grasse retained its prominence in perfumery to this day, since its rival Montpellier had invested much more in glove-making aspect of perfume industry and could not survive the industry collapse.

Reference: Morris, Edwin T. 1984. Fragrance: The Story of Perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel. E.T. Morris and Co., New York.

Two Legends of Perfume History: François Coty and L'Origan de Coty

If one were to enumerate perfumers who wielded great influence over the course of perfume history, François Coty is among them. A person of great talent and creativity, he gave the world fragrances that would serve as inspirations for many perfumers, despite the fact that he did not have formal perfumery training. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica in 1874, Coty realized that in order to expand the perfume market, the high quality product must be presented in beautiful packaging and at a reasonable price. While marketed as luxury, he deemed that perfume had to be affordable for people of every socio-economic class. While La Rose Jacqueminot (1904) was his first fragrance, incorporating new floral bases, L'Origan (1905) and Chypre (1917) would initiate two new genres of perfumery: soft sweet floral and chypre.

L’Origan (1905) cannot be mistaken for anything but a child of its times. Its soft powdery veil embellished with carnation, violet and heliotrope calls to mind gloves and Edwardian silhouettes. A precursor of Guerlain L’Heure Bleue (1912), L’Origan reveals the same bittersweet anisic top notes that sparkle like diamond dust in its powdery cloud. ...

Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums

It has become a conventional wisdom in the world of perfume lovers that the large houses are often constrained by iron logic of the stock market. The logic dictates the production of fragrances that should appeal to as large number of people as possible in order to boost sales. Yet, to paraphrase John Stuart Mill, the common mean between creative excellence and wide appeal is often a "collective mediocrity." Needless to say, as in almost every case, there are exceptions. However, it does not stop a fragrance consultant with an appreciation of beautiful things from thinking up a clever scheme—give nine of the most famous French noses as much creative space as they need to compose a fragrance of their dreams. There are few limitations in terms of price of the materials and the theme of the perfumes.

Frédéric Malle, grandson of the creator of Parfums Christian Dior Serge Heftler and nephew of the film maker Louis Malle, was born in 1962 in Paris. A self-proclaimed hedonist with a love for lilac, Joël Robuchun’s cuisine and Bach suites, he recalls that his love for beauty was fostered by his parents, especially by his father. “I am a sensual person,” says Malle in an interview. “You have to know how to look, smell and feel things.” Malle started working for Roure Bertrand Dupont in 1988, after finishing his degree at the New York University. Before starting Editions de Parfums in 2000, Malle was working as a fragrance consultant for Christian Lacroix, Chaumet and Hermès.

Unlike the common practice in the world of fragrance, Frédéric Malle places the perfumers in the spotlight. Every bottle is prominently labeled with the name of the artist responsible for the scent within. What is the result of the "auteur perfumery?” If Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums were paintings, they would be more suited for Center Pompidou than for Louvre, because they are truly modern compositions, even though many are classically composed, respecting the tri-tiered construction model. Such is Pierre Bourdon’s Iris Poudre, a composition capturing the scent of irises held close to the beautiful chest covered with a thin layer of powder. Other fragrances are conceived in a more linear style, minimalist and elegant as the lines of Giacometti’s sculptures. Cologne Bigarade created by Jean-Claude Ellena is a reflecting his predilection for clear and strong lines bathed in soft light. One thing is for certain—these fragrances must be sampled.

Editions de Parfums

Angéliques Sous la Pluie by Jean-Claude Ellena
Bigarade Concentrée by Jean-Claude Ellena
Cologne Bigarade by Jean-Claude Ellena
En Passant by Olivia Giacobetti
Iris Poudré by Pierre Bourdon
L'Eau d'Hiver by Jean-Claude Ellena
Le Parfum de Thérèse by Edmond Roudnitska
Lipstick Rose by Ralf Schwieger
Lys Méditerranée by Edouard Fléchier
Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel
Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska
Une Fleur de Cassie by Dominique Ropion
Une Rose by Edouard Fléchier
Vétiver Extraordinaire by Dominique Ropion
Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion

Carnal Flower will be released in September of 2005 and will feature notes of tuberose, orange blossom, coconut and camphor. According to Frédéric Malle himself, it is the ultimate seduction perfume.

The first Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle boutique was opened in 2000 at 37, rue de Grenelle in Paris. Its interior, conceived in a collaboration with Andrée Putman and designed by Olivier Lempereur, is marked by clean lines and unique system of testing fragrances from olfactory columns. Although it is quite an interesting way of experiencing scents, I much prefer the traditional skin test.

In addition to another store on Avenue Victor Hugo, which opened in 2004, Editions de Parfums line is available at Taizo in Cannes, Dries van Noten in Antwerp, Natan/Treize in Brussels, Barneys New York, Isetan in Tokyo, and at Flinders Way Boudoir in Melbourne. One of the most appealing additions to the line is a test kit, which contains 5ml atomizer bottles of each fragrance available. Tester kit and the fragrances along with the ancillary products are available online at Editions de Parfums site.

Photo: Frédéric Malle.

Perfume House of the Week: Ormonde Jayne

There are big perfume house and small niche brands. Big perfume houses suffer from the razor sharp logic of the profit margin and focus group marketing, which leads to the proliferation of unoffensive light fruity-florals. Niche perfume houses sound like they would produce the most delightful creations, without the pressure of accountants and stock markets, however in reality the results are not always that outstanding. The compositions can be very thin, the lasting power poor and the entire impression is of something palid and dull. After one has sampled a dozen of them, a strong sense of ennui is likely to ensue. I am speaking from personal experience here.

Her boutique at 28 Old Bond Street in the Royal Arcade, London, was opened in November of 2002. Prior to this, Linda was employed with for a Japanese Agrichemical Company Nihon Noyaku, based in London. Her career as a perfumer started when she was asked to created a candle for Chanel, and since then she has taken off her own line.

Although in 2002, Ormonde Jayne had only one fragrance, an eponymous one, for women, eight more fragrances were added subsequently:
Osmanthus
Frangipani
Champaca
Tolu
Ormonde Jayne for men
Sampaquita
Ta’if
Isfahan

Fragrances are available at the boutique or through the Ormonde Jayne website.

Perfume House and Its History: Parfums Caron

Established by Ernest Daltroff in 1904, Parfums Caron was originally located on Rue de la Paix in Paris. Daltroff purchased the perfumery from Anne-Marie Caron and kept the original name.  At the same time, he met Félicie Wanpouille, who became his partner and an important contributor to the rise of the house.  While Daltroff created fragrances, Wanpouille designed bottles and served as an artistic director. From the beginning, Parfums Caron was the house dedicated solely to fragrance, unlike houses like Chanel or Christian Dior that were first and foremost fashion houses. While the perfume houses produced more fragrances than fashion houses, by the 1920s women started to look at perfume the same way they regarded new fashion styles as Marylène Delbourg-Delphis noted in her book Les Sillages des Elégantes (1983). However, as the couture fragrances became more and more popular, they provided a stable point in the ever changing world fashion, therefore the pace of perfume production began to decline.

Daltroff was a true experimentalist when it came to fragrance creation in his departure from the traditional reproduction of floral scents.  He used synthetics and rare absolutes daringly, and would not shy away from combining rose and jasmine essences with phenyl acetic acid and terpineol.  Although Caron fragrances are rather diverse, despite being created by the same perfumer, many of them share a wonderfully dark undercurrent, which is based on a blend of geranium, licorice, leather, iodine, and vanillin. This accord gained the name of "Mousse de Saxe," revealing its mossy, dark and cool edge. When creating Nuit de Noël, Daltroff daringly incorporated this dark accord both in the heart and the base of the fragrance, which made the finished composition very unusual. ....

Perfume House and Its History: Guerlain

No doubt, among the perfume houses, Guerlain is the most venerated. Over the course of its existence, the house is responsible for over 300 perfumes, out of which some are still produced. Its history can be traced to 1828, when Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain opened his first shop on Rue de Rivoli in Paris. Interestingly enough, the shop would custom blend fragrances for its clientele. By 1840s, he had become an official provider for the queen of Belgium, while in 1853, the creation of Eau de Cologne Impériale earned him a patent of Royal Provider.

After the death of Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, his two sons Gabriel and Aimé took reins of the thriving fragrance house. The following fragrances are attributed to Aimé: Fleur D’Italie (1884), Skine (1885), Rococo (1887), Excellence (1890), Belle-France (1892), Cipricime, Eau de Cologne du Coq (1894). Jicky (1889) was his most famous creation, which was purportedly the first fragrance to incorporate synthetic materials.

Among Guerlain’s noses, Jacques Guerlain, son of Gabriel Guerlain, has made the most mark on the history of perfumery. As creator of Chanel #5, Ernst Beaux, said, when I use vanilla, I come up with crème brulée, when Jacques Guerlain uses vanilla, he creates Shalimar. To his credit are the creations such as Jardin de Mon Cure (1895), Voila Pourquoi J’Aimais Rosine (1900), Champs Elysees (1904, not the currently available fragrance by Jean Paul Guerlain), Muguet (1905), and Après l'Ondée (1906). After succeeding Aime in 1912, Jacques created L’Heure Bleue, and subsequently the magical Mitsouko (1919). In 1920, he creates L'Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat, while in 1922, Bouquet de Faunes. In 1925, he creates his most famous fragrance, Shalimar, strongly inspired by the art deco interest in the East. Later there appeared Djedi (1927) and Jasmin (1928). Liu (1929) was a nod to the experiments with aldehydes started by Ernst Beaux when he created Chanel #5. In 1933, Vol de Nuit makes its appearance, paying homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. 1934 was the debut of Sous Le Vent. Ode (1955) was Jacques Guerlain’s last creation, composed with the assistance of his grandson Jean-Paul Guerlain.

Jean-Paul Guerlain has been the nose since 1956 until his retirement two years ago. During this period, Chamade was created in 1969. Jean-Paul Guerlain’s fragrances include: Vétiver (1959), Chant d’Arômes (1962), Habit Rouge (1965), L’Eau de Guerlain (1974), Parure (1975), First (1976), Silences (1978), Nahéma (1976), Jardins de Bagatelle (1983), Derby (1985), Samsara (1989), Heritage (1992), Petite Guerlain (1994), Un Air de Samsara, Champs Elysees (1996), Coriolan (1998), Mahora (2000). After the release of Champs Elysees, the house exhibit Aqua Allegoria line, based on various flowers and herbs.

References: Javaslublue Perfume Encyclopedia, Scenteurs D’Ailleurs, Toutenparfum Historique. Also see this list of nearly all Guerlain fragrances.