Fougère
Dana
Dana: Canoé, Tabu, Emir — rare fragrances, cult perfumes
The founder of the Dana house is the Spanish perfumer Javier Serra. Although the house was created in 1921, it made an undisputed name for itself in perfumery through the collaboration of the eminent Jean Carles, one of the most celebrated noses of Grasse. Jean Carles notably created for Dana its cult fragrance, which remains a great classic among today's feminine floral fougères, the famous Canoé, released in 1935.
Dana perfumes
FougèreWhen Javier Serra met the legendary Jean Carles
A former director of Myrugia, Javier Serra founded his own fine perfumery house under the name Dana in 1921 in Barcelona. Why Dana? Simply because it is the name of a nymph born in a field of flowers... And the house of Dana would never cease to offer sensual and original perfumes in the image of this beautiful nymph, evoking creativity and imagination.
In 1932, Javier Serra left for Paris to surround himself with the greatest perfumery specialists, including his lifelong friend Jean Carles, one of the most promising noses of the fine perfumery of Grasse. Together they would give the house of Dana, already behind the creation of several perfumes including Tabu in 1931, the original and sensual perfumes that the young Spanish perfume house sought.
Thus, in 1935, were born the lovely oriental chypre Émir and the brilliant oriental floral fougère Canoé.
Jean Carles's emblematic fragrances make Dana's success
Canoé is certainly the perfume that made the success of the house of Dana. This beautiful fragrance, enclosed in a bottle shaped like a woman with pleasantly rounded curves, offers the image of a light and sporty perfume decorated with precious maritime flags that hint at an airy and invigorating scent. Canoé is a feminine fragrance that is entirely unisex; its treasure lies in its extreme simplicity, while being powerfully driven by its oriental and aromatic facets toward soft, subtle and sensual olfactory symphonies.
After the phenomenal success of Canoé, the duo formed by the Spaniard and the Frenchman from Grasse would eventually resolve to go their separate ways. Moreover, in 1946, Jean Carles created the famous first Roure School of Perfumery in Grasse, which would later become the highly reputed Gévaudan School. Of course, he would also continue to create wonders in perfumery such as Ma Griffe by Carven or indeed Miss Dior.
As for the house of Dana, although the perfumes that followed this split were less spectacular than Tabu, Emir or of course Canoé, they had the merit of helping the Dana perfume house grow by offering it lovely originalities such as Chantilly in 1941, Pullman in 1952, Ambush in 1959, Symbole in 1965 and finally Herbissimo in 1972. Now sold to an American perfume company, Dana continues to offer new fragrances while occasionally releasing, for lovers of Canoé, Tabu or Emir, a few bottles of these precious treasures...