Molyneux
Edward Molyneux is considered to be an artist with golden fingers. He is famous for his bold association of chic, luxury and sensuality. He made his mark as a couturier of the interwar period before becoming one of the most famous names in the world of perfumery. Nowadays, his expertise remains almost unmatched in each of these two sectors.
Molyneux's beginnings in couture
Edward Molyneux was born in 1891 in London and came from an Irish family. He began his life as a young man while the First World War was raging. He enlisted in the infantry of the British army and lost an eye on the French front. Nevertheless, this did not stop him from pursuing his dreams. As soon as the war ended, he worked for the couturière Lucy Duff Gordon as an illustrator. Then, barely a year later, in 1919, he opened his own haute couture house in Paris, at 5 Rue Royale. He then became one of the most brilliant couturiers of his generation and contributed strongly to spreading the image of elegant Paris around the world. As such, he dressed European royal houses as well as all of British high society. He had the opportunity to enhance actresses such as Greta Garbo, Gertrude Lawrence, Marlene Dietrich and Vivien Leigh. Likewise, he was in charge of designing the costumes of the singer Mistinguett in the 20s for her shows at the Folies Bergère.
Molyneux and its olfactory adventure
It was then in 1927 that Edward Molyneux decided to venture into perfumery. Following the same simplicity and the same boldness as when creating garments, he then made his mark on history. Some of his fragrances became great timeless classics. Elegance and refinement are values dear to this house. Today, the Molyneux Paris brand has become the property of the Parfums Berdoues group. Nevertheless, this has taken nothing away from its former prestige, and some of its perfumes, such as Captain from 1975 or Quartz from 1978, seem to have been born to leave a lasting mark on history. The legacy of Molyneux perfumes is simply unique. It perpetuates the ancestral expertise of authentic perfumery and has conveyed unique scents around the world for nearly a century now.
Even though Edward Molyneux retired from the profession in 1950 to devote himself fully to his passion for painting, his name truly left its mark on the last century. Moreover, Time Magazine describes him as the Parisian equivalent of Manhattan's Mainbocher (a famous emblematic haute couture figure of the United States), a classicism devoted to a soft appearance and a tailored line.