The perfume houses
The history of French perfumery does not date from yesterday. Indeed, it was in 1709 that Jean-Marie Farina founded his perfume house. It is today one of the oldest in the world. It is notably famous for its Eaux de Cologne and still produces original Colognes today, across eight generations. Nevertheless, since the emergence of this house, many other perfume creators have embarked on the adventure. Some of them have become world landmarks and count among their achievements numerous best-sellers and true legends.
Guerlain
The house of Guerlain has now existed for 185 years, having been founded more precisely in 1928. Its history is above all one of family transmission. Indeed, five generations of perfumers have succeeded one another at the helm of this prestigious house. Nevertheless, the olfactory creation of this brand is today handled by the nose Thierry Wasser. He works in collaboration with the creative director of Guerlain, Olivier Echaudemaison, in his position since 2000. Both maintain the insatiable quest for beauty that has guided Guerlain since its creation. Among the many best-sellers developed by the house, notable ones include the iconic Shalimar from 1925, l'Instant de Guerlain from 2003, l'Insolence from 2006, the Acqua Allegoria collection, l'Idylle from 2009 and the essential Petite Robe Noire from 2012.
Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens, for his part, is an atypical creator. After working for the makeup division of Christian Dior and revolutionizing the world of makeup, he signed with the Shiseido brand in 1980. It would nevertheless take until the year 2000 to see him launch his own house. Through it, Serge Lutens does not hesitate to fully display his uncompromising style. His bold spirit has moreover earned him numerous awards, including several Fifi Awards. Today, all his creations are displayed within his prestigious boutique located in the heart of the Palais-Royal in Paris. Among the most famous of these are Laine de Verre, l'Eau Froide, l'Eau de Paille, Ambre Sultan, Féminité du Bois, Datura Noir, and La Fille de Berlin.
Parfum d'Empire
Parfum d'Empire is the brand of the renowned perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. He enjoys complete artistic autonomy and does not hesitate to offer ever bolder fragrances. Holding a doctorate in developing a new analysis technique for perfume plant extracts, he is particularly rigorous in his selection of natural plant extracts. He does not hesitate to push the power of his natural raw materials to excess. His creations are always halfway between eroticism and spirituality. They are conceived like vintages, halfway between traditional perfumery and contemporary trends. This notably earned the fragrance Tabac Tabou the title of best perfume of the year 2016 at the Fifi Awards ceremony.
The fashion houses
Also, while perfumery experienced considerable growth from the Renaissance onward under the impetus of Catherine de Medici, it was not until the 20th century that this sector became linked to that of fashion. Indeed, the greatest fashion houses then expressed the wish to enhance their garments with a fragrance bearing their name. The most famous creation of this kind is none other than the iconic N°5 by Chanel. Today, this phenomenon has become particularly widespread and no fashion house worthy of the name can do without its perfume line.
Chanel
The house of Chanel was founded in 1910 by Gabrielle Chanel. Nevertheless, Chanel perfumes did not take long to emerge and made their appearance in 1919 with Mitsouko. However, it was mainly the success of the iconic Chanel N°5, proudly worn by Marilyn Monroe, that propelled this house to legendary status. Today, Chanel perfumes are synonymous with luxury and quality and are directed by the talented Karl Lagerfeld. He lacks nothing in boldness and has for some years brought a real breath of fresh air to the brand. This is also reflected in the choice of its faces of the campaign. After choosing Lily-Rose Depp, it is now Willow Smith's turn to be the face of this luxury house. Among its most famous creations, Chanel has notably signed the iconic Bleu de Chanel, Allure, Chance, and Coco Mademoiselle.
Dior
Dior perfumes are orchestrated by the perfumer François Demachy. He is responsible for perpetuating a long tradition of excellence and selects each of his ingredients with the greatest care. He has a palette of 600 ingredients and devises ever more innovative formulas. All Dior perfumes are manufactured in France and their preservation is the result of particular attention. Moreover, Dior is also known for its refinement in terms of bottle design. Among the house's most famous fragrances are Poison from 1985, Eau Sauvage from 1966, J'adore from 1999, Miss Dior, Dior Homme from 2005 and, more recently, Poison Girl from 2015.
Yves Saint-Laurent
How can one discuss the world of perfumery without mentioning this iconic and particularly controversial figure? Yves Saint-Laurent is an extraordinary creator who never ceased to make headlines and spark controversy throughout his career. Each of his perfumes is a concentrate of boldness, and the first of them dates from 1964. It was simply named Y. Today, the house of Yves Saint-Laurent has numerous masterpieces to its name, such as Parisienne, Black Opium, Mon Paris, and Manifesto. Many of them reference the beautiful city of Paris, the creator's favorite place. All are marked by profound elegance without lacking in impertinence.
Paco Rabanne
Paco Rabanne is a non-conformist creator who very quickly conquered the world of fashion. He also decided to venture into perfumery as early as 1969 with the perfume Calandre. Although this creator withdrew from the spotlight in 1999, after more than 30 years of success, the house itself continued to demonstrate extraordinary creativity. Each of Paco Rabanne's perfumes takes one into an atypical world. Thus, the Black XS duo for him and for her proves particularly rock 'n' roll. 1 Million and Lady Million, for their part, immerse one in a world of wealth and opulence. Finally, the latest additions, Invictus and Olympéa, rather celebrate intellectual and athletic beauty while combining it with a mythological universe.
Burberry
Burberry helps showcase the image of England across the entire planet. Each of the house's perfumes possesses a So British elegance and draws inspiration from the house's fashion line, and more particularly from the iconic Burberry Trench. Among Burberry's most famous creations are notably Burberry Brit, The Beat, Brit Rhythm, My Burberry, and Mr Burberry.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein is an iconic figure of American ready-to-wear. He made a name for himself in the 1980s and is highly regarded for his minimalist style. It was not until 1978 that he ventured into perfumery. Nevertheless, it was in 1995 that he truly experienced his moment of glory in terms of fragrances. Calvin Klein then launched the unisex perfume Ck One, fully embracing the androgynous trend of the time. Since that day, successes have continued to multiply within the house. It is to Calvin Klein that we owe, notably, the perfumes Eternity, Ck One Shock, Reveal, and CK2.
Jean-Paul Gaultier
The one nicknamed fashion's enfant terrible does not hide his boldness, whether in fashion or in perfumery. His very first fragrance, named Classique, was intended for women and did not fail to surprise with its bust-shaped bottle elegantly dressed in a corset. It was also very quickly followed by a well-known male counterpart, the legendary Mâle from 1995. Jean-Paul Gaultier's perfumes are always conceived with a fairly simple structure but a strongly asserted temperament. They generally resemble no other and are clearly identifiable.
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian designer particularly known for his clothing creations but increasingly famous for his numerous perfumes. His company was founded in 1974 and he decided to extend his activity to perfumery as early as 1982. The house proves particularly prolific in terms of olfactory creations. Each of his fragrances is particularly refined, and the most famous of them is without question the feminine perfume Si. However, other great fragrances also emanate from this house, such as Acqua Di Gio, Idole, and Armani Code.
Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss is a German fashion brand founded in 1924 by Hugo Ferdinand Boss. This house is particularly renowned for its suits. Indeed, Hugo Boss can boast selling one in six suits worldwide and being sold in more than a hundred countries. It was in 1986 that Hugo Boss developed its very first fragrance. Nevertheless, the success of Hugo Boss perfumes truly exploded with the emergence of Hugo in 1995. Boss Bottled is also among the house's greatest successes. It embodies the image of a man who succeeds at everything, both personally and professionally. More recently, it is also the seductive Boss The Scent that has generated much discussion. This one is a concentrate of sensuality and comes across as the embodiment of absolute desire.
Kenzo
Kenzo perfumes take one into a poetic and offbeat world. They most often draw inspiration from nature. They encourage men and women to refocus on themselves and embark on an inner journey. Moreover, the whole is accompanied by extraordinary marketing campaigns leaving no one indifferent. Of course, the house's most famous perfume is none other than the essential Flower by Kenzo, a fragrance smelling of poppy, a flower that nevertheless has no scent. Among the house's other famous fragrances are also Kenzo Amour, the Totem collection, and Kenzo Homme.
Givenchy
It was in 1952 that Hubert de Givenchy decided to open a luxury brand. First presented as a fashion house, it was in 1957 that Givenchy developed its first perfume, named Le De. Givenchy fragrances mirror its fashion division, halfway between chic and impertinence. Among the house's most famous fragrances are, notably, Ysatis from 1984, Xeryus Rouge from 1995, Organza from 1996, Ange ou Démon from 2006, and, most recently, Live Irresistible from 2015.
Nina Ricci
Nina Ricci, or rather Maria Nielli by her real name, opened her fashion house in 1932 at 20 Rue des Capucines in Paris. It was her son, Robert Ricci, who created the perfume department there in 1941. Very quickly, Nina Ricci captivated the French public with the quality of her fragrances combined with the beauty of her bottles. She did not hesitate to call on the glassmaker Lalique to enhance her fragrance l'Air du Temps. Among Nina Ricci's most famous creations, no introduction is needed today for Love In Paris, Nina, Ricci Ricci, and l'Extase. Each of them is an ode to femininity, romance, and sensuality.
Thierry Mugler
While Thierry Mugler opened his fashion house in the 1970s, he can boast having truly revolutionized the world of perfumery. Indeed, it is to him that we owe the first gourmand perfume in the history of feminine fragrances. This path was opened thanks to the perfume Angel from 1992, considered the best-known blue star in the perfume category. Nevertheless, Thierry Mugler has also signed other masterpieces such as Alien, Womanity, Innocent, and more recently Angel Muse.
The jewelry houses
However, fashion houses are not the only ones to have ventured into the world of perfumery. Jewelry houses have also extended their activity to this art. The first of them to take on this challenge is none other than Van Cleef & Arpels. The idea was then to create a link between the most beautiful jewelry adornments and the most beautiful scents in the world. After all, do these two elements not both nestle in the hollow of the neck?
Cartier
It is through travels, encounters, and stories that Cartier has forged its identity. The house's innovative spirit remains particularly present within each of its creations. Moreover, Cartier has been particularly influenced by Indian art. It is indeed to this house that we owe fragrances such as Pasha from 1992. Cartier also counts a few best-sellers to its name, such as Déclaration from 1997, Eau de Cartier from 2001, Baiser Volé from 2011, and Panthère from 2014, also an emblem of the jeweler since the Roaring Twenties.
Boucheron
Just like Cartier, Boucheron is a creator who has continually traveled to India in search of the finest stones. Also, the Indian influences of this country are clearly found in each of its fragrances. Boucheron perfumes made their appearance in 1988. Today, Jaïpur captivates with its allure resembling a typical pink-colored bracelet from Rajasthan. Similarly, other olfactory echoes of the house reference its jewelry sector. This is notably the case for the Quatre perfumes, fragrant adaptations of the house of Boucheron's iconic ring.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is a brand born of a love story between Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. Also, it is a bit of this tenderness that is found in each of the house's fragrances. The first of them saw the light of day in 1976 and was named First. It did not fail to astonish, as it was the very first perfume to be developed by a jeweler. Nevertheless, its success was immense and gave rise to other legendary perfumes such as Tsar from 1988, Féérie from 2008, Midnight In Paris from 2010, Rêve from 2013, and Ambre Impérial from 2015.
Of course, this list of perfume creators and brands is not exhaustive. Moreover, perfumery is a luxury that continues to become more widespread and shows dazzling growth across the entire world. Furthermore, beyond all the new creations, certain essences display exemplary longevity and stand out as essentials that ensure the durability and reputation of certain brands. As an example, one bottle of Chanel N°5 is sold every two seconds around the world, that is, 10 million bottles per year! Moreover, this record is all the more impressive when one considers that this perfume is nearly a century old. Suffice it to say that certain brands seem born to endure forever.