After the acquisition of parfums Jean Patou by the company Designer Parfums, a part of the Shaneel Enterprises Group (who took the helm from P&G who previously owned Patou),
Paris-based perfumer Thomas Fontaine will work alongside Designer Parfums’ existing team on new launches and will have a specific responsibility overseeing the fragrance development for its heritage brands, namely Worth, Jean Louis Scherrer and Jean Patou. The portfolio of the company also includes Agent Provocateur, Aigner Parfums and Monsoon fragrances.
Thomas Fontaine has worked with an international client list and displays an extensive track record in creating fragrances for bespoke houses such as Lubin (
Black Jade, Bluff, Inédite, Figaro, Gin Fizz), Grès (
Cabotine Floralisme, Miss Cabaret), L'Occitane (
Miel et Citron), D&G (
L'Amoureux), Léonard (
Eau Fabuleuse) and JC Brosseau (
Bois d'Orient, Ombre Platine); as well as major brand owners such as P&G Prestige. [Indeed he worked on
Caline Tender Moments and
Caline Blooming Moments, flankers to the original J.Patou fragrance
Caline]
He is the perfumer and founder of Pallida and has worked at renowned aroma-producing companies such as Mane, Charabot and Technico-Flor.
Fontaine studied perfumery at the Ipsica Fragrance Academy at Versailles under the patronage of the House of Jean Patou, so you can say that some things are in the cards from the very beginning.
Today Thomas Fontaine is recognised as a leading specialist in recasting vintage formulas for modern times. Which is of course wonderful news for us perfume lovers! Imagine if the old Patou Ma Collection miracles came alive again!
Designer Parfums Managing Director Dilesh Mehta commented:
“Thomas has a wonderful understanding of the history of perfume and also knows how to create beautiful fragrances for the modern international marketplace. I am sure that by working closely with him we will benefit greatly from his knowledge, experience and passion.” [
source]
Let's hope for new beginnings and exciting announcements along the way! All the very best, mr.Fontaine!
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Let's hope for the best. What happened to Duriez? Is he leaving, or will he waste his talent doing bespoke at Patou?
ReplyDeleteSerendipitously (as usual with perfumeshrine!) I opened my vintage Joy parfum yesterday night. What a marvel-the jasmine blast, the civet! I need reports from rue Castiglione, beyond Turin's, on the reformulated "rose soliflore". And your pic of the Moment supreme ad makes me, as we say in Italy, "eat my fingers". I saw a bottle at an antique store, asked about it in an online forum, but two weeks later it was gone. A stealthy Basenoter?
cacio
Amen, here's to a fresh start!
ReplyDeleteyes, let's hope for the best (but not hold our breath). and, yes, where does that leave jean-michel duriez? with procter & gamble and other lines? i really like him!
ReplyDeleteCacio,
ReplyDeleteJean Michel Duriez has been at Patou since 1997 (he came in with Kerleo) and later worked for Rochas too, so the ties are deep. But he's still with P&G, he hasn't left, last I hear, and the acquisition didn't include him. He will still work for P&G Prestige Beaute, which means Rochas for sure and possibly briefs for Gucci or something? Remains to be seen in detail along the road.
Wonderful serendipity! Funny, though I like the mellowness of the jasmine (it's so balanced), I can't shake the impression Joy isn't me and will never be me. Is it the rose? Is it the classicism of the florals? (some other classic florals are fine though). It's...something. I can appreciate it from afar and never make it mine. Oh well...
BTW, re: Moment Supreme, email me, I might have something interesting to relay! ;-)
Dain,
ReplyDeletefrom your (pretty) mouth to Designer Parfums' ear!
Hope you're very well, hadn't had time to communicate in extent and miss it, though I do read your posts.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteit's doubtful whether they will start the collaboration with a bang (though that should be the proper route IMHO), so I'm tentatively hopeful. As to Duriez, please see above my reply to Cacio for details.
Jean-Michel Duriez of Jean Patou and Rochas inspires a character in a French thriller.
ReplyDeleteThe white-shrouded body of a beautiful woman is found on a boat on the Seine, right under the windows of the central police headquarters of Paris on the Quai des Orfèvres. She was the face of the campaign for Idole, the new Jean Patou fragrance. The sole clue left on the body is the business card of Camille Beaux, Patou’s in-house perfumer
What a delightful tidbit, Parfumi! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteIt's always wonderful to find perfume clues in "who dunnits", isn't it?
Care to share the title of the book/film? To save me the Googling. :-)