L’Oreal Trademark Victory: End of Fragrance Dupes?

According to Business Week, the Court of Appeal’s judgment in London today "follows a decision last year from the European Court of Justice setting out how far L’Oreal, the world’s largest cosmetics maker, can go under EU law to block marketing of copied scents. The U.K. court said it had a “duty” to apply the European ruling. “The ECJ’s decision in this case means that poor consumers are the losers,” Judge Robin Jacob said in the ruling. “Only the poor would dream of buying the defendants’ products. The real thing is beyond their wildest dreams.” " Hmmm...maybe they haven't heard of obsessive compulsive collectors who amass everything! But I digress.
“There is a bit of a message that the price of the real thing may be excessive and that the ‘luxury image’ may be a bit of a delusion,” Jacob said in the ruling. Naturally as the dupe costing 4.30$ for the 100ml bottle is abysmally low compared to the 100 pounds or so for the real thing! L'Oreal however insists that we're talking of 120million in loss revenue.
According to Hamish Porter the judgement has been an "an “indictment” of the European court’s approach to protecting well-known brands".
You can read the whole case following the link at the top.

Photos from the Moroccan Abode of Serge Lutens

W magazine goes inside perfumer Serge Lutens's secret Moroccan hideout in the heart of the Marrakesh medina, asks questions (via Christopher Bagley) and posts a pleiad of gorgeous photos (by Patric Nagel) in their June issue. Curiously, the hideout of the grand master of artistic direction is just that ~a secret hideout. It's been constructed for the last 35 years, yet it hasn't been lived in yet! Lutens has trouble coming up with a clear explanation, attributing it to filling the “awful, horrible emptiness that we all have.” He says, “There are times where you just have to be completely occupied; otherwise you fall apart".
The house is respendid with orientalised motifs, Berber jewellery and fibulae, Syrian chairs and paneled coloured windows alongside an impressive memento mori desk. All around a big walled garden full of exotic blooms like daturas, tuberoses and brigmansias. Anyone who knows the admiration Perfume Shrine holds for the Lutensian universe knows we're thrilled...


The interview includes such Lutensian gems as “I felt like the director of the pyramid at Cheops” (on the 500 people working on it), “You could call it obsession. But obsession is a necessary part of creation” (on getting carried away on the building process) and “It’s happened very quickly, like a hysteria. Everything’s a hysteria with me” (on his amassing moody Orientalist art-pieces from the middle of the 1980s onwards).


But maybe the most interesting of them all (and the most romantic) concerns smells: The greatest perfumers of them all aren't perfumers, but rather the bees, the winds, the rivers, carrying and mixing scents in space...In a home like this one, this is tangible reality more than poetic fantasy.

Visit this link to read and see the Serge Lutens slideshow.

And might we remind you that two new fragrances by Serge Lutens are coming up soon: Boxeuses and Bas de Soie. You can read about them here.

Photographs by Patric Nagel for W Magazine.

The Perfume Wars: Old Lady vs Older Woman

Among perfume lovers' circles there are no other two words more despised than "old lady" perfume. Is it because often the people who love ~but also have the economic means to indulge in their passion~ are of more mature years? Is it because it connotates the worst ageism possible, an invisible one? Is it because in the en masse swiping out of "old lady" perfumes one is thus disregarding all the classics and the vintage treasures which evolving trends made obsolete? Possibly it's a combination of all of the above. And why are men left out, as usual? Are there no "old men" fragrances? And if they exist, why isn't the world paying any attention? Considering the subtextual content of language in reference to scents isn't an easy task, probably exactly because olfaction is a function that addresses the brain's limbic system rather than the rational centre of speech. Therefore a correlation between feeling produced by smell and language used to express it is hard to establish.

Some people defend the term "old lady" by saying it's vague, so it could be construed positively. And originally it was. For instance, a beloved grandmother who has a loyalty to a specific fragrance of her youth might be an old lady to emulate. I can think of at least two. After all fragrance vogues come and go: When My Sin by Lanvin launched in 1925 it was the bee's knees (it still is, if we need to be objective), a subversive scent for an emancipated woman. Miss Dior (1947) was aimed at the debutantes of the first years after WWII, hence the "miss" denomination. Now the young ones wear Miss Dior Cherie, a sweet fragrance that bears no olfactory relation to the predecessor and turn up their noses at the original. L'Eau d'Issey (1992) marked a whole generation now in their early forties; in the eyes of a modern teenager, it's terribly passé. The cyclical course of fashions accounts for the unavoidable reversion of norms and perceptions, in regards to scents as with everything else.
It could be a lack of vocabulary and imagination only: The derogatory term is easy to say and to blurb forth, without trying to come up with a phrase that describes our feelings in more precise terms that could convey nuanced meaning. Obviously the mystique of fragrance is terra incognita for many, but I am wondering whether this is an excuse for terminology laziness.

On the other hand, so very often the term "old lady smell" is used in reference not simply to obsolete or old-fashioned aromata, but rather displeasing or even repelling ones: Smells of incontinence, of "dead" hormones (very seldom detractors consider "old lady" perfumes as sexy or attractive), of lacking hygiene due to physical disabilities, smells of medicine and disease...The feeling is almost one of foreboding, a bad omen that has the evil ability to stick around and influence everyone around. "Chela Gonzalez and her friend Nora are looking forward to sixth grade in their El Paso school. They have finally been placed in the A-class, the “smart class,” which is for students who only speak English. Then Chela’s father has a stroke on the first day of school, her grandmother comes to help out, and “the air became thick with the smell of old lady perfume, of dying flowers and alcohol…. It was the smell of bad things.” Thus is constructed the central plot in Claudia Guadalupe Martinez’s debut novel for young adults "The Smell of Old Lady Perfume". No baking cookies, cuddling and fragrant kisses goodnight for this grandma and grandaughter.
A blogger further writes remarking the scent of a woman he passes by: "Perhaps this isn't a smell that old people spray themselves with. Maybe when you get past the menopause, you instantly start emitting it. Old women try to mask it with stronger fragrances, but the old lady smell keeps coming out. As they get older, the smell fades, and is replaced by the smell of old mothballs." There is even a Banning Old Lady Perfume on Facebook! And the pursuit of youth at all costs knows no (commercial) boundaries: there's a magic smell for everything!
Surely it must be a hard-wired mechanism in humans that averts us from anything that reminds us of our own mortality seeing a woman of advanced years as discarded material, an old hag. Before you pppfft it as sheer rubbish though read this: "A researcher at Shiseido Laboratories has traced the problem to a fatty acid known as palmitoleic acid. He has also learned that the body of a person up to about the age of 30 does not secrete a noticeable amount of this substance, but that once a person--whether male or female--hits 40, the volume rises sharply. The volume of palmitoleic acid released by the human body is 10 times as great among people in their seventies as in their forties."
Still, aging is a privilege; the alternative isn't as good. We might as well be a little more accepting and lenient and grow up already!

Spirited discussions ensue whenever the subject is brought up nevertheless: One perplexed 25-year old says she was told by her boyfriend "his favourite perfume is White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor" and asks for opinions on whether it's too mature for her. Before anyone playfully suggests she ditches the boyfriend, she is told instead to "try it on skin first", "its old lady, try smelling Paris hilton, Gwen Stefani, Baby phat, J-Lo, these are just a few in my collection that smell oh so good", that "it’s a little mature but it smells alright. I wouldn’t wear it until I’m like 45+", "I didn’t know they had perfume for young folks and old folks" and yes, finally that "it is marketed to an older more mature woman". Ah...the magic word: "marketed"!

But let's see the world of difference a small substitution does to the term: What if instead of "old lady" we had "older woman"? The image of a prim, conservative little commuter, grey hair in a bun and structured purse in her lap, sensible shoes and no thoughts of enjoying anything naughty is looming whenever the derogatory term is used. Is it the "little" lady in there that is so distasteful to the detractors? One of them even mentions it out of the blue as smelling like "Eau de little old lady" when talking about retro perfumes , so there must be some truth in my theory! In contrast, consider being youngish and being told you smell "like an older woman", especially if this comes from a man. Instantly the characterisation is not negative; far from it. It's "older", not old. It's "woman", a more sensuously rich term than "lady". It's all French (or Italian) films and summers spent as an exchange student someplace where a knowing woman had taught you the secrets and exasperations of adult life Mrs. Robinson-style. Who wouldn't want to be as alluring as Jacqueline Bisset? Still, the ringing-of-some-humiliation term of "cougar" has been concocted against older women going after younger men, so I'm seriously considering whether "old lady" isn't a feminist issue to begin with. It probably is.

A suitable alternative term for "old lady" perfume nevertheless hasn't been universally accepted yet. Would "retro fragrances" be a positive term to replace the "old lady" one when referring to classics & old-fashioned scents? Would "old-fashioned" do when we're talking about something that is not necessarily within our comprehension or taste? Would "displeasing" be an umbrella subjective term for the scents we don't like, forgetting the ageist tentacles which are spreading and engulfing us whenever we use the term "old lady" in a negative light?
We're taking submissions for vocabulary expansion right here as we speak: Offer your own!

pics via shadyoldlady.com and cinematicpassions.com

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 5

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Patrick Dempsey II in collaboration with Avon. Created by Firmenich, this is a masculine spicy oriental combining notes of mandarin, saffron, nutmeg, spiced wood accord, green fig, cistus, olibanum, patchouli, guiacwood, skin musk accord.

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

Villa Kerylos at Beaulieu-Sur-Mer: a Virtual Trip!

Villa Kerylos, situated between Nice and Monaco at Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, France, is the recreation of a noble dwelling from the 2nd century B.C on the Greek sacred island of Delos, which is now open to visitors. "Kerylos" literally means halcyon or Kingfisher (a bird bringing a good omen) in Greek. The concept was envisioned by Théodore Reinach (1860-1928), a scholar and well known Hellenist, who built the villa in France as a token of admiration to the Hellenic way of life. It was designed by the Italian architect Emmanuel Pontremoli.

The design of Villa Kerylos follows a classic Mediterranean scheme which involves a central courtyard or περίστυλον (much like the palaces in Minoan Crete) surrounded by a garden with a selection of plants found in Greece including olive, carob and pine trees, cypresses, irises and myrtle; they waft their scented trail around to the enchantment of year-long visitors.
The central courtyard was customary in every ancient Greek dwelling: the focal point where air and light circulated freely, with a water basin in the center. All around, the walls are filled with frescoes depicting mythological scenes and shell designs, following the iconography of ancient temples and houses. The inside is completely furnished and decorate to reflect the way of life of another time, like a portal to island and land abodes of ancient Greece.

In the following clips you too can have a virtual touring of this fascinating place and let your mind travel to a summery destination. One of the perfumes which tries to capture the ambience of the fragrant garden at Kerylos is Jardin de Kérylos (16) by Parfumerie Generale (from the founder perfumer Pierre Guillaume), a dry and fresh fig accented by sycamore and woods, emphasizing the bright and fruity aspects instead of the milky, which transports us to another time.









Clips originally uploaded by cltcmoamoano and indiavideo and fnac (Copyright : EXTRUD / Culturespaces) on youtube

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 4

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Faith Hill by Faith Hill Parfums. Composed by Caroline Sabas of Givaudan, Faith Hill is a "sparkling floral bouquet" built on aromatic crisp pear, refreshing neroli, and lush pink peony. The base includes cashmere skin musk, iris and vetiver.

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 3

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Halle by Halle Berry. Halle by Hollywood actress Halle Berry is "a modern and sensuous ‘woody oriental’ fragrance incorporating her favorite ingredients such as luminous Mimosa and Fig" Notes of Sicilian Bergamot, fig Leaves, pear blossom, freesia petals, hibiscus flower, Ultra Mimosa, sandalwood, driftwood, Cashmere Musk, olibanum absolute, amber.

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

Indole & Jasmine: Indolic vs. Non-Indolic or Dirty vs.Clean

Say the word jasmine among perfume circles and expect to see the characterisation of indolic being brandished a lot at no time. Expect to see upturned noses with "indolic" mentioned alongside "fecal" in the same breath. Is jasmine a "dirty" word? Who potty-trained it? These thoughts evolved in our mind as we re-examined the troubled relationship of perfume lovers to the perfumery "king of flowers", especially now that the weather is warm and jasmine vines are flowering like mad; and so decided to take things at the top.

Indole is often used as the scapegoat for "stinky" smells, but the truth is somewhat different. Originally indole is a portmanteau of the words "indigo" and "oleum", because the chemical substance named indole was first isolated by treatment of the indigo dye with oleum (oil), thus giving rise to indole chemistry.
Indole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound which contains a six-membered benzene ring fused to a five-membered nitrogen-containing pyrrole ring (don't worry if you're not great at chemistry, it will all make sense in a second); thus compounds which contain an "indole ring" (sequence of molecules) are accordingly named "indoles".  

What does this mean? It smells "weird". But not necessarily of feces or poop, contrary to common knowledge! Organic chemistry on the whole isn't averse to naming names quite literally, especially when it comes to foul-smelling components: Hence we have cadaverine (for cadaver smell), putrescine (for the stench of garbage), skatole (from the Greek σκατό, litterally meaning shit), or butyric acid (the smell of rancid butter from the Greek βούτυρο/butter). No, the nomenclature of organic chemistry is pretty much to the point, which would pose serious doubts as to why leave such an appropriate scent out there with no fitting baptism!

The answer is simple: Pure indole, the one which is indeed present in feces and also in small part present in white flowers (such as jasmine, gardenia, tuberose and orange blossom; but also in honeysuckle and lilac, technically non white) doesn't really smell of poop in isolation. The white crystals of indole (mainly derived from coal tar) contribute to the effect, in tandem with other things (surely both feces and flowers contain myriads of molecules) but not in seperation so much. Isolated indole has a musty, weird moth-ball smell that is a little stale, reminiscent of decay, like something has gone off and you can't really pinpoint what it is. In presence of humidity and musky compounds it can become a little much, reminiscent of the ambience of a...toilet. In a way an "Eros & Thanatos" concept.
It's interesting to note that a common derivative is the amino acid tryptophan, calming neurotransmiter serotonin's percursor and an essential amino acid in the human diet. (It's isolated in caseine which is found in dairy products, but also in chocolate, oats, poultry, pumpking seeds, peanuts, spirulina and several others. Makes seeing food in a whole different way!).

But should the smell direct us into seperating white floral and jasmine fragrances into naturally-derived or not? In short, does an indolic scent indicate we're dealing with a fragrance containing natural jasmine? The answer isn't as easy as all that. It's true that natural jasmine essence, as used in the perfume industry, is dark and narcotic, containing about 2.5% of pure indole. This often gives a "full", lush and intimate ~some say naughty~ effect in the finished compound, making the jasmine "sexier" or "animalic" as described by perfume enthusiasts (the naughty effect is more due to paracresol, reminiscent of horses' smell). Try Serge Lutens' A la Nuit, also his Sarrasins (a different treatment of intimate) or Montale Jasmine Full, and you know what I am talking about. Olene by Diptyque is another one which has a dubious intimate ambience (described by someone as "one bad mama jama of a jasmine"), as does the extrait version of Joy by Jean Patou, sublimated in rosy and musky tones as well, and the heart of Bal a Versailles (flanked by naughty civet). Also try Bruno Acampora Jasmin. However you don't necessarily have to tread on jasmine to get copious amounts of indole either: Try a carnation scent as well: Carthusia Fiori di Capri. It can make walking in the park where dog owners routinely walk their dogs a completely novel experience in perception!

Nevertheless, the picking up of a poopy smell can't be a compass into actual composition after all: The natural oil requires the processing of tons of flowers raising the cost to 10,000$ per kilo of essence, while it would be perfectly easy to add seperate indole to synthetic substitutes in order to produce a compound that would be closed in value to 10$ per kilo. The difference in pricing is staggering, which explains why natural jasmine oil is today only used in minute amounts in specific extrait de parfum formulae and only there; the rest is mythos and marketing communication of the brands.

But not all jasmine fragrances need to be indolic either. Try the non-indolic Armani Sensi and Sensi White Notes. Also get a feel for Jasmine White Moss by E.Lauder or Voile de Jasmine by Bulgari. Nothing "dirty" about them whatsoever!
To construct a light, virginal jasmine without indole, the perfumer has several synthetic options (assuming they're not involved in the masochistic effort of taking the natural and getting it fractioned in order to remove the indole). Hedione in copious amounts is the first choice, as it reproduces a greener, dewier version in contrast to the natural jasmine absolute. It's combination (in elevated ratio within the "jasmine base" thus created) with benzyl acetate, benzyl salicylate (for diffusion and tenacity), alpha amyl cinnamaldehyde and linalool produces the desired effect. These jasmine fragrances are easy to wear, lighter in feel, less heady and do not pose the problem of reminding people of impolite (even if necessary) human functions.
The choice between heaven and hell, as they say, is yours!

 If you haven't caught on the Perfumery Definitions series till now, please visit:

• Definition: Lactonic, Creamy, Milky, Butyric
• Definition: Powdery & Dry in Fragrances
• Definition: Resinous & Balsamic
• Definition: Soapy in Fragrances
• Definition: Phenolic, Terpenic, Camphorous
• Definition: Which Material Produces Which Note/Effect?

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: The Jasmine Series, Raw Aroma Materials of Perfumery

photos by Horst P.Horst in collaboration with Dali and Lisa with Harp.

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 2

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is Enchantment of Twilight Woods. A new distinctly feminine fragrance, an alluring blend of bright flowers, surprising spices and creamy woods {...} captures the singular pleasure of a twilight stroll. Twilight Woods is the newest addition to Bath & Body Works’ “Cuddler” collection, a set of scents designed to make you feel cozy, comforted and relaxed. The Firmenich master perfumers behind Twilight Woods are Harry Fremont (who experimented with the scents of sustainable hardwoods), Jane Konnyu (who added a layer of musk to build texture and body with a soft, feminine feel) and Honorine Blanc (who added an addictive top of sparkling fruits and creamy white flowers).

All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

Fifi 2010 nominee Giveaway 1

As we announced previously, the Fragrance Foundation is giving away bottles of the nominees of the 2010 Fifi Awards every day starting Monday 17th.

Today's fragrance giveaway is In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon in collaboration with Avon. Described as "a romantic and alluring Floral Oriental Woody" it includes notes of Georgia peach tea leaves, crisp greens, star gardenia, magnolia, night blooming jasmine, hypnotic florals, cashmere woods (=Cashmeran), amber wood crystals.
All you have to do is connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment until 5pm (the sooner the better obviously) for a chance to win one of the free bottles.

Certain terms and conditions apply.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

A Fragrance Giveaway Each Day for 12 days!

In collaboration with The Fragrance Foundation we're pleased to announce each day a different FIFI fragrance nominee will be given away to our readers (until it's out of stock)!
We start on Monday, the 17th at 5pm. Every day for the following 12 days we will run a short announcement on Perfume Shrine early on, so you know the special fragrance of the day and can be alerted so you're ready by 5pm.
All you have to do is then connect to the FIFI Facebook page and leave a comment. Any comment will do, so don't miss your chance to win a bottle of the perfume you want!
The FIFI Awards will be held June 10, 2010 in New York City. The FIFI’s are the Oscars of the Fragrance world and attended by a who’s who of the industry. Celebrities expected: Mary J. Blige, Saffron Burrows, 50 Cent, Randy Jackson, Kim Kardashian, Molly Sims, Sofia Vergara, Michael Kors, Usher and many more.

Terms & Conditions:
Winners will be announced via Facebook. You may enter only once per Give-away. Winners will be selected in a random drawing. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age and over. Alternatively, those not wishing to join Facebook can submit their name for consideration by sending their name, address, and age to: Facebook Give-Away c/o The Fragrance Foundation, 545 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900 New York, NY 10017. No purchase is necessary. Odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received. Any applicable taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited. The Fragrance Foundation reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify, or terminate the give-away in the event of any technical malfunction, including any unauthorized tampering or anything beyond the control of The Fragrance Foundation.

Disclosure: We are not affiliated with either the Fragrance Foundation or the companies which provide the fragrances for the giveaway. This is a public service announcement.

The History of the House of Lanvin Parfums

Few fashion houses have such an illustrious career in fragrance production that at least a handful of their old creations are considered classics beyond parallel: one could cite Chanel or Dior. Lanvin is one of them and although its endurance and shimmer has waned through the decades, a result of the brand passing through many hands who were not always respectful of the heritage, their fragrances are renowned for their elegance that transcends the decades. From the definitive Arpège (1927) with its aldehydic incandescence to the delectable Mon Péché (My Sin) from 1925, they entangle their fans in an embrace of true luxury. Acclaimed perfumer Edmond Roudnistka had pronounced quinoline-rich yet smooth Scandal (1933) as his preferred leather scent among all others by saying it's "a beautiful flower snapped inside a new leather handbag". [in an interview by Susan Irvine]

The tantalising names read like a sexy adventure as well: Prétexte (pretext), Rumeur (rumour), Crescendo, L'Ame Perdue (Lost Soul)... Some of the lost gems are poetically baptized, consonants and vowels rolling off the tongue: Pétales Froissées, J'en rafolle, Niv Nal, Lajéa...

The story of the house of Lanvin starts with the founder of the fashion house, milliner Jeanne Lanvin, born on the 1st of January of 1867 in Paris, eldest of 11 children born to the poor family of Bernard-Constant Lanvin and Sophie-Blanche. Luckily for them, Jeanne's grandfather, Jacques-Firmin Lanvin, is friends with Victor Hugo who helps them along every way he can.
At the age of 13, Jeanne, nicknamed «la petite omnibus» because of her habit to chase the bus, enters the workforce as a seamstress and milliner. As the years pass, so augments the admiration her work produces, earning her an apprenticeship at Félix and later at Cordeau's, working in Barcelona. Upon returning to Paris, Jeanne Lanvin will become mistress of herself: She founds her own millinery fashion house at rue du Marché Saint-Honoré. Her next address upon expanding her headquarters will be 16 rue Boissy d’Anglas while the final destination, still standing to this day, will be at 22, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The genius designs of artist Albert Armand Rateau will help her materialize her Hôtel particulier and her villas, the «Lanvin Décoration» division and he will decorate her boutiques. Together they will participate in the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1925 as well.

Aside from the professional, Jeanne's personal life will blossom too: She meets her future husband, le Conte Emilio di Pietro, at the Longchamp horse races and will have her daughter Marguerite in 1897. The little girl has been immortalised through the design of the iconic black boule bottle of Arpège. Her nickname is Ririte, but she will be referred to as Marie-Blanche ever since 1920, and she will be the inspiration for the many fabulous designs her mother devises which will be envied all over Paris and will create the fervent desire to emulate for the daughters of many well-to-do ladies of the higher society. The step from daughters to mothers is a small one and Jeanne will become a legendary couturier in no time!
Marie-Blanche will also be the inspiration for her mother's most enduring perfume, Arpège, conceived for the 30th birthday of Jeanne's beloved daughter and inspired by Marie-Blanche's musical-referencing comment upon smelling the first mod of the composition: "it smells like an arpeggio would". The formula was composed by perfumers Paul Vacher and André Fraysse, while the design of the mother dressing the daughter by Paul Iribe has become a modern icon. It's an irony that the passionate love the mother had for her daughter Marguerite will end up in drawing them apart...

Parfums Lanvin will begin their long-standing career in 1925 at 4, Champs Elysées with simultaneous openings at Cannes and Touquet. The perfume laboratory will be in Nanterre. Even though the background of the first few perfumes is shrouded in mystery and the allegedly Russian-born (and nebulous) Madame Zed ~or more truthfully Marie Zède*~ the fact is that it was the then young perfumer André Fraysse who created the triumphs of the Lanvin fragrance line from 1925 onwards. Such was his input that the legendary perfumer Edmond Roudnitska had once said that he considered Fraysse to be the best perfumer of them all.

The final recognition for Jeanne Lanvin came in 1926, when she became a Chevalier de la légion d'Honneur, and when in 1938, she received the rosette of Officier de la Légion d'Honneur by the hand of Sacha Guitry. She died 8 years later at the age of 79. The direction of the couture house was renegated to Marguerite/Marie-Blanche till her own death in 1958. Successors to the designer seat will include Antonio del Castillo, Dominique Morlotti, Jules Francois Crahay, Marry II Lanvin , Claude Montana, Patrick Lavoix and Christina Ortiz.
After a long hibernation and the passing into too many hands, the L'Oreal Group and the Vuitton family bought out the Lanvin house, organising the first re-orchestration of the classic Arpège fragrance; to outcries from the loyal fans which demanded and effectuated a needed twist in the latter part of the 1990s, albeit never to the grander glory of yore. Since 2007, parfums Lanvin are owned by Inter Parfums, while the fashion division is led by designer Alber Elbaz.
The official site of Lanvin can be accessed here.

The perfumes of Lanvin in chronological order are:

1923 Irisé (discontinued in 1926)
1923 Kara Dujenoun (inspired by a trip to Egypt and discontinued in 1926)
1923 Lajéa
1923 Le Chypre
1923 La Dogaresse
1924 Comme-Ci, Comme-Ca
1924 Niv Nal (discontinued in 1926)
1925 J'En Raffole
1925 Géranium D'Espagne (discontinued in 1962)
1925 Cross Country
1925 Mon Péché (My Sin) (discontinued in 1988)
1925 Le Sillon (discontinued in 1926)
1925 Friction Jeanne Lanvin
1925 Après Sport (discontinued in 1926)
1925 Où Fleurit L'Oranger (discontinued in 1940)
1927 Arpège
1928 L'Ame Perdue (Lost Soul)
1928 Pétales Froissées
1933 Scandal
1933 Eau de Lanvin
1934 Rumeur
1934 Eau de Cologne Lanvin
1937 Prétexte
1949 Prodige
1951 Spanish Geranium
1964 Monsieur Lanvin
1964 Figaro Lanvin
1964 Lavande Lanvin
1965 Crescendo
1966 Vétyver de Lanvin
1971 Via Lanvin
1979 Lanvin for Men
1979 Cardamome (Moyen Orient)
1979 Rumeur (relaunch)
1983 Clair de Jour
1987 Eau de Parfum d'Arpège
2000 Oxygene
2001 Oxygene pour Homme
2003 Lanvin Vetyver
2003 Éclat d'Arpège
2005 Arpege pour Homme
2006 Rumeur (new edition)
2007 Éclat d'Arpège Summer
2008 Rumeur 2 Rose
2008 Jeanne Lanvin
2009 Lanvin L'Homme Sport

We will review (and link) several of these fragrances soon!

*according to an official hand-written document in which Marie Zède from 13, rue Castiglione, Paris, orders raw materials from a supplier. [source & possession of document 1000fragrances]
Vintage Lanvin ads via cache1.asset-cachet.net, publicites-anciennes.com and ebay