The Maternal History Behind Lanvin's Arpege Perfume

Women in the past especially were mentally tied with a sort of femininity that deviated at times from the sensible, non-glamorous, the image of the caretaker. You imagine a highly strung classy woman that hides her woes behind an immaculate veneer; perfectly coiffed & manicured, wearing delightfully constructed, tailored clothes and maybe a string of pearls. Male filmmakers of the 1940s tended to show this powerwoman stereotype having a meltdown at some point in the plot, perhaps a subtle nod to "punishment" for undertaking more than they should. Pamela Robertson explains that Mildred Pierce exposes this contradiction of female success and societal expectations, "because Mildred's success conflicts with the postwar ideology that demands that women give up their careers." Perfume choice becomes a symbol for that.

  The designer Jeanne Lanvin met her future husband, le Conte Emilio di Pietro, at the Longchamp horse races and would have her daughter Marguerite in 1897. The little girl has been immortalized through the design of the iconic black boule bottle of Arpège. Her nickname was Ririte, but she has been referred to as Marie-Blanche ever since 1920, and she was the inspiration for the many fabulous designs her mother mottos which were envied all over Paris and created 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 would become a legendary couturier in no time! Marie-Blanche would also be the inspiration for her mother's most enduring perfume, Arpège, designed 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 perfume formula was composed by perfumers Paul Vacher and André Fraysse, while the design of the mother dressing the daughter by Paul Iribe pictured on the bottle has become a modern icon. It's an irony that the passionate love the mother had for her daughter Marguerite would end up drawing them apart. An aldehydic whisper of pure flowers, not very far removed from Chanel No.5 eau de toilette, yet more radiant and effervescent than seducing, maybe thanks to mental associations, the Lanvin fragrance is a treaure trove of stories and wonders. 

  Photos of vintage print advertisements found on Ebay and borrowed for educational purposes only.