A perfumer by trade, Fragonard offers a range of perfumed creations whose diversity has become the house signature. Created exclusively by Maison Fragonard, each scent has evolved over the years, according to current trends and desires. And each tells a story: that of an encounter, a landscape, a raw material or a fashion…
The first perfumes created by Maison Fragonard, such as Moment Volé (renamed Stolen Moment for the US market), Caresse, Suprême or Rendez-Vous, were directly inspired by the paintings of Jean-Honoré Fragonard and based on carnation, rose and jasmine. In the Thirties, Orientalism was in vogue, as reflected in Fragonard’s Rêve Indien, Gardénia Royal, Gamin and Galopin.
In the Forties, Maison Fragonard created an exclusive signature bottle with the aid of a glassmaker and designer, featuring curved lines reminiscent of a Roman amphora. This precious golden glass signature bottle, with its rich red pouch, hoisted Fragonard to the status of the greatest perfumers at a time when fragrance had become synonymous with seduction and luxury. It was used for the Maison’s new creations from 1946 onwards: Premier Pêché, Christmas and Belle de Nuit, then Billet Doux in 1950. The latter two fragrances, marked by their strong character, highly-feminine scent and power have since been re-edited. In the late Fifties, two flowery, Oriental creations appeared: Châle Indien and Murmure, now discontinued.
Perfume became a widely-used product in the Sixties, with an ever-growing clientele. Among the scents created by Fragonard, Oui Madame is an ode to Grasse’s most beautiful flowers: jasmine, rose, tuberose and violet. Heady, floral notes were in vogue at the time, reflected perfectly by Baroque, a soft blend of rose and carnation. Men’s products, essentially after-shaves, were embellished with the first Eaux de Toilette when Fragonard created Pour Vous Monsieur, a fresh fern fragrance and the first hit perfume for men, to be followed by many more.
