The finishing touch to any ensemble, fragrance is a top-selling staple for nearly every fashion house. However, these signature scents were not always as intertwined with Avenue Montaigne as they are today. It wasn’t until 1911 that the iconic designer Paul Poiret launched the first-ever couturier perfume, Rosine, named after his daughter. Inspired, countless other designers including Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin soon followed suit.
In the early days of L’OFFICIEL, in the 1920s and ‘30s, fragrances appeared in small advertising inserts. Magazines then began forecasting the latest scents worthy of a true Parisienne, much like they predicted the season’s newest trends. In the ‘50s, fashion fragrances would earn their own editorial spreads, and even graced a notable selection of L’OFFICIEL covers in World War II–era issues.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the significance of perfume to a design house’s identity expanded exponentially, not only as a promotional tool, but also a way to capture the imagination of consumers in developing an idea of their own signature scent. In the ‘90s, L’OFFICIEL took this idea to the next level, introducing fragrances according to the reader’s Zodiac sign. For a Cancer, perhaps give Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris a try—the woody-floral notes reflect water signs’ soft strength. For a fashionable Libra, Chanel’s eternally chic No. 5.
