The Fragrance industry has been fighting for decades a battle between the power of Marketing and the uniqueness of true creations. In difficult times, only great fragrances remain and among the icons of perfumery history there is Joy by Jean Patou.
In 1912 he opened a small dressmaking salon called “Maison Parry”. His entire 1914 collection was purchased by a single American buyer. At that time, Henri During the First World War, Patou shut downs his business and reopen it in 1919. He is known for inventing the inventor of the knitted swimwear and the tennis skirt. He also known to popularize the Cardigan by always looking for a comfortable yet stylish fashion. In his fashion as in his perfumes, Jean Patou was a pioneer of modernity. Contemporary of the Art Deco and Bauhaus movements, he draws from historical references – the drapes of ancient Greece, the low cut waist of the Middle Ages and mixes it with the harmony of geometric lines and contrasting colors, his trademark. His legacy is tremendous and several great names of fashion design worked for the luxury house. From Karl Lagerfeld, to Jean-Paul Gaultier or Christian Lacroix, they all learned the basis of their metier at Jean-Patou. From his living, Jean-Patou was considered as one of the most elegant man of his time. He influenced many others to embrace elegance and quality.
We need to remember that in this beginning of the 20th century, another name was already world-wide famous: Paul Poiret. He was the ultimate reference for Couture. He was actually the first Couturier-Perfumer in history thanks to its “Parfums de Rosine” line. The perfumes were elaborated with Rallet Laboratories in Grasse. The main perfumer was Henri Alméras. The after First World War brought tremendous financial difficulties for the Maison Paul Poiret. The future being complicated, Henri Alméras leaves Poiret and joins Jean Patou, a new couturier with great ambitions. After creating his haute couture line, Jean Patou created the perfume division helped by his brother-in-law Raymond Barbas and his first “nose” Henri Alméras. Adept of jasmine, the House has its own fields in Grasse, capital of perfume and is one of the largest consumers of this flower in the world. Historically, Jean Patou had wished to create a perfume intended for its most faithful customers, a gift to make them forget the difficult moments crossed during this dark period. He was talking about Joy. Today, this perfume has become the olfactory finery of luxury by excellence, a timeless significance of prestige and opulence.
In Difficult Moments You Will Always Need Some Joy.
What can we say about the Jean Patou’s woman? She is definitely someone that does not go unnoticed. She loves colors and shapes. She will explore all nuances depending on her mood, situation and taste. She will be elegant during the week in the city as well as over the weekend at the sea or in the countryside. She will impose her femininity and yet be comfortable in her shoes. Jean Patou was the one to introduce the “weekend suitcase”,casual and elegant clothe for a two nights stay-out. All this richness will influence the in-house perfumer to develop one of the most beautiful fragrances of all: Joy.
When Jean Patou launched Joy in 1930, it was not only a big statement but also a big financial risk. In 1929 it was the Wall Street melt down. Economic crisis was at its hardest and in those hard moments, Jean Patou had this great idea of launching the “Costliest perfume in the world” and it would be called Joy. Only the finest ingredients would be used in this timeless fragrance. Two main stars of the composition take the lead: Jasmin and the Centifolia Rose from Grasse (south of France). The generous usage of these two precious absolutes made this fragrance extremely costly. We tend to say that for each ounce of Joy, it is required 10’000 Jamine flowers and 28 dozens of Centifolia Roses. History says that after the in-house perfumer has created a formula containing quite a lot of magnificent natural, Jean Patou himself asked to double the dosage. With a lot of talent and mastery, Henri Alméras controlled these powerful elements to create the most exquisite fragrance of all. In terms of olfactory construction, here is what can be said:
- Top Notes :Peach, Aldehyde Notes, Green Notes
- Heart Notes :Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang
- Base Notes : Sandalwood, Musk
“Joy” was voted “Scent of the Century” by the public at the Fragrance Foundation FiFi Awards in 2000, beating its rival “Chanel No. 5”. It shows how deep this fragrance is connected to people’s consciousness. Therefore, there is only one JOY.
In terms of flacon, it was designed by the Architect decorator Louis Süe. Inspired by Crinoline dresses and was structure under the Golden number, perfection and balance.The flacon by the way did not change since its creation. With an astonishing contemporary design, it became timeless. It is filled by hand and the cap is fixed with the “emery” procedure. This ancestral technique consists of sealing the bottle with a thin, moist membrane called a balloon that solidifies as it dries. The glass is In Baccarat crystal, the gold elements are hand-painted and finally, the gold wire that tops the cap completes the creation of Jean Patou as a signature.
Joy By Jean Patou Across The Years
Since the 30’s, Jean Patou survived thanks to his Fragrance legacy. Joy became an icon for all passionate fragrance lovers around the world. It is the ultimate floral bouquet fragrance and together with Chanel 5, it became a world reference for several generations of perfumers.
Decade after decade, Jean Patou developed a tremendous olfactory heritage. Very recently, there were some modern variations from Joy:
EnJoy – 2002
We find the familiar notes of rose and jasmine, balanced with greener accords (green banana and black currant) and more sensual notes (patchouli, amber and vanilla). The end reveals a luminous, seductive juice.
Joy Forever – 2013
You’ll find Joy’s iconic notes of jasmine and rose in Joy Forever, but the fragrance also features another pair of noble flowers: orange blossom and iris. Joy Forever has been refreshed with citrusy notes, a green pinch of galbanum and a fruity peach note. The perfume evolves towards a sweet, woodsy trail. Perfumer: Thomas Fontaine.
As we can see, there is only one JOY and it is the one from Jean Patou. This fantastic fragrance remain very modern and “current”. Fans around the world are pleased to find this fragrance in chosen perfumery shops. The most amazing thing with such a tremendous fragrance is that it cannot be copied, it cannot be beaten and it protects itself from competition. Having such an unique olfactory footprint and such a great concept, it writes down in golden letters this heritage for eternity. There is only one JOY and there will always be only one JOY.
José Amorim
#largentnachetepatou Info sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
