Lightyears Collection
Guerlain

The origins of the Guerlain perfumery enterprise can be traced back to 1828, when Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain (d. 1864) opened his first shop on the ground floor of the Hôtel Meurice on the rue de Rivoli in Paris. Guerlain had studied soapmaking and the distilling of essences in London and has established a workshop at the corner of avenue Kléber, close to the Arc de Triumph. In the beginning, perfumes were customized for particular clients. There were no mass market or even "off the shelf" perfumes.

In 1840, Guerlain moved to 15 rue de la Paix. His sons, Aimé and Gabriel, had now entered the business. Guerlain's reputation was growing strong and he was named official provider for the Queen of Belgium.

In 1853 Guerlain introduced Eau de Cologne Impériale, created for Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III. Eau de Cologne Impériale is still in production. Guerlain had now received a warrant as "Royal Supplier" to the court.

Upon the death of Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain in 1864, Gabriel took over the management of the business and Aimé took over the creation of perfumes. Jicky, Aimé's breakthrough fragrance, was introduced in 1889, the year the Eiffel tower was erected.

In 1895, Jacques Guerlain — son of Gabriel Guerlain, grandson of Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, and perhaps Guerlain's most legendary perfumer — introduced his first fragrance, Le Jardin de Mon Curé. Jacques Guerlain went on to create such classic fragrances as Après L'ondée, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Liu, and Vol de Nuit.

Guerlain Fragrances

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