Fragrance Anniversary: From Omani Royalty to Givenchy

There’s an anniversary moment in fragrance; everyone from a designer fragrance in Paris to the Middle Eastern potentate is celebrating a birthday of sorts.

November marks the 50th anniversary of the first scent by Parfums Givenchy, L’interdit for Audrey Hepburn; considered by many the first celebrity-endorsed perfume.

Audrey, with her gamine chic became synonymous with Givenchy through the various ad campaigns for L’interdit. In the years that followed, the house of Givenchy continued to create quality scents with advertising campaigns featuring many of fashion’s most recognizable yet diverse faces, from Czech uber model Eva Herzigova to Laetitia Casta, France’s latest Marianne, the symbol of French beauty.

In celebration of this anniversary, Givenchy is launching a new add campaign for Very Irrésistible Givenchy. The ads feature their current favorite face, Liv Tyler, a notable member of American rock n’ roll aristocracy. Both Hepburn and Tyler represent the company with their own form of glamour, whether it is Audrey’s innocent charm or Liv’s naughty allure.

For the first time ever, Givenchy will be offering all of their fragrances in the United States, housed in rectangular Pop futurist bottles. Both the men and women’s fragrances can be found at Nordstrom’s for $65 and $85 respectively in 3.4 oz bottles.

November is also a month to celebrate for Middle Eastern perfume company Amouage, which launches two new fragrances this month in honor of its 25th anniversary. Jubilation XXV and Jubilation 25 represent the new generation of Amouage fragrances, with simplified and sophisticated crystal bottles and packaging.

Founded by the Omani royal family, the company strives to keep alive the ancient tradition of Arabian perfume making. Their first perfume, Gold, created in 1983 by super nose Guy Robert, is still known as the most expensive in the world, selling for upwards of $2,000 in custom made gold flasks, created by London jeweler Aspreys.

According to Christopher Chong, the current creative director of Amouage, each scent should tell a story while transforming the wearer to another time. Instead of using celebrity endorsement, Amouage relies on the powers of story telling, music and history to sell their fragrances.

Each scent is a complex mix of significant ingredients found in the Omani countryside, most famously frankincense but also rose, myrrh, patchouli and musk. Price is never an issue when it comes to creating any Amouage scent, the fruit of thousands of prototypes.

These sophisticated scents are rich and heavy with a price tag to match. They can be purchased at Harrods in London at 125 pounds, or $260, for 50 ml of Jubilation 25 and 115 pounds, or $240, for 50 ml of Jubilation XXV.

To celebrate an anniversary in fashion is a rare success. This year welcomes the anniversary of two very different perfume houses – from Middle Eastern kingdom to a posh Paris couture house.

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