François Coty

Over the course of the next week or so, I will be posting a series of reviews on fragrances developed by Coty, so I thought it would be helpful to provide some background on the company and creator first. Coty was formed in 1904 by François Coty (1874–1934). In addition to perfumes such as L’Origan and Emeraude, Coty created the groundbreaking Chypre in 1917. The original Chypre fragrance, which would later come to define an entire category of perfumes, was centered around a combination of elements: citrus notes, floral notes, oakmoss, woods, and some form of musk.

François Coty was born and raised in Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean Sea located west of Italy, and southeast of the France. Coty relocated to Paris in 1900 where he began work selling women’s fashion accessories. Ever the entrpreneur, Coty diplayed an interest in creating fragrances. At the encouragement of a chemist friend, he sought formal perfumery training at Grasse, where he was fortunate enough to be accepted to the school run by Chiris, one of the largest and oldest perfume houses. Within the year, Coty had returned to Paris, eager to try out his hand at creation. While Coty’s initial attempts at marketing and selling his fragrances were not well-received, his audacity and business acumen soon propelled him into the spotlight.

Coty acheieved considerable fame and fortune during his lifetime (eventually becoming France’s first billionaire) and in addition to his success as a perfumer, Coty acquired two Paris newspapers to advance his sometimes unsavory political views. Today, Coty has a global presence in more than  130 countries and territories, with offices in more than 30 countries and are guided by CEO Michele Scannavini. Coty’s fragrance, fashion and beauty brands include such prestigious names as Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Cerruti, Chloé, Chopard, Davidoff, OPI, Sally Hansen, Vera Wang and Vivienne Westwood.