Versailles Pour Homme by Jean Desprez: launched in 1980 in association with Groupe Inter Parfums. It was available in eau de toilette and eau de cologne.
The promotion for Versailles Pour Homme was taken place simultaneously in Europe and in the United States. Denis and his sister Marie-Celine Grenier traveled from France to the I. Magnin department store in San Francisco to launch the promotion. .
"Men's fragrances normally only have one note - they are woody, or spicy, or leathery, or citrusy. I thought that maybe it would be interesting to build up a man's fragrance like a woman's, with a top note, a body note and a final note. I am not a 'nose' - my sister does that for the company - but I asked her if one fragrance would go with another, if this would work with that."
"I am not a perfumer. My sister inherited my father's 'nose'. We wanted something primarily woody and spicy. Marie-Celine suggested adding floral notes, which is an unusual combination for a man's fragrance." Desprez added that "Versailles Pour Homme is a combination of woody and spicy notes - which is OK for men's fragrances - and a floral blend including roses, which is a little, shall we say, audacious."
Grenier admitted that it took three years to create what would become Versailles Pour Homme. She wanted something woodsy and spicy, contemporary and masculine but with a floral edge to it. She began sifting through her father's journals and books seeking out different formulas. She said that she was initially inspired by an entry in a secret volume compiled by her father. She happened upon one that intrigued her. The formula had audacity, wit, courage and a warm romantic feeling," said Grenier. "I was intrigued by these qualities - qualities which I find irresistible in a man - and challenged by the prospect of refining them into an elegant contemporary fragrance."By taking the basic structure of the formula, she spent those three years experimenting, adding and subtracting ingredients until she found one that worked.
Desprez said that Versailles Pour Homme contained 50% of the same ingredients used in Bal a Versailles. These ingredients include the two most expensive natural essences in the world - jasmine and Bulgarian rose. Desprez said that Versailles Pour Homme contained only natural essences in a concentration more intense than most men's fragrances. He added that "Synthetics are not our game." The top note is floral with notes of orange blossom, rose and jasmine. The heart of the fragrance, contains more lasting elements, blends the pungency of spices and exotic essences from ylang ylang, sandalwood and rare geraniums, as well as mosses cedarwood and pine.
This explained why the price for the new men's fragrance was set at $45 for the 4.2 ounces. The Desprez siblings developed an eau de cologne in a lighter concentration, with simpler packaging, to sell for $27.50 per bottle.
"Years ago, men wore fragrance in much the same way women wear it today - lavishly. Then it was declared 'too feminine,' and the only scents men would accept were lavender or citrus. In the 60s, the market changed, and strong, powerful, long-lasting fragrances became popular. Today, the trend is to progressively more elaborate fragrances that include florals, woods and spices - not just the one-note lavenders of the past," said Desprez in 1980. He said that American men use fragrance differently from European men.
The new concentration of Versailles Pour Homme is considered "cologne for after the shave." Grenier said that there is a difference between the two products. "American men use fragrances on their faces as part of the shaving ritual. European men use fragrance on their bodies. Our cologne is more for the face - hende the name: after the shave. Our eau de toilette is for after the shower. It's to be rubbed on the body - or sprayed on it."
"When I wear it I have some spontaneous reactions from women and that is very nice. That means that is very good, when women use it as well. That happened with Eau Sauvage, by Christian Dior. But I am not looking to make a unisex perfume. I have made a new sort of fragrance for men," said Desprez.
Vice president of I. Magnin, Van Venneri, said that there are three elements that make a fragrance successful: the name, the packaging and the scent itself. "Here's a fragrance that's not a clean, brisk, fresh scent but a sophisticated and long-lasting with floral notes," said Venneri. Venneri felt that by capitalizing on the overall success of Bal a Versailles and producing a scent with costly natural essence from Grasse as well from Asia, Parfums Jean Desprez was marketing a product with a definite appeal, for those who could afford to buy it.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? It is classified as a crisp oriental fragrance for men. The main notes are oak and tree moss, pine, jasmine, rose and orange with a sprinkling of pepper and cloves. Spicy wood and floral scents.
- Top notes: bergamot, pimento, capsicum, orange, coriander, petitgrain, lemon, clary sage, green notes, , orange blossom and ylang ylang
- Middle notes: clove, black pepper, rose, pine, fir needles, cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, geranium, cinnamon, carnation, fruit notes
- Base notes: tree moss, benzoin, oakmoss, olibanum, styrax, amber, musk, leather, vanilla, labdanum
Bottles:
Presented in a bottle designed by Pierre Dinand and is composed of a rectangular clear glass block with a golden metal grid pattern, evoking the windows and mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. Its packaging, gold and lattice, is meant to echo the shapes of the windows at Versailles. The bottle was manufactured by both Pochet et du Courval and Saint Gobain Desjonqueres with plastic components supplied by MBF Plastiques.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown.
Priere de reactiver Bal a Versailles pour homme. Ce flacon de parfum est d'une qualite exceptionnelle et d'une envergure unique.
ReplyDeleteThis is, (was?), one of the finest fragrances for men. It was launched during my time in the cosmetics department at Neiman Marcus. I tried to sell this to men during years of successful new fragrance launches in 1977 thru 1982. The main objection was price point. At $55 entry, men at the time were not yet used to spending lavishly on themselves, even in Dallas Texas! I also remember 40 Love, which was too potent for almost everyone! I would love to have another bottle of Versailles. My Department manager from the true Neiman Marcus pre corporate period, wire Jardenel, and smelled heavenly as she passed. I remember Sheherazade being in a beautiful bottle. It didn't sell enough to last the very competitive times. Thanks for the memories. Michael,Washington state, USA. P.S I also bought the 1 ounce Bal'a'Versaille perfume for my collection in 1980.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your memories with us as well. I love to hear other's experiences, and I particularly enjoyed knowing that you worked the fragrance counter and you have first hand knowledge of the launch of these fragrances. You are correct in the statement that men were not yet used to forking over that amount especially on fragrances for themselves. $55 in 1980 would be equivalent to $174.60 in 2021 according to an inflation calculator. Men were still getting used to wearing scent even as brands were releasing new products for men every year. They usually reserved spending that kind of money buying perfumes for their ladies (and even that was usually only for special occasion or holiday gifts). Contrast this with purchasing a 1 oz bottle of Bal a Versailles parfum in 1980 for $130 ($412.69 in 2021) or the 6 oz Eau de Toilette for $45 ($142.85 in 2021). I can see how they may find buying a luxury product for themselves an extravagance.
DeleteI am getting some samples soon, Jardanel and Escarmouche, so I will be able to give my thoughts on these long lost favorites in the future.
Two months ago I got a 1 Oz bottle of Versailles Pour Homme at a drugstore in the Dominican Republic. The price was equivalent to US$20.60, a real bargain compared to the price of US$184.00 currently found on Ebay. I did a blind buy, but when I smelled it, I loved it, and I also found it's scent to be familiar. Then I noticed it was a bit on the same olfactive side as KL Homme, which I used to wear a lot by early 90's. Versailles is a great fragrance. I think fougeres will get back soon, as current men fragrances are turning too androginous.
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