Inspiration: The South of France
The South of France is first and foremost the heart of the perfume industry, with the legendary town of Grasse where the magic continues to blossom, tenderly cared for in fields owned by generaitons of the same families. This region has for centuries been the epicenter of the natural materials trade, lifeblood of the perfume industry, and the key to our scents here at Petite Histoire.
To create our scents and source our natural materials, I partnered with Robertet, a family owned business dating back to 1850, based in Grasse. Established by François Chauve as "A La Confiance", a factory that treats "Flowers and plants of Provence," it was Chauve who set a foundation of passion and hard work, with the help of his nephew perfumer & distiller, Jean-Baptiste Maubert. In 1875, Paul Robertet acquired "La Confiance" and renamed the company, opening a new model factory, designed by Gustave Eiffel, with a demanding production that is rewarded with a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1900. An international reputation was born, and this was the beginnings of Robertet.
From Robertet:
Robertet integrates all the stages of the creative process: sowing, harvesting, transforming, extracting, refining, and revealing. A natural partner of fragrances, flavors, healthcare and beauty products, the world leader in sustainable natural raw materials, Robertet presents exceptional creativity to brand names around the world, with the strength of an independent industrial group.
Perfume has a long legacy and deeply French roots, so it was natural I would want to go straight to the source starting the line. But it wasn't just the practical side of things that served as inspiration.
Ultimately, it's the quality of life in this region that draws back again and again. Few places conjure wild imagination quite like the South of France. It was here my love of perfumery and natural ingredients first took root, when I was a teenager, exploring Europe for the first time. Mild temperatures, stunning water views, and a variety of places to visit and things to eat, it's a veritable Shangri-La.
I spent part of last summer here, enjoying the hospitality of a family friend, and the memories from the trip will stay with me forever. The sense of warmth and of simply living have already provided more inspiration for my next scents currently in development.
The small towns of Provence, the glamor of Monte-Carlo and Monaco, the glitz of Cannes, or the sleepiness of Villefranche-Sur-Mer. It's the sweeping vistas, and the tiny coastal towns that drape across the landscape, glittering like jewels in sunlight that seems to always be bright and warm. I could go on forever about the fresh fruit, the peaches in particular, or the bakeries in the morning, perfect spots to start the day, clad in swimwear and a fresh coat of sunscreen. It's a slower pace of life that meets beauty in its most simple form, that truly is at the heart of the inspiration behind each one of our scents.
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