Following the shock of the first World War, which leaves France cadaverous, comes the period of the roaring twenties. The return of peace sets off a frenzied race for novelty, the will to enjoy every moment, and a quest for modernity. In a quest for exoticism, Frances discovers the choreography of Larionov's and Gontcharova's Russian ballets, jazz and American shows, and la revue Negre which reveals the steamy black dancer Josephine Baker.
Fashion perfectly translates this aspiration towards modernity by adapting itself to the new lifestyle of the liberated woman who works, plays sports, goes out, and smokes. The "Garconne", "(Tomboy), refutes the fundamental rules of femininity. She wears her short-cropped hair under berets or bell hats, wears comfortable suits, pants and sweaters or very sophisticated gowns for the evening. She wears Elsa Schiaparelli or Coco Chanel who have dethroned Paul Poiret.
As for art, Art Deco replaces Art Nouveau : geometric forms influenced by the Cubists, bright colors inspired by the Fauves and the Russian ballets, and the use of precious materials characterize this more reserved style, consecrated by the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts.
While many of the "industrial arts" are poorly represented, the major French perfumers are all present : Francois Coty who exhibits his superb flasks signed by Rene Lalique, in packaging realized by the great package designer Draeger ; les Parfums de Rosine, the fashion designer Paul Poiret's brand ; the manufacturer L.T. Piver founded in the 18th century ; Lubin and its celebrated Eau de Lubin ; Guerlain who launches Shalimar for the occasion, in a flask of Baccarat crystal... (see Jewels).
Founded in 1828 by Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain who created the celebrated Lotion de Guerlain and Eau de Cologne Imperiale, this manufacturer quickly grasps the subtle links existing between the flask and it precious contents. Pierre and Jacques Guerlain, his descendants, contact the Baccarat crystal works to create flasks for their prestigious perfumes : L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit ...
It is also during this period that renowned fashion designers begin creating perfumes, following in the path of Paul Poiret : the Callot sisters, Gabrielle Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Lucien Lelong,...
It is Ernest Beaux, a perfumer for the Rallet company who in 1921 composes Chanel's legendary N¡Æ5, a prototype for aldehyde perfumes such as Bois des Iles which will follow in 1926. Like her suits, the flasks which adorn her perfumes are simple and elegant, graced by a simple white label bearing the name of the fragrance in black letters.
Lucien Lelong begins creating perfumes for his clients in 1925. The flasks are in the image of his models, elegant and refined : Jasmin, Opening Night, Indiscret, Orgueil, Cachet ...
In 1927, Jeanne Lanvin releases Arpege, created by Andre Fraysse, in the renowned black crystal ball designed by her friend Armand Rateau and decoreated by Paul Iribe.
The extravagant Elsa Schiaparelli opens her fashion house in Paris in 1928 and launches her first perfumes around 1930. A friend of the Dadaists and the Surrealists, she frequents Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Dufy, Jean Cocteau, Andre Breton, Salvador Dali, ... all of whom influence her style, full of fantasy, color, and humor. Her perfume Shoking, whose flask created by Leonor Fini is in the form of a woman's bust topped by a floral bouquet opens the doors to success. Sleeping follows in the shape of a candle realized in Baccarat crystal, after which comes Snuff, in the shape of a pipe. just so many impertinent and teasing flasks, in the image of their instigator, which go against the Art Deco trend characterizing the flasks of that period.
The great fashion designer Jean Patou, ever attentive to his time, signs his perfume creations with English names, reflecting a trend and a lifestyle, and has their flasks designed by Baccarat : Cocktail Dry, Love of love, Joy, the world's most expensive perfume, whose slogan increase his aura, ... He also seizes current events, launching Normandie in 1935 to commemorate the inaugural crossing of the mythic cruiseliner, whose shape is echoed by the flask in glass and iron. Vacances will follow in 1936 to celebrate the first paid vacations, then Colony, in the shape of a stylized pineapple to mark the occasion of the Exposition Coloniale de la France d'Outre-Mer (French Colonial Exhibition) in 1938, which answers the desire for sun, dreaming, getaways, while the rumors of war circulate once more...
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