Guy Laroche Perfume & Women's Fragrance

Guy Laroche was a French hat-maker and designer. He was the son of a hotel owner and spent his childhood in the port town of La Rochelle. Laroche founded his own company in the 50's after several decades of working in hat design. Moving on from traditional millinery he began to make dresses in his own salon and soon his haute couture was seen on runways throughout the world. He was also a pioneer in French ready-to-wear, having been inspired by trips to the US. In the early 60's he raised eyebrows with his use of pant suits and overalls, which would become very popular in fashion a decade later. He loved the feminine figure and always wanted to create clothing that was fitted to a woman's figure rather than the other way around. He was also determined to offer his fine clothes at the best price possible, making sure his designs were considerably less expensive than those of his competitors. The brand also has a long history of fostering creative talent. Designers like Issey Miyake and Valentino Garavani of Valentino worked for Laroche in their younger days. Laroche passed in 1989 but the company has continued on, taking the brand into the future but always with one foot in Laroche's ideas and designs.

The very first Guy Laroche perfume was released in 1966. This was Fidji, a tropically influenced fragrance which mixes fresh citrus and herbs with florals like rose, jasmine and violet with a spicy edge. It was based on the island in the South Pacific of the same name and takes the wearer on a tropical vacation with it's mix of fruit, flowers and sunny fresh notes. The Fidhi perfume has remained a classic and has been followed by many more fantastic Guy Laroche scents. J'ai Osé (1978) features aldehydes, coriander, peach and rose while Clandestine (1986) is a flowery bouquet made even lovelier with honey and pineapple.