I am an avid reader of Berg Publishers and of their books on fashion/textile history, the most achieved academic studies in the field of dress. The book I read now is called "Nazi Chic" and it explores in depths the economics and mysteries of third Reich fashion business and propaganda. The beginning of the book is a good introduction in the very tight relation between France and Germany, the politics and the economy in the field of fashion in the days before 1915 (but starting with Napoleon wars). It shows how much of the actual "ready to wear" (before the term was invented - inexpensive clothes) sold in France before 1915 was in fact produced in Germany (after Parisian fashions, of course). The same old story of "made in France" / "made in Germany" (today is China)! I brought to you this story because there is a chapter in the history of perfumery that has not been yet written - the aromachemicals (and natural raw materials) produced in Germany by Schimmel (and others) and rebottled by many other French names, or even Swiss before 1930. But there is a lot of "french mystique" that even today wants you to believe that everything originated in Grasse. In the same story of dark relations between France and Germany WWII brings to us untold stories about brands. The success might rely on good fragrance/bottle/name but sometime the politics are not to be neglected in evaluating the rise or fall of a brand. I annalysed last week the period between 1939-1949 and I came to some surprises: a lot of new brands and new launches, interesting presentations and fragrances different from the lavender thought to be the only available material. More launches than after the war! Also great names before and during the war disapeared very soon after, other raised from almost nothing, while other brands almost did not exist (but were to be succesful 15 years after). There is also the Chanel / Guerlain story that no one told satisfactory, other than repeating what PR people attached on email. One great french perfumer told something not very comfortable about german perfumers before WWII. I have a different opinion: maybe they did not produce any masterpiece but their products were in many great Parisian creations. One of them went to USA and began what is called today "the american perfumery".
I still dig into this delicate subject.
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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
