Robert Piguet is a prestigious French perfume house that was established by renowned couturier Robert Piguet. Despite being born in Switzerland and destined for a career in finance, Piguet chose to defy his family’s wishes and pursue a career in fashion in Paris at the age of 17. He gained valuable experience working at Redfern and later with the influential fashion designer Paul Poiret, honing his skills in the early 20th century.

In 1933, Piguet decided to venture out on his own and launched his own fashion line. His designs for women were distinguished by their elegance, simplicity, and impeccable cuts, with a reserved and conservative style for daytime wear and vibrant flamboyance for evening attire. By 1938, Piguet’s success led to the opening of a luxurious salon on the iconic Champs Elysses. His personal charm and aristocratic demeanor made him a beloved figure among the wealthy elite and artistic communities.

During his peak, Piguet had the privilege of employing some of the most renowned fashion designers of the 20th century before they rose to fame. Notable names such as Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, and James Galanos all had the opportunity to contribute to the house of Piguet. Unfortunately, Piguet’s fashion house closed its doors in 1951, marking the end of an era. However, his influence on women’s fashion lives on through the designers he mentored and the iconic perfumes launched under the Robert Piguet brand.

In the 1940s, Piguet collaborated with famed perfumer Germaine Cellier to create fragrances that complemented his elegant and modern post-war fashion. Their first scent, Bandit, a leathery chypre fragrance, was introduced in 1944 alongside Piguet’s runway collection, which featured masked women carrying toy guns and knives, evoking a rebellious and daring image. They went on to collaborate on Visa in 1945 (alongside Jean Charles) and the beloved tuberose fragrance Fracas in 1947. Baghari, the last fragrance crafted before Piguet’s passing in 1953, debuted in 1950.

Although the fashion house closed in 1951, the Robert Piguet brand continued to release fragrances until the 1960s, including notable scents like Cravache and Futur. The ownership of the brand and its fragrances changed hands multiple times until it was eventually acquired by Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics in the 1990s. Their goal was to revive the Piguet brand as a luxury fragrance brand, remaining faithful to the original formulas and scents while incorporating modern ingredients and slight updates to cater to contemporary sensibilities. As a result, many of the beloved classic Piguet fragrances have been reintroduced to the public, alongside the introduction of new scents under the esteemed Piguet name.

Overall, designer Robert Piguet has an impressive collection of 41 perfumes in their fragrance base. The brand has a rich history, with its earliest edition dating back to 1944 and the release of its newest fragrance planned for 2023. Collaborations with esteemed perfumers such as Aurelien Guichard, Francis Fabron, Germaine Cellier, and Raymond Chaillan have contributed to the exquisite craftsmanship and timeless allure of Robert Piguet fragrances.