The first month of 2002 is turning out to be one of retirements for the fashion world. Just as legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent announced he was leaving the trade, perfume creator Jean-Paul Guerlain says he’s ready to step down after nearly 50 years with the company which bears his name.
“He’s 65, which is the retirement age in France, and he would like to kick back a little,” Guerlain’s president Thibault Ponroy told Fashion Wire Daily. “Jean-Paul plans to enjoy himself.” Though the famed fragrance developer is retiring, he will maintain links with Guerlain as a special advisor to the president.
Jean-Paul created more than 60 scents for the historic perfumery, including the classics Samsara and Eau de Guerlain. “My secret is that love has been related to every fragrance I've created,” Jean-Paul said in 2000. “As my grandfather told me when I was 16, we should always create perfumes for the women whom we love.”
Jean-Paul was born into the family-run firm, which was founded in 1848 by Pierre-Francois-Pascal Guerlain. Having created his first fragrance aged 18, the fifth generation perfumer took charge of the house after the death of his grandfather Jacques in 1963.
The prestigious French house remained a family business for almost 150 years until 1994, when control was sold to luxury conglomerate LVMH for a reported $350 million.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
