The magic of distant islands
He was immediately considered as an innovative and innovative stylist and “the Laroche allure” became a benchmark. In 1985 and 1989, Guy Laroche received the “Dé d’Or” for the elegance and chic of his haute couture collections. “Fidji”, released in 1966, is Guy Laroche’s first fragrance. To create it, the couturier was inspired by one of the most wonderful landscapes on the planet, the Fiji Islands.
The magic of remote islands
“The woman is an island, Fiji is her perfume “… With this slogan, Guy Laroche marked the world of perfumery and all women. The dream of escape made “Fiji” a smash hit. Upon its release, “Fiji” was adored by women around the world. In 1966, tourism to “exotic” destinations is booming. It was also the time when “Club Med” made its appearance, with many destinations. The French were attracted to “happy islands”, including Fiji, a truly paradisiacal island. One could appreciate its peaceful coasts, its blazing lagoon, its dense and luxuriant vegetation, its arid mountains, an island in the heart of the South Pacific Ocean. “Fidji” is of course a perfume of sunshine, of beauty. It transports us to an unlimited imagination. “Fidji” was the first French perfume to associate a strong image with a prestigious couturier. Both timeless and resolutely modern, “Fidji” is a benchmark in fine perfumery.
The spicy floral notes of Fiji
“Fiji” is defined as a spicy, warm and colorful floral scent . It is aimed at a modern, elegant and free woman. “Fiji” opens with the green and light sensation of the galbanum. This is joined by the hyacinth and refreshed by the lemon. The heart is floral because it is composed of the beauty of the Bulgarian rose, the opulence of jasmine and the powdery aspect of the violet flower. A spicy touch then disrupts this floral heart with the arrival of cloves. The base is sensual and deep, it is composed of a balmy accord of amber as well as musk, patchouli and sandalwood. Sensual and ultra feminine, the bottle lets its golden yellow juice shine through like a sparkling sun.
A perfume filled with the imagination of the majestic islands. The first fragrance brand, “Fidji” was immediately a huge success. Guy Laroche has succeeded in creating a timeless and contemporary fragrance. Because “Fiji” is the sheer glow of the sun, it is meant for all women around the world.
Released in 1966, ” Fiji “was a phenomenal and immediate success. “Fiji” is the olfactory representation of the island of the same name, an island where all is calm, luxury and pleasure… The Fiji woman is irresistibly sensual, but above all, she is an exotic woman. In full expansion of a more distant and more exotic tourism, Guy Laroche presents “Fiji”, an island from which we can no longer detach ourselves. Both floral and spicy, the fragrance of the bewitching South Pacific islands, bewitches and gives us a feeling of infinite well-being. A composition signed Joséphine Catapano.
A perfume artist in charge of Fiji
In 1966, Guy Laroche chose to call on the perfumer Joséphine Catapano . Born in 1919 in New York, Joséphine Catapano is the first woman who dared to create a perfume. A true avant-garde, Joséphine Catapano was then considered an artist. She worked in one and the same company, IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances), but produced fragrances for several brands, mainly for Revlon, Shiseido and Estée Lauder. She helped empower women of her generation and was an inspiration to many. Joséphine Catapano, who received several awards throughout her career, died in 2012.
Fiji, woody-spicy modernity in a fragrance
Between its peaceful sides, its Transparent blue lagoon and its white sand, the Fiji Islands have made more than one dream come true… It is on this idea that Joséphine Catapano decided to imagine the Fiji woman. Beautiful, exotic, almost inaccessible, the latter exerts a power of attraction. The advertisement also expressed the slogan “The woman is an island, Fiji is her perfume” … Quite a program! “Fiji” begins with the ultra fresh notes of lemon associated with the green aspect of galbanum and the floral note of hyacinth. Hyacinth is one of the prettiest bulb flowers. Its flowers in the shape of long bells offer an intoxicating scent. Hyacinth comes mainly from Asia Minor and the Balkans. The scent of hyacinth is obtained by extraction with volatile solvents, but its scent is also reproduced thanks to synthetic molecules.
In perfumery, hyacinth gives off tones that are both green, vegetal and floral. The heart of “Fiji” continues on floral notes, as it combines jasmine, violet, iris and rose, which are enhanced by cloves. The violet flower is a herbaceous plant that grows in temperate regions. It is the leaves of the violet, and not these petals, that are distilled for perfumery. Nevertheless, the note “violet flower” is obtained in the laboratory in a synthetic way. In the compositions, the violet flower gives off powerful tones, at the same time green, floral and powdery. Finally, the base of “Fidji” is sensual, even animal, both woody and amber, it combines patchouli, amber, sandalwood and musks… A magnificent fragrance, a great success of the Guy Laroche house .
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