Iris Gris by Jacques Fath: launched in 1947 and originally created by Vincent Roubert.
So what does it smell like? It is described as a floral fruity perfume with woodsy notes. A sharp tang makes this perfume cool and refreshing. I have never actually had the pleasure of smelling this mythical perfume though....and would love a sample if you can spare it.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? It is described as a floral fruity perfume with woodsy notes. A sharp tang makes this perfume cool and refreshing. I have never actually had the pleasure of smelling this mythical perfume though....and would love a sample if you can spare it.
- Top notes: peach, iris, aldehydes, violet
- Middle notes: heliotrope, jasmine, lilac, rose, lily of the valley, tuberose, carnation
- Base notes: sandalwood, musk, orris butter, cedar, vetiver, oakmoss
The perfume contained the undecalactone (C-14 aldehyde, Periscol) which contributed the peach note.
L'Amour de l'art, 1950:
"Iris Gris by Jacques Fath: a real scented 'Iris scarf', it's a rainbow of very delicately flowery scents whose fresh and suave aroma will give you infinite joys."
Combat, 1955:
"It is in the subterranean part of her green sabers that the iris, in a purple coat of crumpled paper, distills her aroma of coquettish ancestor. Traitorously powdering their fragrance, it stands out in particular in Balenciaga's Le Dix, perfume of a healthy goddess and, of course, in Jacques Fath's Iris Gris, which seems to be enough for the sultriness of dancing skirts."
Iris Gris is hailed by many perfumistas as the "holy grail" of perfume, and any bottles no matter how empty, that come up for sale, always command a high price. Some buyers are those who originally wore the discontinued fragrance during the 1940s and 1950s, others are those who, intrigued by perfume bloggers, yearn to experience the greatness that truly is Iris Gris, and then there are those who wish to recreate the fragrance themselves.
Vincent Roubert, the original composer of Iris Gris in 1947, had overdosed an unprecedented level of iris, sad to be 30% iris (absolute, concrete, and synthetic), which made it one of the most expensive perfumes of it's day, especially in terms of manufacture. It takes one ton of orris root to produce one kilo of orris butter. The orris root is the root of the bearded iris flower, one of the most magnificent species in terms of showiness and beauty. Jacques Fath explains that "orris butter is a rare and expensive ingredient obtained by steam distillation of Iris roots. It has a soft, slightly sweet and warm smell, reminiscent of violet flower with woody variations."
I have a special appreciation for the bearded iris. My family has been planting these in their private gardens for decades. Family lore states that our original bearded iris bulbs came all the way from Sweden to America around the 1870s when members of my maternal grandmother brought them over and planted them in Minnesota. Members moved across the country and into Washington state, each member taking a few bulbs with them and transplanting them wherever they moved. My grandmother brought them to New Jersey and gave some to my mother, who ended up planting them and digging them back up everywhere she moved. These plants are still happily blooming in the garden of my parent's home.
Vincent Roubert, the original composer of Iris Gris in 1947, had overdosed an unprecedented level of iris, sad to be 30% iris (absolute, concrete, and synthetic), which made it one of the most expensive perfumes of it's day, especially in terms of manufacture. It takes one ton of orris root to produce one kilo of orris butter. The orris root is the root of the bearded iris flower, one of the most magnificent species in terms of showiness and beauty. Jacques Fath explains that "orris butter is a rare and expensive ingredient obtained by steam distillation of Iris roots. It has a soft, slightly sweet and warm smell, reminiscent of violet flower with woody variations."
I have a special appreciation for the bearded iris. My family has been planting these in their private gardens for decades. Family lore states that our original bearded iris bulbs came all the way from Sweden to America around the 1870s when members of my maternal grandmother brought them over and planted them in Minnesota. Members moved across the country and into Washington state, each member taking a few bulbs with them and transplanting them wherever they moved. My grandmother brought them to New Jersey and gave some to my mother, who ended up planting them and digging them back up everywhere she moved. These plants are still happily blooming in the garden of my parent's home.
Bottles:
Bottle:
photo by ebay seller duhautmarais
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bullock's in 1961.
Thierry Bellet of Legendary Fragrances has recreated the famous Iris Gris which can be purchased on their website.
- Top notes: peach, orris root, iris Pallida
- Middle notes: tuberose, lily of the valley, lilac, jasmine
- Base notes: cedar, musk, oakmoss
Bonjour je possede le premiergrand c est une merveille
ReplyDelete