This is a thrilling biography of Francois Coty - the visionary who revolutionised the fragrance industry. Artist, financier, politician, industrialist, philanthropist, and above all, parfumeur - Francois Coty revolutionized the fragrance industry during the first part of the twentieth century and gave the world such legendary scents as Chypre and La Rose Jacqueminot. Born in 1874, in the same house as his relative and idol Napoleon Bonaparte, Coty was orphaned at the age of seven. He spent his childhood under the care of Jesuit priests and distant family in Ajaccio, Corsica. After a brief stint in the French army, he became a parliamentary attache for a prominent Parisian senator. Coty spent the next four years absorbing Paris' political and cultural scene before discovering his extraordinarily sensitive sense of smell. He set out to create his first fragrance in 1904, and by 1906, he was a millionaire. Drawing on Coty's personal correspondence, memoranda, and papers, this is a masterful biography of the "Emperor of Fragrance" and France's first billionaire.
Author description
Roulhac Toledano is a successful artist, writer, and antiques expert. She has also edited, compiled, and contributed to numerous art history and architecture-related publications. Elizabeth Coty is the great-granddaughter-in-law of Francois Coty and the former director of Cosmetics and Fragrance for Coty Inc.
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