Fioret

Fioret (pronounced Fee-O-Ray) was a luxury perfume house founded in 1914 by a man named Simon Jaroslawski (also known as Simon A. Jaroslawski-Fioret) and went into liquidation in the      mid 1940s. His other two perfumery companies are Ybry and Mÿon.

Fioret perfumes were imported into the USA by F. Salathe and Co of New York starting in 1921. The Hartour Company also distributed Fioret perfumes in the 1920s.

The trademark of Fioret was used continuously in the USA starting in March 2, 1920. In 1923, a trademark was filed for the Fioret logo design to be used on the packaging. In the 1923 trademark application file, the address for the principal Fioret office was listed as 135-141 Madison Avenue, New York City.

The Pharmaceutical Era - Volume 58, 1924:

"Fioret Inc. Elegance exemplified by simplicity marks the finished products from the house of Fioret Inc. The lines of the boxes accelerate the exquisiteness of the cut glass bottles and are an advance indication of the merits of the perfume within. This scheme of simplicity and refinement extends to the offices of Fioret, the New York City branch of the Paris home being done in a special Fioret, green green-gray and rose. The firm's Fifth avenue house is one of the distinctive places along that thoroughfare of elegant home and business buildings. Essence Jouir (to enjoy) is perhaps one of the most popular brands of perfume put out in America by Fioret. It is this line to which their salesmen point with pride and show records of increasing business. Toilet water and face powder are included in the Jouir line. Among the firm's novelties being put before the trade this spring is Le Dernier Roman (the last romance) the line containing besides perfume, toilet water and face powder, a new Fioret compact, a 'last word' in elegance and attractiveness, will go on the market with in a short time. ED Gutcheon is vice president of Fioret Inc. in America and has full charge of the business in this country." 

Fioret, Inc. (Parfums de Distinction) at No. 677 Fifth Avenue, New York City, advertised its location "on the site of the old Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion. The mansion was razed and a new building called the Cammeyer Building went up in its place, completed around 1921. Designed by WL Rouse and LA Goldstone, it was constructed of seven stories in height and cost about $400,000.  The exterior was of buff Indiana limestone and Tinos marble, and designed in the modern English Renaissance style, with a heavy variegated slate sloping roof with cast lead leader heads. The top floor was entirely lighted by roofy skylights.

The first floor was to be occupied by AJ Cammeyer (high quality mens & womens shoes) and consisted of a large entrance lobby, with a salon in the rear. This story was eighteen feet in height and designed in the Georgian period, with all walls paneled in quartered oak, with Grindling Gibbons wood carving.

The Fioret boutique was located on the second story just above the Cammeyer office door, the two left center windows on the ground floor (you can see the curtains) displayed the Fioret signage seen in the advertisement below. In the shop, the Fioret perfumes were displayed against a background of turquoise and pink.

The retail space has gone through many owners throughout the years from Fioret, Inc to Fendi and now, sadly unrecognizable as its old self and home to the newly minted Microsoft retail store.

In Addition To Perfumes:

In addition to selling fine perfumes, Fioret also produced high end cosmetics including their famous lipsticks, rouge, compacts, and face powders.

Their vanity cases and octagonal powder compacts were heavy triple gold plated, "beautifully etched, each in its own flannel bag like any jewel" and according to a 1927 newspaper ad it was mentioned that they "look as if turned out by Cartier or Tiffany." A ring was affixed so that the compact could be suspended from a ribbon or cord if one so desired. Inside one cold find a tiny silk backed lambswool puff and a mirrored lid.

This compact was discontinued in 1927 and the prices were drastically reduced to clear out existing inventory.

The metal lipstick cases, also gold plated with engine turned details, were of a novel square shaped design.

Their most famous face powder was packaged in a white, gold and jade colored embossed paper covered cardboard box with the name Fioret around the side of the box.

The top of the lid simulates a large swansdown powder puff and came complete with a jade colored ring attached to the top.



Bath crystals could also be had in the Jouir scent in shades of green and pink in fancy glass jars.

Bottles:

From 1919 and in the 1920s, Fioret's bottles featured embossed gilded paper labels with Art Nouveau lettering, by the 1930s, the paper labels were a little more simpler and featured gold foil with black lettering.

The first perfume flacons for Fioret were produced in 1919 by Baccarat, and were made up tall, stark rectangular column styled bottles of clear crystal (design # 444) fitted with hinged gilded brass caps over inner ground glass stoppers.

You can find the perfumes Le Dernier Roman, La Muse, Prevert, Gardenia and others. These bottles were originally made by Baccarat but were most likely too expensive for Fioret so they were then manufactured by Cristalleries de Nancy (as evidenced by a bottle I have seen).

Bottles are 1/2 oz, 1 oz,  2 oz, 2 1/4 oz, 3 oz sizes.

The Toilet Waters were also housed in square crystal containers in 4 oz and 6 oz sizes. These are the tall columnar bottles with the flip top caps. See the advertisement to the left with the toilet water bottle and powder box.

Other Baccarat bottles are cylindrical or round with conical disk shaped gilded metal cap that also covered inner ground glass stoppers, though sometimes you can find the bottles and caps interchangeably as seen in this 1922 newspaper ad showing the square bottle with the "Chinese mandarin top for a gilt stopper".

The round crystal bottles stand 2 3/4" tall and are about 8" in circumference at widest. The gilded brass lid is 1/2" in diameter & 1/2" tall.

Other nice bottles were made by Cristal Nancy and were a simply square shape with beveled fronts and were fitted with frosted glass stoppers molded with a stylized daisy flower pattern.

Rene Lalique also produced gorgeous perfume bottles as well as stunning frosted glass medallions which were attached to some luxury presentation cases. Some of the boxes were made of either red or blue silk satin, while others were either ivory or gray.

R. LALIQUE "Chose Promise" pendant for Fioret, circa 1924, in clear and frosted glass with gray patina, with black silk cord. Molded R. LALIQUE FIORET PARIS. M p. 937. Diam. 1 1/4 in (3.3 cm). 

Photo by Rago Arts.

The perfumes of the Fioret line:

• 1914 Chypre
• 1919 Jouir
• 1919 Prevert
• 1920 Les Parfums des Jardins
• 1920 Qui dit Tout
• 1921 Chose Promise
• 1921 L'Elan
• 1921 Legourde
• 1921 Sweet Pea
• 1921 Prince Rival
• 1921 L'Impromptu
• 1922 Priere
• 1922 Ambre Byzantin
• 1922 La Fleur Sacree
• 1922 Monar
• 1922 Paris de Fioret
• 1922 Rose de Fioret
• 1922 Hommage A La Femme
• 1922 Fatalitas
• 1922 L'Au-Dela
• 1923 La Muse
• 1923 Le Roi de Paris
• 1923 Votre Sourire
• 1923 Le Dernier Roman
• 1923 L'Ensorceleur
• 1923 Eau de Cologne des Jardins
• 1923 Les Visions
• 1924 Le Muguet
• 1924 Violette
• 1924 Le Lilas
• 1924 Jasmin
• 1924 Orchid
• 1924 Gardenia
• 1924 Perle Noir
• 1924 Priere
• 1924 Chose Promise
• 1925 Beaujolais
• 1927 Ambre
• 1927 Rose Lilas

Spotlight on Perfumes & Their Bottles:

Jourir:

Jouir: (To Enjoy) This is the re-branded fragrance 'Le Dernier Roman'; created by Simon Jaroslawski.

To further interpret the joyousness of David Belasco's "Tiger Rose" at the Belasco Theatre in New York City in 1926, this perfume was sprayed through the theatre.

Presented in a tall, stark rectangular column styled bottle of clear crystal made by Cristalleries de Baccarat, design # 444. It was also presented in other bottles too.


American Hebrew and Jewish Tribune, 1925:

"Fioret, innovateur," they call him there . . . impressionist who composes with fragrances, instead of with words, or colors, or musical sounds. Instead of with words, or colors, or musical sounds. Fioret, creator of Jouir, the most fascinating perfume given to the world in years. It is a delicate idyl of happiness translated into an odeur. Fioret is maker also of the exquisite “Prevert”. Fioret ... 8 Rue Ybry, Paris 677 Fifth Avenue, New York."

American Hebrew and Jewish Tribune, 1926:

"MOST enchanting goal of all, that 'marvelous fragrance . What can it be? It reminds him of Paris. Ah. . . now he knows. It is the fragrance Jouir de Fioret . Powders and toiletries as superlatively fine as the famous Fioret perfumes."

Hearst's, 1927:

"And the powder Fioret is scented with the exquisite fragrance "Jouir" ....Perhaps the Most Famous of all the delightful scent of secrets Fioret of France. Purpose. The Most endearing virtue of Fioret face powder is the way it clings, clings, clings."

Jouir parfum in the "Travelette flacon". The red leather case is marked on the outside Les Jardins De Fioret Paris. The curved flask shaped crystal bottle is approx. 2 1/4" tall, 1 3/4" wide, and 1 1/2" deep and has a gilded brass hinged cap covering an inner glass stopper. The bottle was made by both Baccarat and Cristalleries de Nancy. This 1/2 oz bottle originally sold for $2.75 in 1928, this shape was also available in a 2 oz size for $9.00. It was also used for the perfumes Le Dernier Roman, La Muse, Jasmin, Le Lilas, Violette, Muguet, Chypre, and Prevert.

The New Yorker, 1928:

"square flacons of Fioret Perfume in dainty leather cases at $2.75"

Le Dernier Roman:

Le Dernier Roman: Le Dernier Roman had the delicate scent of narcissus. Presented in a tall, stark rectangular column styled bottle of clear crystal made by Cristalleries de Baccarat, design # 444. Later renamed Jouir.

Ambre Byzantin:

Ambre Byzantin: Bottle has a glass inner stopper and a gilded metal stopper cover. Around the neck of the cover is Fioret, Paris. The square bottle measures approx. 1 3/4" square x 3 1/4" high. Gold, embossed foil paper label intact.

Prevert:

Prevert: Created by Simon Jaroslawski. Presented in a flacon by Cristalleries de Baccarat design # 445. In 1924 presented in another flacon by Cristalleries de Baccarat design # 543.

Les Parfums des Jardins: Presented in a bottle by Cristalleries de Nancy.

Qui dit Tout: Presented in a bottle by Cristalleries de Nancy.

Sweet Pea: Presented in a bottle by René Lalique et Cie.

Priere:

Priere: Created by Simon Jaroslawski. Presented in a flacon by Cristalleries de Baccarat.

Chose Promise:

Chose Promise: (Promised Thing) An orange blossom perfume, created by Simon Jaroslawski and presented in what was recognised as one of the greatest designs of the decade, a Cristalleries de Baccarat styled bottle married to a classical René Lalique stopper, described as a really wonderful understatement of design and manufacture; the concept of the design was originally conceived by René Lalique in 1911.

Le Muguet:

Le Muguet: Created by Simon Jaroslawski. Presented in a flacon by Cristalleries de Baccarat, design # 543.

Jasmin:

Chypre:

Chypre: Created by Simon Jaroslawski. Came in various perfume flacons including Baccarat and Cristal Nancy.

Gardenia:

Lawsuit:

Fioret Sales Co., Inc., New York, in connection with the interstate sale and distribution of perfumes, was directed to cease and desist from representing, directly or through implication, through the use of such words as “Les Parfums des Jardine de Fioret,” or through the use of any foreign words or phrases, or in any manner, that Perfumes manufactured or compounded in the United States are made or compounded in France or in any other foreign country, or are imported. The case was argued November 21, 1938, and decided in favor of the Commission December 5, 1938 (100 F. (2d) 358). The following extract from the court’s opinion is pertinent: The findings, sufficiently supported by the evidence, Justify the conclusion that petitioners do not Import a perfume, but only some of its ingredients, which are then combined with American alcohol to produce a marketable product known as perfume. Concentrates alone are not what petitioners usually sell, but their dilutions with alcohol, and it is the alcohol that makes the finished product.

The United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has affirmed the order of the Federal Trade Commission requiring the Fioret Sales Company to cease representing that its perfume is made in France when it is manufactured in the United States by blending imported essences with American alcohol.

* * * * * * *

By representing their product as an imported perfume, petitioners unfairly compete. The purchaser is unversed in the art of making a finished perfume and to say that a given perfume is imported must mean to him that the entire fluid is imported, not that only 5 percent of it is. To the purchasers of perfumes imported products are preferable to domestic products. By their conduct, petitioners are infringing upon the interest of the consuming public which purchases under the mistake that it is buying an imported perfume, a product rendered marketable and fit for use. They also compete unfairly with those importers of perfumer whose concentrates and alcohol are blended in France and with those tradesmen who import, like petitioners, the concentrates and dilute them with domestic alcohol but who, unlike petitioners, sell their products accurately represented and advise the purchasing public that they are selling a domestic Perfume.

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