Gres Perfumes

Germaine Émilie Krebs (1903–1993), known as Alix Barton and later as "Madame Grès", relaunched her design house under the name Grès in Paris in 1942.

Prior to this, she worked as "Alix" or "Alix Grès" during the 1930s. Formally trained as a sculptress, she produced haute couture designs for an array of fashionable women, including the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Dolores del Río. Her signature was cut-outs on gowns that made exposed skin part of the design, yet still had a classical, sophisticated feel. She was renowned for being the last of the haute couture houses to establish a ready-to-wear line, which she called a "prostitution".

The name Grès was a partial anagram of her husband's first name and alias; he was Serge Czerefkov (also Czerefkow), a Russian painter, who left her soon after the house's creation. The Gres couture house closed during World War II and re-opened in Paris in 1945.  Grès enjoyed years of critical successes but, after Grès herself sold the business in the 1980s to Yagi Tsucho, a Japanese company, it faltered. Sold to the British American Tobacco in 1981. In 2012, the last Grès store in Paris was closed.

Fragrances:

Parfums Grès is the associated perfume house, which still exists, and is now based in Switzerland. In 1982, Madame Grès had to sell her perfume business for the sake of her Haute Couture house. The company Parfums Grès changed hands several times until it was finally bought by Silvio Denz in 2001. Grès's signature fragrance was Cabochard, created by Bernard Chant, and launched in 1958. 

It was reformulated numerous times over the years as late as 2019.

As of February 2024, Cabochard is still being manufactured and retailed.

The perfumes of Gres:

• 1930 Parfum Déesse
• 1947 A de Gres
• 1958 Cabochard
• 1959 Chouda
• 1965 Grès pour Homme
• 1975 QuiProQuo
• 1980 Eau de Cologne Grès
• 1980 Eau de Grès
• 1981 Alix Grès
• 1982 Grès Monsieur
• 1984 Grès Monsieur Sport
• 1990 Cabotine
• 1996 Pastel de Cabotine
• 1996 Homme de Grès
• 1997 Folie Douce
• 1999 Grain de Folie
• 2000 Air de Cabochard
• 2000 Cabochard, relaunch and reformulation
• 2002 Cabaret
• 2003 Cabotine Bleu
• 2003 Cabotine Rose
• 2004 Câline
• 2004 Cabaret Pour Homme
• 2006 Ambre de Cabochard
• 2006 Fleur de Cabotine
• 2006 Caline Night
• 2007 Caline Sweet Appeal 
• 2007 My Dream Hommage a Marlene Dietrich
• 2007 My Life Hommage a Marlene Dietrich
• 2007 My Passion Hommage a Marlene Dietrich
• 2008 Cabotine Delight
• 2008 Goddess Hommage a Greta Garbo
• 2008 Pastel de Gres
• 2009 Cabotine Aquarelle
• 2009 Cabotine Sensuelle
• 2009 Mythos Hommage a Greta Garbo
• 2009 Sphinx Hommage a Greta Garbo
• 2010 Cabotine Gold
• 2010 Cabotine Green Summer
• 2010 Cabotine Moon Flower
• 2010 Cabotine Floralisme
• 2010 Caline Tender Moments
• 2010 Caline Blooming Moments
• 2011 Cabotine Fleur de Passion
• 2011 Cabotine Fleur d’Ivoire
• 2011 Cabotine Cristalisme
• 2013 Cabotine Eau Vivide
• 2013 Cabotine Fleur Splendide
• 2013 Madame Gres
• 2013 Lumiere Noire
• 2013 Lumiere Rose
• 2014 Lumiere d'Orient
• 2014 Cabochard Apaiser Vert
• 2014 Cabochard Bleu Frais
• 2014 Cabotine Rosalie
• 2014 Cabotine Floralie
• 2014 Cabochard Rose Elegante
• 2015 Pièce Unique
• 2015 Lumiere Blanche
• 2017 Etat de Grace
• 2017 Extreme Purete
• 2017 Fruit de la Creativite
• 2019 Cabochard Cherie
• 2019 Cabochard Eau de Parfum 2019 version
• 2019 Cabochard Eau de Toilette 2019 version

A de Gres:

A de Gres is classified as an aldehydic floral fragrance for women:

• Top notes: aldehydes, bergamot
• Middle notes: Bulgarian rose, narcissus, Grasse jasmine
• Base notes: Tibetan musk, Mysore sandalwood, Canadian castoreum, tonka bean, amber, oakmoss, vanilla, tobacco

Combat, 1953:

"This warm, powerful and sweet smell, where the tawny accent of musk pierces, evokes the elegant hours of the end of gala nights, when the dusting of the chandeliers and the gentle vertigo of the orchestra, mixed with the vapors of champagne and opiate tobacco, create sentimental optimism, of such fine acuity, night ambulisms where love lies in wait."

Combat, 1954:

"Eau A de Gres: how this powerful and deep scent, where musk from Tibet, sandalwood from Mysore, and castoreum from Canada, exalt the twinned aroma of narcissus and rose, lends itself deliciously to diffuse relief. Eau de toilette! What spell is this? A the initial? Joy? Perhaps. Love? No doubt. Tenderness, surely. That of summer evenings when one dreams of unknown and chimerical countries. , while a gentle but imperious hand keeps us from fleeing."

Combat, 1955:

"A (eau de toilette au parfum) de Gres - musk from Tibet, sandalwood from Mysore and castoreum from Canada intensify, lightly in the eau de toilette, for the summer, the twin aroma of rose and narcissus. This very personal scent, created by the illustrious couturier for her clients, is found only at home."