Les Parfums de Vigny

In this guide I have listed the various perfumes presented by de Vigny from 1921 to 1952.

Les Parfums de Vigny was established in 1919 by Lucien Vogel with help of his brother Jacques, a perfumer who was later associated with the companies Dana and Molyneux. The company was located at 416 rue Saint-Honore, Paris.

The company and products were named de Vigny after the poet Alfred de Vigny. From the beginning, de Vigny introduced perfumes with two distinct personalities- the humorous and the ethereal.

Michel de Brunhoff designed such notable comical perfumes as Le Golliwogg, Le Chick-Chick, Guili-Guili and Be Lucky.

Charles Martin created fabulous advertisements and for the ethereal luxury presentations with bottles designed by Lalique, primarily seen in the La Gazette du Bon Ton. Vogel founded Le Gazette du Bon Ton , Jardin des Modes and French Vogue in collaboration with his wife Cosette and her brother, Michel de Brunhoff. The three Lalique bottles used for the early advertisements were Musky, Ambre and Jamerose.

Eloa was still being sold in 1927.

The company changed their name to Les Parfums de Luxe, SA 1921.

La Parfumerie Moderne, 1926:

"For a perfume with the exotic name Golliwogg, the house of Vigny has adopted a small, lens-shaped bottle with a cap resembling the head of a black doll, adorned with an abundant, curly black hair reminiscent of Ethiopia. Placed in a case with a red satin lining, it catches the eye in every display window where it appears.

A similar effect is produced by the bottle with a golden metal bird’s head from the same house. The large, pointed beak of "Le Chick-Chick," as it is named, juts out provocatively. It seems to guard the treasure that the scented extract within its body must be."

De Vigny's exhibit at the 1925 Paris Art Deco exhibition where they were awarded a gold medal. 

Revue des marques de la parfumerie et de la savonnerie, 1927:

"Les Parfums de Luxe -Vigny - incorporated as a public limited company with a capital of 1,500,000 francs, has existed for about fifteen years. This house, relatively young, specialized from the beginning in the manufacture of Extracts for the handkerchief presented in very original forms, and of a very advanced modernism. To be convinced of this, it suffices to refer to these universally appreciated creations, which have the name: Le Golliwogg, Le Chick-Chick, and Be Lucky. The 'Petit Negre' bottle with the disheveled hair, and that of the bird with the golden beak, caused a sensation everywhere. The manufacture also embraces all other perfumery products, such as rice powders for the face, lotions, creams, make-up, etc. who are among the best. The house is represented in all the countries of the world, and in all the markets where its articles have been presented, the quality of its essences has created a strong reputation. Its administrative offices and showroom are located at No. 416 rue Saint-Honoré, in Paris."

After 1929, without the artistic and creative involvements of Vogel, Martin, Lalique, and de Brunhoff, the luxurious quality of designs for new presentations declined considerably. From 1933, the de Vigny name was gradually simplified to Vigny.

L'Amour de l'art, 1950:

"Chambord de Vigny: the smell of celebration, luxury and gold, the splendors of the Renaissance come to life in this perfume, which is nevertheless so modern. It seems to turn your head to give you the ability to build - again and again - castles not in Spain, but in sweet France."

The perfumes Golliwogg, Echo Troublant, and Heure Intime were still being sold in 1972. Beau Catcher was still being sold in 1970.

Vigny was still in business in the 1970s, but went out of business soon after releasing their last perfume Coccinelle in 1974.

Musky:

The floral woody musk perfume Musky, created in 1919 was housed in a flacon by Rene Lalique. The perfume was later renamed Rainure. Musky was still being sold in 1927.

Jamerose:

Launched in 1919, Jamerose, a floral oriental perfume combining the notes of jasmine, rose and exotic woods, was housed inside of a beautiful flacon by Rene Lalique. Bottle stands 4.72" tall (12 cm), has a barrel shaped body molded with line decoration, topped with a crystal spire stopper, and finished off with an enameled decanter tag tied around the neck. Other bottles were used for Jamerose, and were not made by Lalique, such as the square bottle purse flacon with the frosted stopper and housed in a felt pouch. Jamerose was still being sold in 1927.

L'Infidele:

The perfume L'Infidele was housed inside of a tall, slim column of clear crystal by Baccarat with its fluted lines piqued out in gold enamel. The column was topped by a glass stopper molded with flowers. This perfume was supposedly renamed Douce Chose in 1921, however, L'Infidele was still being sold in 1927.

Dry Goods Economist - Volume 76, 1922:

"Appealingly different from other designs is this perfume bottle, known as the Column of Gold. It contains a Vigny odor, called Infidel. "

Fleur Celeste:

For the perfume Fleur Celeste, "the flower of heaven," Vigny commissioned Baccarat to create a bottle with an elegant floral theme. The large 2 ounce Baccarat crystal bottle is topped with a gilded glass stopper shaped as a flower head. The bottle was housed in a box simulating Chinese Lacquer. Height 3 3/4 in. Fleur Celeste was still being sold in 1927.

Le Golliwogg:

The most common of all Vigny perfumes to be found is the iconic Golliwogg. The stopper is made up of black glass and has real seal fur for hair. The earlier bottles of 1919 were frosted glass, and the later ones from the 1920s were in clear glass. Baccarat supplied many of the bottles. The bottles as well as the graphics were designed by Michel de Brunhoff. The rare original bottle has black glass stopper with molded face and hair. the figural bottles ranged in five sizes from the largest at 6 3/4" tall down to the smallest 2 3/4" tall.

Don't forget to look for the fanciful powder boxes emblazoned with dear Golli's head and the lotion, tester and sample bottles and the rare bronze and enamel pins with a little grate to hold perfume soaked cotton balls.

RSS Feed Widget

Le Chick Chick:

One of the more whimsical perfume bottles was the one Baccarat made for Le Chick-Chick, which was made for Easter. The crystal bottle had gilded wings which formed the body of the chick, and had an oversized gilded cap which formed the head. These bottles came in three different sizes from the largest at 5 3/8" tall, to a medium size 3 3/8" and the smallest at 2 7/8" tall. They came housed in chintz floral papered boxes with a drop front designed by Pierre Mourgue. Le Chick Chick was still being sold in 1927.

Guili-Guili:

A rare bottle to come across is for the scent Guili-Guili. This perfume was based on a real life magician and illusionist from Alexandria, Egypt, a competitor of Luxor Gali-Gali (Mahgoub Mohammed Hanafi, b1902-b1984), the names were often confused. Guili-Guili, who claimed he was 25,000 years old, often working in Egyptian costume, went thru a series of tricks including disappearing eggs, chicks and ended by pulling a string of flags out of his mouth.

His first trip to the US was in 1926 for one night only, Mrs. Vincent Astor paid all of his expenses to fly him from Paris, where he was living at the time, to New York City to entertain her guests, she paid him a $5,000 honorarium and gifted him with a $1,000 bonus. After living in Paris for 26 years, he moved to Brooklyn , New York and became a US citizen who for three years, played the US circuit to entertain our troops during WWII. "Mystery, is what makes life worth living," he was quoted as saying in a 1946 article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

The bottle had a head and foot of carved mahogany, the head resembled an African mask covering the inner stopper, while the foot enabled the paneled crystal bottle to stand upright. This bottle stood at 6 1/4" tall.

Le Bosquet de Vigny:

Le Bosquet de Vigny was housed in a jade green bottle, with a rounded arch top, crisscrossed in silver. A squatty conical stopper finished off the bottle. Both the bottle and the presentation box had lines simulating a wicker basket. The bottle was designed by Georges Lepape and manufactured by la Société Parisienne de Verrerie (SPV) and Verreries et Ateliers d'Art. Bottle measures 3 1/2" × 2 3/8".

Other Vigny perfumes:

Grenade Bottles:

The perfumes Heure Intime, Beau Catcher, Guili Guili, and Golliwogg were also housed in the so-called "grenade" bottles made by Verreries Brosse in the 1930s-1960s. The bottles are ovoid in shape with a puffed windowpane pattern, reminiscent of a grenade. The stoppers have the same pattern with a flat, highly polished top. Some of these had glass stoppers, later bottles had plastic stoppers, or in the case of the mini bottles, brass screw caps. The grenade bottles were used for parfum, eau de toilette, lotion and eau de cologne.

• 0.18 oz (also listed as 5/28 oz or 5.32ml) Parfum stands 1.75" tall  (considered the micro mini bottle has plastic screw cap)
• 5/16 oz (9.24ml, also listed as 1/4 oz) - Parfum bottle stands 2.5" tall
• 5/8 oz (18ml) - Parfum  bottle stands 2.87" tall 
• 1/4 oz (also listed as 2/7 oz, 8ml)  Parfum bottle stands 
• 1/2 oz (15ml) Parfum bottle stands 2.75" tall
• 1 oz (30ml) Parfum bottle stands 3" tall.
• stands 3.25" tall.
• 2 oz Eau de Cologne stands 3.75" tall.
• 4 oz Eau de Cologne bottle stands 4.75" tall.
• 8 oz Eau de Cologne bottle stands 5.75" tall.
• 16 oz Eau de Cologne bottle stands 9" tall.
• 4 oz Eau de Toilette bottle stands 4.75" tall
• 2 oz Lotion bottle stands 3.75" tall.

Catalog Reference Numbers:

• Ref. 211 - 1 oz Parfum - Heure Intime (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 212 = 1/4 oz Parfum - Heure Intime (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 214 =  1/4 oz (also listed as 2/7 oz, 8ml) Parfum - Heure Intime (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 275 - 4 oz Eau de Cologne - Heure Intime (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 314 = 1/2 oz Parfum - Beau Catcher (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 400 - 1/3 oz Parfum - Heure Intime (square handbag model in suede envelope)
• Ref. 427 - 2 oz Eau de Cologne - Golliwogg (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 428 = 4 oz Eau de Cologne  - Golliwogg (grenade bottle)
• Ref. 94 - 1/3 oz Parfum - Golliwogg (golli bottle)
• Ref. 92 - 2/3 oz Parfum - Golliwogg (golli bottle)
• Ref. 90 - 1 1/2 oz Parfum - Golliwogg (golli bottle)
• Ref. 6009 - 1/2 oz - Golliwogg - Set of Three Perfumes (golli bottles)
• Ref. 6009 - 1/2 oz - Set of Three Perfumes (grenade bottles)
• Ref. 6014 - 1 oz - Set of Three Perfumes (grenade bottles)

The Perfumes of Vigny:

1919	Musky		still sold in 1927	Renamed Rainure
1919	L'Infidel		Still sold in 1927	Renamed Douce Chose in 1921	Housed in a slim, column shape bottle in a silver box.
1919	Ambre		An amber perfume
1919	Jamerose		A floral amber perfume (jasmine, rose, woods, vanilla, sandalwood, ambergris). Still sold in 1927.
1919	Le Golliwogg	Created by Jacques Vogel	An exotic spicy floral amber perfume	Subtitled "The Perfume of Romance"
1921	Douce Chose
1921	Eloa		An ambery perfume. Still sold in 1927.		In a gold and black bottle
1921	Plein Soleil
1921	La Rose		A floral perfume
1921	D'ou Vient-Il?
1921	Le Lilas		A floral perfume
1921	L'Oeillet		A floral perfume
1921	Le Jasmin		A floral perfume
1921	Bouquet		A floral perfume
1921	Le Muguet		A floral perfume. Still sold in 1927.
1921	La Violette		A floral perfume
1921	Le Chypre		A chypre perfume
1922	Le Bosquet de Vigny		A light, fresh floral fragrance for women		In a hand painted, arched bottle by SPV
1922	Fleur Celeste		A floral perfume. Still sold in 1927	Renamed Le Narcisse de France	Subtitled "flower of heaven"
1922	D'ou Vient-Il?
1922	Matinale		A cologne for men
1923	Le Narcisse de France		A floral perfume
1924	Lionettes	Purse size bottles
1925	Be Lucky				In a bottle by Baccarat
1923	Le Chick-Chick	Created by Jacques Vogel	still sold in 1927
1925	C’est un Mélange
1927	Bon Soir
1927	Panier de Vigny		still sold in 1927
1926	Guili-Guili	Created by Jacques Vogel	An ambery perfume	Subtitled "Parfum des Tropiques"
1933	Heure Intime	Created by Jacques Vogel		An aldehydic woody floral perfume.	Top notes: aldehydes, neroli, bergamot, and lily of the valley	Middle notes: rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, carnation, orange blossom, and lilac	Base notes: sandalwood, musk, vanilla, ambergris, and vetiver
1942	Beau Catcher			Top notes: orange, neroli, tangerine, lemon, bergamot, aldehydes	Middle notes: orange blossom, rose, honeysuckle, jasmine, cinnamon, orris	Base notes: sandalwood, musk, cedar, vetiver, civet, ambergris, vanilla, benzoin, rosewood, patchouli
1951	Echo Troublant		A cool, green, woody fougere perfume (lavender, bergamot, vetiver, sandalwood, leather, amber, oakmoss, musk)
1950	Chambord
1973	Coccinelle		chypre perfume for women, citrus top, warm woodsy base	Subtitled "Parfum du Matin"