Red by Geoffrey Beene: launched in 1976.
When House Beautiful magazine asked "Why a color for a fragrance name?" Beene replied "My fragrances are as much fashion statements as the clothes I design. I named my men's fragrance 'Grey Flannel' because a grey flannel suit on a man has a special aura of success. Red is for women who like to wear red- I think every woman feels special in a red dress." He also mentioned that "Simply because, having studied chromatics, color and it's effects. I find it both feminine and sensuous..and a color that certainly arouses the senses."
So what does it smell like? It is classified as fresh mossy-aldehydic chypre fragrance for women. It begins with a fresh, citrus, spicy top, followed by a fresh radiant floral heart, resting on a mossy base. Red is a rich and lingering floral blend of choice jasmines, rare roses, narcissus and jonquil, supported by woodsy notes of vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss and labdanum.
When House Beautiful magazine asked "Why a color for a fragrance name?" Beene replied "My fragrances are as much fashion statements as the clothes I design. I named my men's fragrance 'Grey Flannel' because a grey flannel suit on a man has a special aura of success. Red is for women who like to wear red- I think every woman feels special in a red dress." He also mentioned that "Simply because, having studied chromatics, color and it's effects. I find it both feminine and sensuous..and a color that certainly arouses the senses."
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? It is classified as fresh mossy-aldehydic chypre fragrance for women. It begins with a fresh, citrus, spicy top, followed by a fresh radiant floral heart, resting on a mossy base. Red is a rich and lingering floral blend of choice jasmines, rare roses, narcissus and jonquil, supported by woodsy notes of vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss and labdanum.
- Top notes: aldehydes, citrus oils basil, peach, bay
- Middle notes: carnation, melon, lily, cyclamen, lily of the valley, jonquil, jasmine, rose, narcissus
- Base notes: cedar, amber, vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, labdanum, musk
Bottles:
The parfum was presented in a thick paperweight style round crystal bottle designed by Pierre Dinand in 1978. The stopper was made of frosted glass, square shaped with rounded corners, and molded with the perfume's name in the center. The bottle was manufactured by Pochet et du Courval with plastic components supplied by Mayet.
The parfum retailed at $100 an ounce, which at the time was the most expensive American fragrance ever released. The first 500 bottles were numbered and housed in red lacquered wooden boxes.
A red glass, fluted bottle with a tasseled cap which held 1/4 oz of Parfum, was the perfect size to carry in the purse.
Red was available in the following:
In 1981, the Red Bath Collection was released.
The perfume was distributed under Beene's own company Epocha Distributors, Inc. starting in 1977, which was created to sell his fragrances. But by 1980, Epocha was acquired by Jacqueline Cochran, Inc (a division of American Cyanamid/Shulton) and the fragrance will be marked in association with that name.
Discontinued in 1982.
New York Magazine, 1988:
The parfum retailed at $100 an ounce, which at the time was the most expensive American fragrance ever released. The first 500 bottles were numbered and housed in red lacquered wooden boxes.
A red glass, fluted bottle with a tasseled cap which held 1/4 oz of Parfum, was the perfect size to carry in the purse.
Red was available in the following:
- 1 oz Parfum
- 4 oz Cologne
- 2 oz Cologne
- 2 oz Eau de Toilette
In 1981, the Red Bath Collection was released.
The perfume was distributed under Beene's own company Epocha Distributors, Inc. starting in 1977, which was created to sell his fragrances. But by 1980, Epocha was acquired by Jacqueline Cochran, Inc (a division of American Cyanamid/Shulton) and the fragrance will be marked in association with that name.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued in 1982.
New York Magazine, 1988:
"Like other designers who tried to maximize the potential of their names, Beene got involved in numerous licensing deals... Even one of the most basic licensing products, women's perfume, didn't work out. Both Geoffrey Beene and Red were failures. "A Beene scent is a tricky one to market," says one fashion executive. "He's hardly going to pop up on TV, tan and suave like Oscar (de la Renta), with a perfume bottle in his hand."
Wish it were still available! I still reminisce about that scent! Haven't been able to find anything close to it! Why can't the new company bring it back?
ReplyDelete