Valentino by Valentino c1977

Valentino by Valentino: launched in 1977. Created by Givaudan-Roure. Originally launched in Europe by an Italian licensee that went bankrupt, it's popularity began to fade before it even reached American shores. The launch party was at the Paris Opera in 1978, followed by a gala dinner at Maxim's. The fragrance was promoted and marketed by Princess Ira von Furstenberg, who worked as a publicist in 1980.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a crisp, fresh floral fragrance for women. It begins with a citrusy fruity top, followed by a cool light floral heart, resting on a mossy, floral base.

• Top notes: citrus oils, peach, basil, green note, plum
• Middle notes: jasmine, rose, carnation, lily of the valley, cyclamen, hyacinth
• Base notes: cedar, ambergris, Mysore sandalwood, oakmoss, musk, civet

Bottle:

The bottle was designed by Pierre Dinand in 1978. The bottle was manufactured by both Pochet et du Courval and Saint Gobain Desjonqueres.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.

Chicago Tribune, 1985:

"Named to the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame was Milton Stern, creator of Parfums Stern, which has such fragrances as Perry Ellis and Oscar de la Renta to its credit and, reportedly, will soon launch a fragrance by Roman designer Valentino."

After legal matters were settled in 1985, Valentino teamed up with Parfums Stern. Parfums Stern,  had the perfume slightly reformulated by Givaudan-Roure, rebottled and relaunched it worldwide in 1986. It is often known as "V".

• Top notes: mandarin, bergamot, orange blossom, lemon, peach, melon, syringa , green notes
• Middle notes: carnation, hyacinth, lily of the valley, rose, gardenia, ylang ylang, tuberose, violet, jasmine 
• Base notes: sage, civet, orris, vetiver, ambergris, cedar, Mysore sandalwood, oakmoss, musk 

The perfume was said to have been inspired by a Renaissance still life painting featuring ripe melons, berries, lush lilies, roses and green foliage. The fragrance's launch party was held at Maxim's Parisian restaurant in October of 1985, before the fragrance was even available publicly in the United States. A lavish feast where guests nibbled on delectable treats including raspberry tarts, scallop pate, country pate, and the star of the table, a rich torte cake with red frosting to coordinate with the package of the Valentino perfume. Heaps of fresh flowers brought in and arranged by seven of Paris' top floral designers helped with the elegant theme. Valentino described the perfume as "seductive, an elegant tapestry of rare essences," along with his favorite word to describe his perfume, "feminine, of course, and elegant. Actually I wanted something that would not hurt the nose."

This version was part of an aggressive marketing campaign which included 28.9 million scented direct mail pieces advertising the $185 an ounce perfume. Parfums Stern believed so strongly in the fragrance that they invested $10 million to put the scent on sale in only 10 US cities. In April, 1986, Valentino began a promotional tour with six US cities and Toronto where the perfume was to be introduced. Plans were made to have the perfume sold in 345 stores in the United States and 45 in Canada. Scent strips placed in Bloomingdale's February 1986 catalog brought in mail orders of more than $100,000.

Michael Stern, President of Parfums Stern said that ""We launched the new Valentino fragrance in Europe in October 1985. The reception was very, very encouraging to us because we had been wary of the previous disaster. But it had never been introduced to the US or Canada, so in that sense, it's a clean launch." He added, "We want to keep it a prestige type fragrance," and then said he expected Valentino to shoot up to the top three in its first year.

LA Times, 1989:

"New York-based Avon had said in September 1989 that it might sell Parfums Stern and Giorgio Beverly Hills, its other prestige fragrance subsidiary, and use the proceeds to reduce its $1-billion debt. Earlier in November, Avon sold the Valentino fragrance, another Parfums Stern brand, back to the Valentino Group for $12.3 million. Avon bought Parfums Stern in November, 1987 for $160 million. Parfums Stern's annual sales have grown to more than $125 million this year from more than $100 million two years ago. "

Avon said that Stern had marketed Valentino fragrances worldwide under a license from Valentino Perfumes for four years, but the unit had not been a "very large contributor" to Avon's profit.

Report on Business Magazine, 1988:

"Parfums Stern's Valentino, launched in 1986, seemed to have all the right stuff - a distinctive name, romantic image, beautiful packaging, strong promotional support from an experienced organization. By most accounts, it has been a flop. "It was not a fragrance that American women respond to," tactfully explains Annette Green of the Fragrance Foundation, a New York-based trade group . "It's dead as a doornail," sums up David Nugent. "They poured money all over that fragrance, , but it's still an absolute Edsel. "

Fate of the Fragrance:

The 1986 version has been discontinued for several years.  

A new version of Valentino was reformulated, rebottled and relaunched in 2008 as an aldehydic floral eau de parfum for women. However, this newer version was discontinued by 2015.

• Top notes: pomelo, pear blossom and magnolia
• Middle notes: orange blossom, mimosa and violet leaf
• Base notes: rice vapor, heliotrope and vanilla-orchid

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