Kalispera by Jean Desses c1962

Kalispera by Jean Desses: launched in 1962.

Jean Desses (rhymes with dresses), was a dressmaker for HM Queen Frederika, the Queen Mother of Greece, HRH the Princess Margaret, HRH the Duchess of Kent, the court perfumer for the royal houses of Denmark and Sweden, and other distinguished European women. 

The Queen of Greece suggested that if Desses were to launch a fragrance that he should christen it "Kalispera." Intriguied by the thought, Desses created the fragrance as a tribute to her. Her Majesty was chosen for this honor because Desses, of Greek heritage, was her favorite fashion designer and the royal family was a favorite customer of his. 

It took perfumers 384 mixing tests and more than two years of research to blend the sixty-eight essential oils that would result in the perfume that became Kalispera. The company gave it to the smart women of Paris to test it before it was named, it was merely called "the one of Jean Desses" in the salons. The press release claimed "it has a completely new and different basis...Skillfully dressed up with dry flowers, tea roses and green honeysuckle, it conjures up mysterious and charming wooded fragrances."

 

Fragrance Launch:

The Parisian launch of Kalispera was held at the Hotel Napoleon on April 19, 1963. In attendance was Jean Dessès who improvised a dress, under the surprised eyes of his guests, by draping a veil of long cotton gauze over Jacqueline Boyer. A fountain filled with Kalispera perfume enthralled guests who had fun letting the jets finely spray the scent over their hands.

Paris-Match, 1963:

"In the salons of the Hôtel Napoléon, during the creation of "Kalispera", the new perfume by JEAN DESSES, Jacqueline Boyer created a song, Constantin Nepo a painting, and Jean Desses himself a dress, baptized three holes of the same prestigious name: Kalispera."

 

Combat, 1964:

"A bouquet of thirty young girls presided over the launch, last night, in a salon near the Etoile, of the new perfume by Jean Desses. 'If you launched a perfume, the Queen of Greece had told him one day, you would have to call it Kalispera.' 

Kalispera means 'Good evening.' Anyone who has been lucky enough to visit the homeland of the Phidias knows these melodious syllables and also the unforgettable scent of the gardens of Athens at dusk, evoked by the latest of Parisian perfumes. 

Kalispera is also the name of the song that Jacqueline Boyer sang for the first time on this occasion, while Guillaume was composing a hairstyle and Jean Desses, seizing a piece of white cotton gauze, created in turn a dress. 

This evening, at the Hilton Hotel in Athens, Jean Desses will himself present to the Queen the perfume she inspired in him."

At the launching of Kalispera, in Paris, on April 19, 1963, French actresses Michele Bardollet, Mireille Darc, Francoise Godde, Perrette Pradier and Joelle Latour gathered around a fountain perfumed with Kalispera.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1964:

"Queen Frederika, Queen Mother of Greece, named the newest scent from Jean Desses. A rich, woodsy fragrance, she called it "Kalispera," which means "good night" in Greek. Her Majesty was chosen for this honor because Desses, a native Greek, is her favorite fashion designer. But even though he is known for his extravagant ball gowns, Desses chose to keep Kalispera in a very simple classic bottle because he said he wanted all the richness to go into the fragrance. It is sensibly fitted with a new stopper guaranteed tight for traveling and packaged in nasturtium and white and "can be discarded with no regrets," according to its creator. Kalispera by Desses comes in a one-quarter ounce size for $12.50. At Bonwit Teller."

Only fifty stores in the United States were selected to introduce the two Desses fragrances, Celui and Kalispera. One of the shops, Neiman Marcus, introduced the fragrance with much fanfare as a highlight at the 27th annual Neiman Marcus fashion exposition held in Dallas, Texas. Designers, Neiman Marcus executives, and fashion and beauty writers were flown in from other cities to witness the debut of the parfum. A bazouki combo played Old Greek folk tunes while models in the latest Desses gowns strolled the runway. The bazouki is a pear-shaped stringed instrument like a lute. Guests sipped on champagne and nibbled on roast beef and candied violets. Fashion celebrities who attended with Mr. John, the famous hat designer, Richard Koret of purse fame, and Andre Goodman, from the Bergdorf-Goodman store in New York. 

The only ones who weren't there were the Greek ambassador, who was tied up with "the crisis on Cyprus," according to the store's spokesman Sara Marshall. The designer himself, who was present earlier to receive the fashion award of the year for his perfume, Kalispera, had to leave before the afternoon presentation in order to attend the royal wedding of King Constantine of Greece and Princess Ann-Marie of Denmark in held in Athens. The gown worn by Queen Frederika of Greece was designed by Desses, who had to rush back in case there was some last minute fitting required.

Also included in the show was Desses' first perfume, Celui, created several years prior, it used the essential oils of the jonquil for the first time in a perfume as well as a blend of other rare essences, it was described by Desses as " a classic fragrance with an edge of violence and tenacity.. of great elegance and refinement...to be worn only by the sophisticate."

At San Francisco's Joseph Magnin shop, the perfume, along with Celui, was introduced by M. Paul Boniface, president, Jean Desses Parfums of Paris and MT de Constades, president, Jean Desses Parfums of New York. The designer himself was not present due to the simple fact that he could not make it back from the royal wedding in Athens in time for the San Francisco presentation. Boniface explained that the bottle was a replica of a Greek amphora in the Louvre, so fragile it could not be moved to be copied, so he had to climb a ladder in the museum to photograph it. Guests were entertained by models stalking the runway in five originals from the Desses Paris collection, making their first US appearance. These fashions were also for sale, a Joseph Magnin spokesman said that "we don't have the prices, but we'll telephone to Paris to get them." 

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a sweet-floral woody fragrance for women. Made up of 68 different ingredients, it begins with a fresh green top, followed by a green floral heart, resting on a floral, soft, powdery, woodsy base.

• Top notes: hawthorn, aldehydes, orange blossom, hyacinth, lemon, bergamot, peach blossom
• Middle notes: bouvardia, cyclamen, sweet pea, blue heliotrope, tea rose, Bulgarian rose, rose de mai, jasmine, orris, ylang ylang, mimosa, violet, green honeysuckle
• Base notes: musk, oakmoss, vetiver, sandalwood, civet

Combat, 1963:

"It took no less than 384 attempts to harmoniously dose the 68 components of Kalispera, the latest Dessès fragrance. Its personality rests on a completely new base, skillfully dressed in dry flowers, tea rose, honeysuckle."

1964 

Fate of the Fragrance:

Kalispera has been discontinued for many years, it can be hard to find today.

Bottles:

Kalispera was housed in a variety of flacons, many of them used for other Desses scents, all derived from the original designed by Pierre Camin. The Greek influence is strongly interpreted in the bottle's designs, some are reminiscent of the ancient fluted columns while others feature an egg and dart frieze of Neo-Classical design. The fragrance was elegantly packaged in shades of nasturtium and white which "can be discarded with no regrets," said the designer. Use this handy guide to help you determine the size of your bottles.

Parfum:

Parfum, also called extrait, parfum classic, extrait de parfum or extract, is the highest concentration of perfume. Vintage Desses Parfums can often contain at least 22-40 percent essential oils, a high grade alcohol, and a slight amount of water, compared to a parfum made today which may contain only 20-30 percent oils. Due to the high concentration of essential oils. Parfum can last 7 to 24 hours on the skin. Parfum is the most expensive type of perfume.

Standard Desses Parfum Bottle:

Some of the Desses parfums are housed in tapered cylindrical shaped clear crystal bottle with ground glass stoppers and decorative gilded brass collars. Bottles made in France by Pochet et du Courval. These were also used for other Desses perfumes. The 1/6 oz parfum bottle has a gilded brass screwcap so it will not leak inside the handbag. The 0.25 oz bottle has a mother of pearl type cap.

• 1/6 oz parfum purse bottle has gilded brass screwcap
• 1/4 oz bottle stands 2" tall.  (originally retailed for $12.50)
• 1/2 oz bottle stands 2.75" tall.  (originally retailed for $20)
• 1 oz bottle stands 3" tall. (originally retailed for $36)
• 2 oz bottle stands 4" tall.
• 4 oz bottle  

Frosted Amphora Parfum Bottles:

The parfum concentration for Kalispera was housed inside of a beautiful frosted glass bottle. This exquisite bottle was designed by Pierre Camin and was a replica of an ancient Greek amphora in the Louvre. It is of amphora shape, fluted like Grecian columns and has a frosted glass stopper. This bottle was also used for the other Jean Desses perfume, Celui. All of the succeeding Desses flacons are based off of this original design.

The bottle came in three sizes:

• 1/8 oz bottle has gilded brass screwcap
• 1/4 oz bottle stands 3.25"
• 1/2 oz bottle stands 3.75"

Melon Ribbed Desses Amphora Parfum Flacon:

This is a clear, non-frosted, amphora shape with wide melon rubbed sides rather than fluting. It came in at least two sizes and held the parfum. It can be found in other Desses scents.

• 1 oz
• 2 oz 

"Evening Edition" Parfum Travel Flacon:

This amphora shaped bottle holds 1/8 oz of parfum and is made up of gilded brass. It is leakproof and meant to carry in a handbag. The bottle was presented in a antelope suede covered rigid case lined with a white satin interior. These were also used for other Desses fragrances.

Combat, 1963:

"The new Kalispera perfume is presented in a deliberately dark bottle, equipped with a new hermetic cap for travel."

Parfum de Toilette:

The Parfum de Toilette was a lighter version of the Desses parfum, however, its strength would be equivalent to today's Eau de Parfum concentrations. As a lighter version due to the alcohol content, it differs little from the Parfum in aroma. Vintage Desses Parfum de Toilettes were often made up of 15-20 percent essential oils with a slightly weaker alcohol and water mix. These were highly concentrated compared to today's eau de parfums which are composed of 10-15 percent of essential oils. Parfum de Toilettes usually last about 4-8 hours.

It does not have the longevity of the Parfum as it was meant to splashed liberally over the body for a refreshing effect, mainly after bath or exercise or to boost the Parfum already applied to the skin but which may have faded. Many women who love a particular perfume may find that it is a bit too overpowering to be worn during the day, but that its Parfum de Toilette are just that much lighter to make it an acceptable day perfume too.  

Glass Stoppered Parfum de Toilette:

The Parfum de Toilette was contained in a modified amphora shaped bottle, not frosted, but polished clear crystal and topped with clear glass and lucite acrylic cap. This bottle was meant to sit upon the vanity table. Bottle was made in France by Pochet et du Courval. These bottles were also used for other Desses scents.  

Modified amphora shaped bottle with ground glass stoppers. Bottles made in France by Pochet et du Courval.  These were also used for other Desses fragrances.

• 2 oz bottle stands 6" tall.
• 4 oz bottle stands 7.5" tall
• 8 oz 
• 32 oz

Plastic Stoppered Parfum de Toilette Used for Travel:

Modified amphora shaped bottle with plastic screw caps. Bottles made in France by Pochet et du Courval. These were also used for other Desses fragrances.

• 2 oz
• 4 oz
• 8 oz bottle stands 7" tall

Eau de Cologne Parfumee:

The Eau de Cologne Parfumee was a lightest version of the Desses scent which was incorporated with the classic citrus notes of a traditional eau de colognes. I believe that this concentration was equivalent to today's Eau de Toilettes. Vintage Eau de Toilettes often can contain up to 5-15 percent essential oils and were much more concentrated than modern formulas. Eau de Toilettes usually last about 3 hours. 

As an eau de cologne, it differs from the Parfum de Toilette in both composition and aroma. It does not have longevity as it was meant to be splashed liberally all over the body or sprayed throughout the day to freshen up. Perfect for wearing during daytime, or during the warmer months or warmer climates.

Eau de Cologne Parfumee Glass Stoppered Bottles:

The Eau de Cologne Parfumee was contained in a modified amphora shaped bottle, not frosted, but polished clear crystal and topped with clear glass and lucite acrylic cap. This bottle was meant to sit upon the vanity table. Bottle was made in France by Pochet et du Courval. These bottles were also used for other Desses scents.  

• 2 oz
• 3 oz bottle stands 5" tall
• 4 oz 
• 8 oz bottle bottle stands 6" tall.
• 16 oz bottle 

 

Eau de Cologne Parfumee Flacon Pour Le Voyage:

The Eau de Cologne Parfumee was contained in a modified amphora shaped bottle topped with a black plastic screw cap. Bottle was made in France by Pochet et du Courval. These bottles were also used for other Desses scents.

• 2 oz
• 3 oz bottle stands 5" tall
• 4 oz 
• 8 oz bottle 
• 16 oz bottle stands 6" tall.

 

Perfume Sets:

Generally offered either as limited editions or only available during the Christmas holiday, these delightful perfume sets made excellent gifts for the traveler. 

Trousse de Voyage:

Leather Cased Travel Set composed of two bottles of clear and frosted glass, fluted, column styled fluted of demilune shape meant to fit against one another in round leather case, gilded brass hardware. The leather was available in either red or black. These were also used for other Desses fragrances. The set originally retailed for $45.

• 0.75 oz Parfum bottle stands 2.5" tall
• 2 oz Parfum de Toilette bottle stands 4.75" tall.

Parfum & Parfum de Toilette Baccarat Flacons:

Kalispera was also presented in heavy Baccarat crystal bottles housed in a handsome jewel case luxuriously covered in antelope leather and lined with white satin. This was originally created as a gift for the new queen of King Constantine. It was offered to the public at $500 per set. The first twelve sent to the USA were purchased quickly in Dallas, but more sets were on the way to be sold nationwide. The set included two bottles: 

• 4 oz Parfum de Toilette bottle stands 6" tall.
• 4 oz Parfum bottle stands 5" tall.

Travel Set with Atomizer:

This beautiful set includes a single crystal bottle of parfum, its leakproof screwcap and optional atomizer hardware. The set was housed inside of a brocade covered box lined with white satin.