Nicolas Chabot

Le Galion timeline…a history lesson in Sydney

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Nicolas Chabot (Ex-Dior/Givenchy/Estee Lauder-Paris) has painstakingly resurrected Le Galion Parfums. Nine original fragrances (tweaked for IFRA) were rereleased last year after a 30-year hiatus following Paul Vacher’s death in 1975. I met Nicholas at Libertine in Sydney where we sniffed through the historical collection recreated by nose Thomas Fontaine.

Le Galion timeline…a history lesson in Sydney

Le Galion Logo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Le Galion was named after the seafaring vessels symbolic to Paris and has had quite some journey since 1930 when Prince Murat (Napoleon’s brother-in-law) founded the brand. In 1932 he created 222 based on sandalwood, myrrh, styrax, leather, vanilla, cedar and lavender. It remained unreleased until now, locked in an old box, abandoned. I love the soapy sandalwood note.

In 1935 Paul Vacher purchased Le Galion after already co-creating fragrances for Lanvin (Arpége, Rumeur and Scandal with Andre Fraysse) and working with Marcel Guerlain. In 1936, his first release for Le Galion, Sortilége, became iconic and remains the jewel of the brand. An extrait is to be launched later 2015. The 1960’s advert stated: “Sortilége, the fragrance that makes women faithful. To their fragrance.” Sounding so “Madmen” I absolutely love the back catalogue of Le Galion perfume adverts, and am keen to collect them.

Vacher, well known for his soliflores, released two in 1937: Tubereuse is feminine, sweet and green and predated Robert Piguet’s Fracas by 10 years. Mandarin, orange and galbanum sparkle with pink pepper and pear. Tuberose, rose, orange blossom and raspberry are sweeter middle notes. Cedar, amber and musk make up the base, a common pattern in Fontaine’s formulations.

Le Galion Ainslie & Nicolas 1Photo Donated Ainslie

I fell for Iris, the second soliflore, instantly. It’s buttery iris and green mimosa notes are enhanced with bergamot, citron, hibiscus lily, rose, galbanum and Fontaine’s cedar/ musk/ amber base. I could bathe in it!

By the 1950’s Vacher was considered a master of perfumery alongside Ernest Beaux, Ernest Daltroff, Jacques Guerlain and Edmond Roudnitska. It was the French “golden age of perfumery”. In 1946 he created Miss Dior and in 1963 Diorling for Dior fashion house. For 30 years following Le Galion provided raw materials to Dior Parfums also producing the concentrate for Miss Dior.

Le Galion Ainslie LibertinePhoto Donated Ainslie

In 1947 Special for Gentlemen was released, it was also the same year the stiletto heel was invented. Unique notes of citrus, lavender, cinnamon, amber, labdanum, oakmoss, patchouli mix with vanilla, castoreum, birch and opoponax. Easy to wear, distinctive and far from linear.

La Rose released in 1950 is not a soliflore, with notes of bergamot, violet leaf, rose, ylang-ylang, peach, water, lily, cedar, patchouli, vanilla and musk. To me it is sweet and dew drenched.

Beautiful and head turning, Snob was released in 1952 as “the most exclusive perfume in the world.” Containing Australian sandalwood, jasmine, rose, saffron, cedar, musk, mandarin, bergamot, apple, orange blossom, iris and tagetes.

Whip, released in 1953, predates Eau Sauvage by 13 years and yet has remarkable similarities. Tarragon, lavender and cardamom, jasmine, violet and iris, galbanum, oakmoss, patchouli, vetiver and leather give this real masculine beauty.

Eau Noble from 1972 contains citrus, spice, sage and leather, evidence the sexual revolution was in full swing! An extrait will be released in 2015.

Le Galion Ainslie and NicolasPhoto Donated Ainslie, taken by Clayton

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Colognoisseur
First In Fragrance has the Le Galion range €140/100ml

Which of the range would you like to try? Have you seen Le Galion’s fabulous vintage adverts? Do you own any vintage bottles from the brand?
Ainslie Walker xx

Le Galion GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey there APJ,

As you all know, I FREAKING LOVE GIVEAWAYS! There are so many more coming up in the near future too, stick around.

Portia xx

Le Galion GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Snob Le Galion FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x Manufacturers Mini (Iris, La Rose Snob, Whip. NO you don’t get to choose)
1 x decant of Sortilege
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please comment with a Le Galion memory or a favoured resurrected scent.

Extra Chance?
Tweet:  Le Galion http://wp.me/p3PURw-3Lk  @nicolas27637539

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 5th April 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Winners thegarfieldshow-diaryPhoto Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

Nemo
Bube (via Twitter)
Ferris
Azar

CONGRATULATIONS!!

The winners will have till Thursday 9th April 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Le Galion

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Hi there APJ Crew,

Today I have a carry on story from Catherine de Peloux-Menage’s introduction to the Le Galion range. We were lucky enough to get to meet the head of the new Le Galion, Nicolas Chabot, while he was in Sydney and I loved the story of his finding the old fragrance house and resurrecting it with the help of it’s founders Daughter and the perfumer. Quite a beautiful and romantic beginning or re-emergence.

Snob Le Galion FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

I have 4 Manufacturers Minis to give away today: Iris, La Rose Snob & Whip. Along with one of these you’ll get a decant of Sortilege, their most famous fragrance, an aldehydic floral that is quite over the top and lavish. Perfect spring/autumn wear.

Portia xx

Le Galion Logo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Le Galion GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x Manufacturers Mini (Iris, La Rose Snob, Whip. NO you don’t get to choose)
1 x decant of Sortilege
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please comment with a Le Galion memory or a favoured resurrected scent.

Extra Chance?
Tweet:  Le Galion http://wp.me/p3PURw-3Lk  @nicolas27637539

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 5th April 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 9th April 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

 

Le Galion: The ship sails on….

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

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Post by Catherine de Peloux-Menage

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For the past twenty years, defunct or dying heritage perfume houses have been coming back to life. Les Parfums de Rosine, Lubin, Robert Piguet , Courreges, Orizia Legrand, Schiaparelli, Worth, Houbigant, Jovoy, d’Orsay, Patou in France. Grossmith and Atkinsons, Crown perfumery (as Clive Christian) in the UK. Now it’s the turn of Le Galion.

Coming across an old perfume bottle in a Paris flea market, Nicolas Chabot’s interest was piqued (Le Galion c’est quoi ca?). As a fragrance industry specialist like generations of his family, he thought he knew most French brands. So he tracked down the daughter of former house owner and perfumer Paul Vacher who supported him wholeheartedly in what became his mission to resurrect the house, even giving him access to the Le Galion archive, formulae and original perfumes. Le Galion was relaunched in 2014.

Le Galion: The ship sails on….

As Creative Director, Nicolas worked within the current raw materials restrictions with perfumer Thomas Fontaine (who specialises in reorchestrating perfumes for brands like Lubin, Patou and, Gres) to recreate nine perfumes which best represent Vacher’s work. Vacher created Miss Dior, Diorling, co-created Arpege as well as his own bestsellers like Sortilege or Whip. At his sudden death in 1975, Le Galion was one of the best known French perfume brands, distributed in over 90 countries. Within ten years it had vanished after it was sold to a US company which failed to understand its ethos and place in the market.

Le Galion

The nine relaunched fragrances are in simple, elegant ridged bottles. Not knowing the original Le Galion scents I can’t compare them. (A visit the Osmotheque would be a fascinating exercise.) As always, the scentosphere likes some and dislikes others. Here’s my take (Disclosure: samples are from Nicolas Chabot during a presentation to the Sydney Perfume Lovers).

222 My autumn-winter perfume 2015. Sandalwood, violets, vanilla. Cloudy soft, but with a bite of myrrh and a hint of leather. What’s not to love?

Sortilege Created in 1935, this feels grown up, seductive, half way between No 5 and Joy and with a nice dirty civet-like note. The original must have been stunning.

Tubereuse created 11 years before Fracas is sedate compared to her younger sister. Fruit, rose, musk. Rounded and ladylike.

Iris Delicate and mimosa-powdery, slightly green, woody and lightly musky. Vanishes quickly on my skin but I love it so will be wearing it on fabric to feel feminine and elegant.

Special for Gentlemen Bergamot, Lavender, oppoponax and patchouli, shades of Jicky and Shalimar but also of Habit Rouge morphing into the cologne feel of Eau Sauvage. Extraordinary, powerful. Wear it.

Rose – a delicate, pretty, slightly fruity morning rose. No thorns. Lovely.

Snob Saffron almond opening interlaced with rich deep rose. Could this be one of the first rose-saffron scents?

Whip You can feel the sting of the leather long after the sharp hit of citrus has worn off. Hit me again.

Eau Noble citrus fougere –green citrus elegance with a chypre twist.

sortilege Le GalionPhoto Stolen Le Galion

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Colognoisseur
First In Fragrance has the Le Galion range €140/100ml

Have you tried any of these? Any favourites yet?
Catherine de Peloux-Menage xx