Although not as well known today as Coco Chanel, Jean Patou was one of the most famous and influential couturiers of his time. Like Chanel, he revolutionized the "look" of women's wardrobe. He also introduced sportswear for women and designed the first tennis skirt. In 1928, Jean Patou created "Huile de Chaldée", the first sun tan oil ever created.
His exclusive designs were created mostly for the wealthy American socialites. But when the financial markets crashed in 1929, many of his clients, especially the rich American women, were bankrupted and the "need" for luxury fashion vanished overnight.
The ingenious couturier decided, however, that something had to be done if he himself wanted to survive the bad economy. To dispel the gloom of Great Depression he launched a superb olfactory creation, the legendary Joy.
Indeed, his "Maison Patou" survived through this day thanks to his perfumes. Joy wasn't the first creation of the house. And it wasn't the last either.
Joy - Perfume Contra Recession
Created by Henri Alméras as carefully as one of Patou's Haute Couture dresses, magnificent and timeless, Joy gathers extremely rare flowers in a unique concentration: 10,000 flowers of jasmine and 28 dozen Bulgarian roses come together to compose the heart of a single ounce of Joy! The perfume also contains other precious flower essences such as ylang ylang and tuberose.
The simple, but incredibly elegant bottle that was created specially for Patou by the French architect and artisan Louis Süe, appears to stand in a stark contrast to the flowery, joyous opulence of this perfume. But both, the fragrance and the bottle are reflections of the contemporary mind.
This exquisite perfume was, indeed, uplifting to the
senses! I definitely added a little joy to the everyday lives of those
women who wore it during that difficult times. Although prohibitively
expensive, Joy was a luxury they could still afford to buy.
Jean Patou joked that Joy would be "the costliest perfume in the world" ... and, to this day, Joy most certainly is one of the most expensive perfumes ever created. Many more creations followed, but none achieved the same status.
By Dominique Allmon
P.S.
This is an absolutely fabulous fragrance. You cannot feel depressed
while wearing it. However, I would not suggest that you spent your last money on it,
but if you can afford it, wear it with joy!