Book Information
Titles:
Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances
(Japanese translation title, rendered in English: Perfume Legends: Stories of the World’s Great Perfumes)
Perfume Legends II: French Feminine Fragrances
Author: Michael Edwards
Publication years: 1996 (Japanese translation: 2005); II: 2019
Publishers:
I: HMEditions (out of print)
I, Japanese translation: Fragrance Journal Ltd. (out of print)
II: emphase
Languages: I: English and Japanese; II: English
Book Review
Michael Edwards may be even less widely known than perfumers, yet there is no one in the perfume industry who does not know his name. His achievements fall into two main areas.
① Creating Fragrances of the World
Since 1983, almost every year he has classified perfumes and built a database (paid access), adding that year’s new releases. He also created the 14 olfactory families known as the Fragrance Wheel, prioritizing clarity and classification rather than commercial use. The guide has reached its 33rd edition, and no more comprehensive guidebook yet exists (available in English and French only).
② Creating Perfume Legends
He selected perfumes that have made history in French perfumery and, for each fragrance, interviewed the perfumers, brands, designers, and others involved. The book compiles, in detail, truths not covered in other media: the circumstances in which the perfumes were created, the feelings and struggles perfumers put into their work, and the stories behind the bottle designs. To appear in this book is an honor in itself. It would be no exaggeration to say that no other book about perfume is as great as this one.
The first edition appeared in 1996 and was also translated into Japanese. In 2019, at the author’s initiative, the entire text was revised and some of the content changed. The perfumes discussed and the changes are listed below.
| 1889 | Jicky (Guerlain, Aimé Guerlain) | 1971 | Chanel No. 19 (Henri Robert) |
| 1905 | L’Origan (Coty, François Coty) | 1972 | Diorama (Dior, Edmond Roudnitska) |
| 1912 | L’Heure Bleue (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1976 | First (Van Cleef & Arpels, Jean-Claude Ellena) |
| 1919 | Mitsouko (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1977 | Opium (Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Louis Sieuzac) |
| 1921 | Chanel No. 5 (Ernest Beaux) | 1978 | Anaïs Anaïs (Cacharel) |
| 1922 | Nuit de Noël (Caron, Ernest Daltroff) | 1981 | Must de Cartier (Jean-Jacques Diener) |
| 1925 | Shalimar (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1981 | Ombre Rose (Jean-Charles Brosseau, Françoise Caron) |
| 1927 | Arpège (Lanvin, Paul Vacher & André Fraysse) | 1983 | Paris (Yves Saint Laurent, Sophia Grojsman) |
| 1930 | Joy (Jean Patou, Henri Alméras) | 1984 | Coco (Chanel, Jacques Polge) |
| 1932 | Tabu (Dana, Jean Carles) | 1984 | Paloma Picasso (François Bocris) |
| 1932 | Je Reviens (Worth, Maurice Blanchet) | 1984 | Ysatis (Givenchy, Dominique Ropion) |
| 1944 | Femme (Rochas, Edmond Roudnitska) | 1985 | Poison (Dior, Édouard Fléchier) |
| 1946 | Ma Griffe (Carven, Jean Carles) | 1987 | Byzance (Rochas, Alberto Morillas) |
| 1947 | Miss Dior (Edmond Roudnitska) | 1987 | Loulou (Cacharel, Jean Guichard) |
| 1948 | L’Air du Temps (Nina Ricci, François Fabron) | 1987 | Nina (Nina Ricci, Christian Vacchiano) |
| 1956 | Diorissimo (Dior, Edmond Roudnitska) | 1988 | Boucheron (François Deleamont) |
| 1959 | Cabochard (Grès, Bernard Chant) | 1989 | Samsara (Guerlain, Jean-Paul Guerlain) |
| 1960 | Madame Rochas (Rochas, Guy Robert) | 1990 | Cabotine (Grès, Jean-Claude Delville) |
| 1961 | Calèche (Hermès, Guy Robert) | 1990 | Trésor (Lancôme, Sophia Grojsman) |
| 1966 | Fidji (Guy Laroche, Josephine Catapano) | 1991 | Dune (Dior, Jean-Louis Sieuzac) |
| 1969 | Calandre (Paco Rabanne, Michel Hy) | 1992 | L’Eau d’Issey (Issey Miyake, Jacques Cavallier) |
| 1969 | Chamade (Guerlain, Jean-Paul Guerlain) | 1992 | Angel (Mugler, Olivier Cresp) |
| 1889 | Jicky (Guerlain, Aimé Guerlain) | 1977 | Opium (Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Louis Sieuzac) |
| 1905 | L’Origan (Coty, François Coty) | 1978 | Anaïs Anaïs (Cacharel) |
| 1912 | L’Heure Bleue (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1979 | Nahéma (Guerlain, Jean-Paul Guerlain) |
| 1919 | Mitsouko (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1981 | Must de Cartier (Jean-Jacques Diener) |
| 1921 | Chanel No. 5 (Ernest Beaux) | 1981 | Ombre Rose (Jean-Charles Brosseau, Françoise Caron) |
| 1922 | Nuit de Noël (Caron, Ernest Daltroff) | 1983 | Paris (Yves Saint Laurent, Sophia Grojsman) |
| 1925 | Shalimar (Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain) | 1984 | Coco (Chanel, Jacques Polge) |
| 1927 | Arpège (Lanvin, Paul Vacher & André Fraysse) | 1984 | Paloma Picasso (François Bocris) |
| 1930 | Joy (Jean Patou, Henri Alméras) | 1984 | Ysatis (Givenchy, Dominique Ropion) |
| 1932 | Tabu (Dana, Jean Carles) | 1985 | Poison (Dior, Édouard Fléchier) |
| 1932 | Je Reviens (Worth, Maurice Blanchet) | 1987 | Loulou (Cacharel, Jean Guichard) |
| 1944 | Femme (Rochas, Edmond Roudnitska) | 1988 | Boucheron (François Deleamont) |
| 1946 | Ma Griffe (Carven, Jean Carles) | 1989 | Samsara (Guerlain, Jean-Paul Guerlain) |
| 1947 | Miss Dior (Edmond Roudnitska) | 1990 | Cabotine (Grès, Jean-Claude Delville) |
| 1948 | Fracas (Robert Piguet, Germaine Cellier) | 1990 | Trésor (Lancôme, Sophia Grojsman) |
| 1948 | L’Air du Temps (Nina Ricci, François Fabron) | 1991 | Dune (Dior, Jean-Louis Sieuzac) |
| 1956 | Diorissimo (Dior, Edmond Roudnitska) | 1992 | L’Eau d’Issey (Issey Miyake, Jacques Cavallier) |
| 1959 | Cabochard (Grès, Bernard Chant) | 1992 | Angel (Mugler, Olivier Cresp) |
| 1960 | Madame Rochas (Rochas, Guy Robert) | 1992 | Féminité du Bois (Serge Lutens, Pierre Bourdon & Christopher Sheldrake) |
| 1961 | Calèche (Hermès, Guy Robert) | 1994 | Tocade (Rochas, Maurice Roucel) |
| 1966 | Fidji (Guy Laroche, Josephine Catapano) | 1999 | J’adore (Dior, Calice Becker) |
| 1969 | Calandre (Paco Rabanne, Michel Hy) | 2000 | Flower by Kenzo (Alberto Morillas) |
| 1969 | Chamade (Guerlain, Jean-Paul Guerlain) | 2001 | Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel, Jacques Polge) |
| 1971 | Chanel No. 19 (Henri Robert) | 2004 | Timbuktu (L’Artisan Parfumeur, Bertrand Duchaufour) |
| 1972 | Diorama (Dior, Edmond Roudnitska) | 2010 | Portrait of a Lady (Frédéric Malle, Dominique Ropion) |
| 1976 | First (Van Cleef & Arpels, Jean-Claude Ellena) |
Both editions of Perfume Legends focus exclusively on French fragrances for women. Michael Edwards is currently working hard to create a volume on American fragrances.
Incidentally, the foreword was written by Edmond Roudnitska, who has been called the greatest perfumer of the 20th century.
Purchase Information
Buy Perfume Legends II from the official website.
