The Rigaud story starts in 1852...
...when Jean Baptiste Rigaud moved to Paris from his native
He became fascinated by the world of scent and began developing the distinctive perfumes for which the Rigaud brand would later become famous.
Over the next half century Jean-Baptiste proved himself to be both a parfumier of genius and an innovator par excellence. Capitalising on the fashion in 1860’s Paris for all things English, he named his boutique “Parfumerie Victoria” in tribute to England’s queen, and created brands such as ‘Bouquet Victoria’, ‘Jockey Club’ and even ‘Kiss Me Quick’!
He went on to focus on creating new perfumes based on exotic ingredients, notably ‘Essence of Ylang Ylang’ in 1866, and later ‘Eau de Kananga’ from the Kananga flower of Japan.
Eau de Kananga’ became a great success that spread the Rigaud reputation throughout Europe and the USA.
Jean-Baptiste died in 1898, bequeathing a thriving business to his widow and their son Henri.
Henri inherited his father’s love of perfumes and in turn developed many much-admired fragrances: ‘Camia’ in 1906 - a particular favourite of England’s Queen Alexandra - ‘Chypres de Rigaud’, ‘Un Rêve’ and ‘Vers la Joie’. His masterpiece however, created in 1914, was ‘Un Air Embaumée’; un succès énorme in French Society that inspired paintings and poems, as well as countless aficionado customers around the world.
Following the Second World War, Parfumerie Rigaud passed into the hands of the third generation: Mario Rigaud and his wife Viviane. Together with her husband she conceived an entirely new product: