Are You a Bandit?

Over the last couple of months I have featured some of Robert’s Piguet’s perfumes on Savoir Faire. All of these have been reformulations and then subsequent re-launches of some of the classic greats of modern day perfumery. The originals were wonderful creations from the singular floral Fracas, to the more complex and daring Futur. These have all been available now in modern versions of the originals for a couple of years and have carved out a niche market for themselves. Piguet perfumes are not for everybody. They attract that rare breed of consumer who does not want to be like anybody else. One of the things that I find most appealing about Piguet perfumes is that they work just as well on a man as they do on a woman. One of my all time favourites is Bandit. This is one that I keep returning to all the time. On its original launch it was considered daring and different, a characteristic that has not been lost in the new interpretation. I love the acrid tobacco, leather smoky floral scent which was described once as being brutally beautiful.

World War II was reaching a crucial turning point when Robert Piguet decided to launch his first perfume. This wonderful leather chypre was launched “on the couture runway with models sporting villain masks and brandishing toy revolvers and knives like highway men”. This in itself was in complete contrast to the elegant atmosphere that prevailed among the Parisian Couture Houses of the late 1940’s. Here was something different that required a whole new approach in marketing.

This is not a perfume for the timid and faint at heart, with animalistic undertones that is incredibly sexy. It packs a punch with daring, bitter green leather, galbanum, orange, bergamot, neroli, jasmine, rose, tuberose, leather, patchouli, mousse de chene, vetiver, and musk. It is sophisticated while hinting at a sort of dark rebellious intelligence that leaves the wearer being either man or woman, incredibly confident, with the possibility of mischief.

Bandit manages to pose a glorious riddle that has a resonance even to today’s sensibilities, staying resolutely, brilliantly modern and quite young in spirit, contrary to many chypres and leather scents.

Now more than ever, even with the modern reformulation, Bandit remains a gem, strong, confident and elegant, much like its avant-garde creator.

No Piguet No Dior?

Many refer to the period immediately after World War II right through the 1950’s as Couture’s Golden Age, with Christian Dior even proclaiming in 1948 that “A new Golden Age is dawning”

Houses in Paris, such as Dior, Balenciaga Fath, Balmain, and Givenchy were at the forefront of this golden age capturing worldwide attention with their elegance and glamour. One name that is very rarely mentioned during this golden age is that of Robert Piguet. If it was not for him we might not have had the likes of Dior, Balmain and Givenchy as they all worked for him at some stage in their careers.

Born in Switzerland and at the age of 17 leaving for Paris (after much Parental opposition) to gain his fortune, Piguet learned the trade from Redfern and Poiret. Both houses were at the top of the couture radar in Paris and the world when Piguet arrived. Both were fashionable and influential however they held completely different design aesthetics, which was to influence Piguet when he created his own house in 1933. Piguet combined the imagination and awareness of Poiret at his peak with the quality and stability of Redfern.

Taking inspiration from Poiret, Piguet had an astute understanding between the links between high fashion and art, with collections reflecting his sensitivity to the cultural movements of the times.

With his own couture house Piguet became known for the delicacy of his style especially in morning and afternoon dresses, the certain flamboyance of color in clothes for evening and for the perfect cut of his thin grey flannel suits…every collection a reflection of his infallible eye, refined simplicity and the quality that most defined Piguet: elegance. Constantly acknowledged by his peers, the women he dressed and the press as “the most Parisian of couturiers”.

There was a lot more behind the Piguet style or design aesthetic than just Piguet himself. It could be said that the most lasting contribution and prominent effect that Piguet had on Haute Couture was on the actual designers whom he hired to design his collections for him. Piguet was most notably a stylist who chose designs from a series of contributors, made the final adjustments and then showed under his own name. Piguet's wisdom in choosing able designers, however, was more than matched by his skill in maintaining the identity of his house and collections, no matter who produced the actual sketches.

Pierre Balmain, Marc Bohan and Hubert de Givenchy all trained at the hands of this master as did Christian Dior who said “Robert Piguet taught me the virtues of simplicity through which true elegance must come.” Another who benefited from his three-month internship at the House of Piguet was James Galanos, one of the greats of American designers. All of these men were later on to become major forces behind the Parisian world of Haute Couture

Let’s not forget that Piguet was the house behind some of the greatest perfumes of the era, including the ultimate single floral, Fracas. Piguet’s perfumes Bandit, Fracas and Baghari and others, “have a particular feel, very characteristic of his trademarks: strict adherence to good taste, true luxury, a horror of the commonplace and an innate sense of seduction”

In short in light of his success one would think that Piguet was an extremely well trained couturier, however I think that his success lies in the fact that he was an extremely profound and influential mentor to some of the great names of the Golden Age of Couture.

Closing in 1951 and due to ill health and passing away in 1953, we seem to forget the lasting and enormous contribution that Piguet made to haute couture

Upon Piguet’s death, Jean Cocteau, a dear and trusted friend, as was Colette and the actor / director, Jean Marais, wrote of Piguet “he loved, he invented, he gave…a generous and vibrant member of our team.”

Have You Got Your Visa!

While we are doing all this travelling on the S.S France, have you got your Visa? Robert Piguet's Visa that is!




Described by Parfums Piguet as "Mysterious and addictive, this gourmand oriental is a spellbinding combination of lush white vineyard peach, pear, bergamot, ylang ylang rose and orange flower mingled with rich patchoulli, sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla beans and a gourmand leathery accord. Dazzling and dramatic, Visa de Robert Piguet is the fragrance for those who expect the exceptional"








Wow, with a combination of ingredients such as this I am requesting a bathtub full of the stuff! Of course this is the reformulated version of 2007, however from what I remember of original Piguets this would be fabulous! Originally created in 1945 by perfumer Germaine Cellier, one of the greatest of all noses.





So make sure you have your Visa so we can do some more travelling with savoir faire!