Le Parfum de Sacha Guitry by Isabey was launched in 1929, a tribute to one of France’s most celebrated men of letters. The name translates from French to “The Perfume of Sacha Guitry” (pronounced: luh par-FAHN duh sah-shah gwee-TREE). At first glance, it reads like a celebrity endorsement—but in this case, it was something more intimate and nuanced. Isabey crafted this fragrance specifically for Sacha Guitry, the renowned actor, playwright, and bon vivant who had become a towering figure in French cultural life. Its creation paralleled the release of Le Parfum d’Yvonne Printemps, dedicated to his muse, partner, and frequent stage co-star, further emphasizing the romantic and artistic interplay between the two figures. Together, the fragrances formed a fragrant dialogue—his and hers—capturing the essence of their public and private personas.
Choosing to name a perfume after Guitry in 1929 was a calculated and inspired move. It lent the fragrance immediate intellectual glamour. Guitry was not only a theater star but a writer of sharp wit and insight, often compared to Oscar Wilde. He was known for his charm, romantic entanglements, and piercing commentary on women, love, and life. His now-famous quote, “Two things make women unforgettable, their tears and their perfume,” perfectly captures the emotional weight fragrance carried in his worldview. In fact, Vanity Fair captured the cultural curiosity around him in 1931 when it slyly asked: “Is Sacha Guitry a perfume or an actor or a playwright or all three?” The answer, of course, was yes. He had become a myth, and the perfume helped cement that myth in olfactory form.
The late 1920s—especially 1929—was a turning point. The Roaring Twenties were coming to a close, and the world was on the cusp of dramatic change with the Wall Street crash that autumn. In France, however, the Années folles (the “crazy years”) were still in full swing. It was an era of Art Deco elegance, cinematic innovation, avant-garde experimentation, and artistic collaborations across fashion, design, and scent. Perfume was deeply intertwined with personal identity and fantasy. A fragrance named after Sacha Guitry would not be aimed at those desiring a light floral or powdery number—it would speak to sophistication, wit, intrigue, and the Parisian stage.
Women of the time would likely have seen Le Parfum de Sacha Guitry as an invitation to step into the aura of a brilliant man’s imagination. To wear it was to evoke the salons of Montparnasse, the glittering lights of the Théâtre de la Madeleine, and the clever banter of well-heeled Parisians. It may have conjured the sense of being remembered—unforgettable, as Guitry would say—not just for beauty, but for presence, personality, and scent.
In terms of perfumery trends, a fragrance dedicated to a male theatrical figure but designed for women was both unusual and daring. Most fragrances for women in the late 1920s leaned toward aldehydic florals, chypres, or orientals—lush, sensual, elegant. While we don’t know the full formula of Le Parfum de Sacha Guitry, it likely played into the woody, ambery, or leathery profiles that were emerging in perfumes associated with strength, luxury, and intrigue. If Jean Desprez—later of Bal à Versailles fame—was indeed Sacha Guitry’s preferred perfumer, it’s possible the scent bore his signature: baroque richness, animalic undertones, and a flair for drama.
Ultimately, Le Parfum de Sacha Guitry was more than a fragrance. It was an olfactory portrait of a man and his world—a world of witty dialogue, candlelit stages, and women defined not only by how they looked, but by how they lingered in memory, thanks to a trail of unforgettable scent.
Bottle:
The perfume Le Parfum de Sacha Guitry by Isabey was presented in a bottle as sophisticated and evocative as the man for whom it was named. Produced by the esteemed Cristalleries de Nancy in France, the flacon was crafted in two elegant colorways: an opaque green glass and a rich, opaque red glass. Each bottle was molded with a refined arched top—its silhouette suggestive of a theatrical proscenium, a subtle nod to Guitry’s world of stage and spectacle.
Topping each bottle was a simple yet striking button-shaped stopper, made either of glossy black glass or a harmonious green to match the vessel beneath. This restrained cap offered a pleasing contrast to the vibrant body of the bottle, emphasizing the elegance of form over ornamentation. The use of opaque glass rather than transparent crystal added a sense of mystery, as if the perfume inside—like the man it represented—held secrets waiting to be revealed.
The Cristalleries de Nancy, known for their high-quality glasswork during the Art Deco period, lent an additional layer of prestige to the presentation. Their mastery in producing luxurious molded glass flacons aligned beautifully with Isabey’s commitment to haute parfumerie, and the resulting bottle was both timeless and theatrical. Whether in red or green, each bottle was a tactile and visual expression of refined masculinity, creative brilliance, and olfactory seduction—a perfume vessel that did not merely contain fragrance, but embodied the cultivated persona of Sacha Guitry himself.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold in 1931.
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