Today marks the late Francois Coty's birthday. These days, everyone from Paris Hilton to Kim Kardashian has a signature fragrance but it all started with Francois Coty. The descendant of Isabelle Bonaparte, the aunt of Napoleon, is considered to be perfumery's first abstract genius. He not only discovered a scent that captured as many noses as necessary to morph him into a millionaire, but realized that an attractive bottle was essential to any perfume's success. Proving further successful, he took what had prior been reserved for the rich as a luxury and extended perfume to mass markets in a more accessible fashion, thus changing the perfume industry forever.
Read more about him in this great coffee table book, "COTY" that we have available at the store. $60
