Rochas Paris
Rochas Perfumes began as a French fashion house founded by Marcel Rochas in 1925. From 1925 until 1953, Marcel Rochas dressed women in forward-thinking fashions that also celebrated traditional feminine silhouettes. Anticipating the needs of modern women in the early-to-mid 20th century, Rochas was the first to design 2/3-length coats and skirts with pockets. He also created the "mermaid" dress, which continues to inspire women's dress designs today. Marcel Rochas closed the haute couture division in 1953, before passing away in 1955. The company changed hands several times during the late 20th century. Proctor and Gamble acquired the company in 2003, and re-launched the fashion division.
The company expanded its offerings to include fragrances, starting with a trio of perfumes, Avenue Matignon, Air Jeune and Audace, in 1934. The perfumes were taken off the market during World War II, but the company's most famous fragrance, the classic Femme, was launched in 1943 and remains a perennial best-seller. The company's first men's fragrance, Moustache, was launched in 1949. The Rochas fragrance and cosmetics division was an enormous success. Fragrances remain the most important product of the Rochas brand, and Rochas has employed its own in-house perfumer, Jean-Michel Duriez, since 2008.
Designer Rochas has 70 perfumes in its fragrance base, the earliest edition - Femme Rochas - was created in 1943 and the newest - Mademoiselle Rochas In Black, L'Homme Rochas - are from 2020.