In the aftermath of the Second World War, France and Europe dreamed of only one thing: to rise again. With the arrival of L’Air du Temps, the new lightheartedness the world thirsted for no longer merely inhabited hearts and minds\u2014it was now also on every skin. Master Parfums looks back on this Nina Ricci perfume that became mythical, which was and continues to be the olfactory reflection of rediscovered freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1948, France had just been crossed by two major conflicts in less than half a century. While the scars of the Second World War, which had ended only three years earlier, were still fresh, an ardent desire for renewal was just as fresh. It was, moreover, the beginning of the Trente Glorieuses, a period of strong economic growth. On the side of mentalities, the desire for a universal peace as an antidote to the horror of war and as a means of building a better world was reflected everywhere\u2026 perfumery included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1932, the eponymous fashion house of the Franco-Italian Maria Ad\u00e9la\u00efde Giuseppa Nielli, known as Nina Ricci, settled in Paris. It was the couturier’s son, Robert Ricci, who founded the house at 20 rue des Capucines in the 1st arrondissement of the capital. The brand quickly positioned itself against the grain of the trends of the time: its ultra-feminine style was the opposite of the boyish fashion in full swing in the 1930s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fifteen years later, for many companies, the economic fallout of the war had been heavy. It was then imperative to diversify one’s activities and therefore one’s sources of income. Nina Ricci did not escape this: in 1946, under the tutelage of Robert Ricci, the house inaugurated its perfumery department and launched the same year its very first fragrance, C\u0153ur Joie. While floral perfumes with a springlike look (such as the evocative Vent Vert by Balmain or Ma Griffe at Carven) were nonetheless in favour, the greenery of C\u0153ur Joie unfortunately did not meet with the expected success. Never mind: Nina Ricci released a second fragrance two years later, and this time it had the effect of a small olfactory revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n