Presentation and history
1850 - 1923 : 1st GENERATION
France's Grasse, in the Côte d'Azur region not far from its more famous neighbour Cannes, captured the heart of the world's perfume industry in the 18th century when the perfume-maker's trade was officially recognized by the Parliament of Provence. Grasse originally had been a leather and tanning centre, well known for its gloves, before more and more perfume-makers, attracted by the region's climate, especially its flowers, settled in Grasse. By the mid-1900s, the village and surrounding areas had become the country's foremost producer of perfumes and perfume ingredients; it became an important centre of flower farming as well.
The development of the perfume industry brought a need for greater quantities of base ingredients. Among those setting up shop to provide these ingredients were François Chauvé and his nephew, Jean-Baptiste Maubert. Opening their factory in 1850, Chauvé and Maubert concentrated on extracting scents from the region's flowers and plants.
The company was acquired by Paul Robertet in 1875, who commissioned Gustave Eiffel to design a new factory on the Avenue Sidi Brahim, which was to become the company's home for more than 125 years. Robertet gave his name to the company, which incorporated as Robertet in 1914; Jean-Baptiste Maubert, meanwhile, led the company's fragrance operations. The company received national recognition in 1900, when Robertet's natural fragrances were awarded the gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris. This achievement was to help the company find a new class of clients among the nation's premier perfume-makers.
