Perfumes de Annick Goutal

Annick Goutal was a woman of many talents and passions. Born in France in 1946, she showed an early talent for music and became an expert pianist, winning numerous awards and performing in prestigious venues. However, her love of music eventually waned and she went on to pursue a career in modelling. It was during a modelling job in Grasse, the heart of the French perfume industry, that she discovered her true calling: perfumery.

She met the perfumer Henri Sorsana and impressed him with her determination and good sense of smell. He offered her a training position and Annick spent seven years in Grasse learning the art of perfumery under his guidance. She memorised fragrances, learned which ingredients combine with each perfume, and developed her creativity under his watchful eye.

In 1977, Annick Goutal finished her training and opened her first boutique in the centre of Paris, selling only three perfumes: Folavril, Passion and Eau d’Hadrien. While Folavril was not successful and Passion had only moderate success, Eau d’Hadrien became her best-known perfume, evoking memories of the Emperor Hadrian and being loved by celebrities.

In 1980, Annick Goutal Parfums was founded, and Annick oversaw the hiring and distribution process as the company expanded nationally and internationally. She was committed to keeping her fragrances exclusive and individual, and only a few companies were allowed to distribute them. Annick Goutal boutiques are located in 43 countries around the world, offering her unique fragrances to a global audience.

Sadly, Annick Goutal developed breast cancer in the mid-1990s and died in 1999 at the age of 53. She left behind a legacy of 25 fragrances and compositions, a strong work ethic, and a daughter, Camille Goutal, who continues her mother’s work as an entrepreneur and perfumer. Together with the perfumer Isabelle Doyen, Camille Goutal continues to create new fragrances for the Annick Goutal brand, honouring her mother’s passion for the art of perfumery.