Parfums Givenchy

Parfums Givenchy is the fragrance and cosmetics division of the French luxury house Givenchy. It was established in 1957 by couturier Hubert de Givenchy, several years after he founded the Givenchy fashion house. The business developed alongside the couture label but became a substantial activity in its own right through a succession of perfumes for women and men, including L'Interdit, Monsieur de Givenchy, Givenchy III, Gentleman, Ysatis, Amarige, Organza, Pi, Very Irresistible, Ange ou Démon, Dahlia Noir, Dahlia Divin, and later L'Interdit and Irresistible. The brand's early history is closely associated with Hubert de Givenchy's relationship with actress Audrey Hepburn. In 1958, Hepburn became the face of L'Interdit, a fragrance created the previous year. The campaign is widely regarded as an early landmark in the use of a major film star to promote a perfume. Hepburn was initially the only person permitted to wear the fragrance publicly for a year, helping establish an aura of exclusivity around the launch. Parfums Givenchy was primarily managed during its early period by Hubert de Givenchy's older brother, Jean-Claude de Givenchy, who had previously worked as an airline executive. The perfume business expanded through successive launches and helped support the development of French manufacturing capacity. A production facility in Beauvais, in the Oise department, opened in 1968 and produces both perfumes and cosmetics. A second perfume plant was established in Vervins, in the Aisne department, in 1995. The reference material describes the two French sites as employing several hundred people in total, although precise current employment figures are not stated here. The business changed ownership during the consolidation of the French luxury sector. It was sold to France's Institut de Développement Industriel in 1979 and subsequently became part of the LVMH group in the late 1980s; the reference material gives 1987 and 1988 as dates associated with this transition. Under LVMH, Parfums Givenchy has remained connected to the broader Givenchy fashion and beauty strategy while operating as a specialist fragrance and cosmetics business. Its portfolio spans classic eaux de toilette, eaux de parfum, women's fragrances, men's fragrances, and related cosmetics. Early masculine offerings included Monsieur de Givenchy, introduced in 1959, and later Vetyver, Gentleman, Givenchy pour Homme, and Pi. Women's launches such as Amarige, Organza, Very Irresistible, Ange ou Démon, and Dahlia Divin gave the brand a broad presence in department stores and international beauty retail. L'Interdit was revived as a contemporary franchise in 2018, while Irresistible Givenchy followed in 2020. The brand has also used artistic and fashion leadership to connect its fragrances with Givenchy's couture identity. Pablo Reinoso was appointed artistic director of Parfums Givenchy in 2000 as part of an effort to renew the brand. After Reinoso's departure from the group in 2006, Givenchy fashion directors, including Riccardo Tisci, contributed to perfume creation and positioning. Clare Waight Keller provided artistic direction for the Givenchy house from 2017 until 2020. In 2019, Givenchy opened a temporary beauty suite during the Cannes Film Festival, offering makeovers to festival visitors before red-carpet appearances as part of an effort to increase visibility for its cosmetics activities. Parfums Givenchy remains an active international luxury beauty brand under LVMH. Its market identity combines couture heritage, celebrity-associated advertising, French manufacturing, and a portfolio built around both enduring historical names and newer versions of established franchises.

Hubert de Givenchy founded the Givenchy fashion house in 1952 and created Les Parfums Givenchy in 1957. The perfume business extended the visual and social language of his couture while allowing the name to reach consumers beyond made-to-measure clothing. The first launches included Monsieur de Givenchy and L'Interdit. L'Eau de Vetiver followed in 1959, and the men's fragrance Monsieur de Givenchy became an early foundation for the masculine portfolio. L'Interdit became particularly important because of its association with Audrey Hepburn, Hubert de Givenchy's friend and a prominent wearer of his clothes. In 1958, Hepburn became the face of the fragrance. The campaign's use of a leading film actress helped establish a model later adopted widely by the international perfume industry. Her initial exclusivity with the fragrance also reinforced its positioning as a restricted and personal creation. During the 1960s and 1970s, Parfums Givenchy expanded its manufacturing and product range. The success of the perfume business supported the construction of a factory in Beauvais, which opened in 1968 and later produced both fragrances and cosmetics. Givenchy III was launched in 1970 with a campaign directed toward the emotional and mnemonic character of perfume. Gentleman followed in 1974 and became a durable masculine name; later releases using the Gentleman name led the original to be distinguished as Gentleman Originale. The ownership structure changed in 1979 when the perfume business was sold to France's Institut de Développement Industriel. It subsequently entered the LVMH group during the late 1980s, with reference material identifying 1987 and 1988 in connection with the change. The LVMH affiliation placed Parfums Givenchy within a larger international luxury portfolio while retaining its connection to the Givenchy fashion house. The 1980s and 1990s brought several commercially important fragrances. Ysatis appeared in 1984, Amarige in 1991, Insensé in 1993, and Organza in 1996. These launches broadened the brand's recognition in women's and men's fragrance categories. Pi, introduced in 1998, added another lasting name to the masculine portfolio. During the same period, the company maintained French production through its Beauvais operations and later added a dedicated perfume plant in Vervins in 1995. In 2000, designer Pablo Reinoso became artistic director of Parfums Givenchy in an effort to help renew the brand. Following his departure from the group in 2006, Riccardo Tisci, who served as artistic director of the Givenchy fashion house from 2005 to 2017, participated in perfume creations. The period included launches such as Hot Couture, Very Irresistible, Absolutely Givenchy, Ange ou Démon, Absolutely Irresistible, Play, and Play for Her. These releases extended the brand across several fragrance families rather than relying solely on its older classics. Clare Waight Keller provided artistic direction for the Givenchy house from 2017 until April 2020. In 2018, the company brought back L'Interdit as a contemporary fragrance franchise, reconnecting a modern product with one of the most important names in its history. The portfolio was further developed with Irresistible Givenchy in 2020. Parfums Givenchy has also used experiential beauty marketing. In May 2019, its first reported pop-up Givenchy beauty suite opened during the Cannes Film Festival. Visitors could receive Givenchy makeovers before red-carpet events, linking the cosmetics business to the fashion house's long-standing relationship with cinema, celebrity, and public appearances. Today, Parfums Givenchy is an active LVMH-owned fragrance and cosmetics business. Its identity rests on French production, Givenchy couture heritage, recognizable women's and men's fragrance franchises, and a combination of heritage products with periodic reinterpretations and new launches.

1. 2020Irresistible Givenchy launched

   Irresistible Givenchy added a newer women's fragrance line to the portfolio.

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2. 2019First Givenchy beauty suite opens at Cannes

   A pop-up beauty suite at the Cannes Film Festival offered makeovers and supported renewed attention for Givenchy cosmetics.

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3. 2018L'Interdit relaunched

   The historic L'Interdit name returned as a contemporary fragrance franchise.

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4. 2014Dahlia Divin launched

   Dahlia Divin expanded the modern women's fragrance portfolio.

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5. 2003Very Irresistible launched

   Very Irresistible introduced a major contemporary fragrance franchise for the brand.

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6. 2000Pablo Reinoso appointed artistic director

   The appointment supported a renewal effort for Parfums Givenchy and its creative direction.

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7. 1998Pi launched

   Pi added a prominent men's fragrance to the Givenchy portfolio.

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8. 1996Organza launched

   Organza strengthened the women's fragrance portfolio and became one of the brand's best-known historical names.

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9. 1995Vervins perfume plant established

   Givenchy opened a perfume production plant in Vervins, France, adding dedicated manufacturing capacity.

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10. 1991Amarige launched

    Amarige became one of the company's notable women's fragrance franchises.

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11. 1988LVMH ownership established

    Parfums Givenchy became part of LVMH during the late-1980s ownership transition; reference material also associates the change with 1987.

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12. 1984Ysatis launched

    Ysatis expanded Givenchy's women's fragrance range during the brand's international growth period.

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13. 1979Business sold to Institut de Développement Industriel

    The perfume business was sold to France's Institut de Développement Industriel after being managed in its early years by Jean-Claude de Givenchy.

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14. 1970Givenchy III launched

    Givenchy introduced Givenchy III, an important early fragrance positioned around the emotional and memorable character of scent.

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15. 1968Beauvais manufacturing site opens

    Givenchy opened a French production facility in Beauvais that later handled both perfume and cosmetics manufacturing.

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16. 1958Audrey Hepburn becomes the face of L'Interdit

    Audrey Hepburn promoted L'Interdit in a pioneering celebrity fragrance campaign and was initially the only person allowed to wear it publicly for a year.

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17. 1957Les Parfums Givenchy established

    Hubert de Givenchy created the perfume division, which introduced early fragrances including L'Interdit and Le De.

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18. 1952Givenchy fashion house founded

    Hubert de Givenchy founded the Givenchy fashion house, establishing the couture foundation from which the perfume business later developed.

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Premium and luxury fragrance and cosmetics brand rooted in French couture heritage.

• L'InterditWomen's fragrance1957

  L'Interdit is one of Parfums Givenchy's foundational fragrance names. The original was introduced in 1957 and became closely associated with Audrey Hepburn after she served as its face in 1958. The name was revived as a contemporary fragrance franchise in 2018, connecting a modern product line with the brand's early history and celebrity heritage.

• Monsieur de GivenchyMen's fragrance1959

  Monsieur de Givenchy was the brand's first men's fragrance, introduced in 1959. It established an early masculine identity for the perfume business and was followed by later men's offerings including Vetyver, Gentleman, Pi, Givenchy pour Homme, and Play.

• Givenchy IIIFragrance1970

  Givenchy III was launched in 1970 and became an important early fragrance in the brand's portfolio. Its positioning emphasized the personal and memory-based associations of perfume, reinforcing Givenchy's connection between fragrance, identity, and the emotional language of fashion.

• GentlemanMen's fragrance1974

  Gentleman debuted in 1974 and became one of Givenchy's enduring masculine fragrance names. The original was later distinguished as Givenchy Gentleman Originale as additional fragrances using the Gentleman name entered the market.

• YsatisWomen's fragrance1984

  Ysatis was introduced in 1984 as part of the expansion of Givenchy's women's fragrance portfolio during the brand's international development.

• AmarigeWomen's fragrance1991

  Amarige, launched in 1991, became one of the best-known women's fragrances associated with Parfums Givenchy. It helped sustain the brand's presence through the 1990s and remains a notable reference point in its fragrance history.

• OrganzaWomen's fragrance1996

  Organza was launched in 1996 and became a prominent women's fragrance in the Givenchy portfolio. Its name and presentation drew on the house's broader couture vocabulary and strengthened the connection between fashion materials and perfume branding.

• PiMen's fragrance1998

  Pi was introduced in 1998 as a major men's fragrance. It formed part of the modern expansion of Givenchy's masculine portfolio and remains one of the fragrance names most associated with the brand.

• Very IrresistibleWomen's fragrance2003

  Very Irresistible launched in 2003 and created a modern women's fragrance franchise. Subsequent variations included Very Irresistible Intense and Live Irresistible, extending the name across multiple product generations.

• Ange ou DémonWomen's fragrance2006

  Ange ou Démon was introduced in 2006 and became a significant women's fragrance family. The line was followed by Ange ou Démon Le Secret in 2009, demonstrating the company's use of flankers and related interpretations to develop established names.

• PlayMen's fragrance2008

  Play debuted in 2008 as a men's fragrance and was followed by Play for Her in 2010. The two launches broadened the Play identity across men's and women's fragrance categories.

• Dahlia NoirWomen's fragrance2011

  Dahlia Noir was launched in 2011 as a women's fragrance and contributed to the development of Givenchy's early-2010s fragrance portfolio.

• Dahlia DivinWomen's fragrance2014

  Dahlia Divin, introduced in 2014, expanded the Dahlia fragrance family and became one of the more prominent modern women's offerings from Parfums Givenchy.

• CosmeticsBeauty products

  Alongside perfumes, Parfums Givenchy operates a cosmetics business. The Beauvais facility is described as producing both perfume and cosmetics, and the 2019 Cannes beauty suite was used to promote the cosmetics line through experiential makeovers.

• 2019Givenchy beauty suite at Cannes

  France · International festival audience

  Givenchy opened a pop-up beauty suite during the Cannes Film Festival, where visitors could receive makeovers before red-carpet premieres.

  Outcome. Provided an experiential platform for increasing visibility for Givenchy cosmetics and connecting the brand with film and red-carpet culture.

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• 1970Givenchy III memory-focused campaign

  International

  Givenchy III was promoted through messaging centered on the way a particular fragrance evokes memories and associations with a person.

  Outcome. Reinforced an emotional and identity-based positioning for the fragrance.

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• 1958Audrey Hepburn and L'Interdit

  International

  Audrey Hepburn became the public face of L'Interdit after being asked by Hubert de Givenchy to represent the fragrance. The campaign was notable for using a major movie star in perfume advertising and for the fragrance's initial period of exclusivity.

  Outcome. Helped establish L'Interdit as an iconic early Givenchy fragrance and linked the perfume business to cinema and celebrity culture.

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• 2020Introduce Irresistible GivenchyProduct launch

  Parfums Givenchy continued developing contemporary women's fragrance franchises alongside heritage names.

  What changed. The company launched Irresistible Givenchy.

  Aftermath. The launch added a newer platform to the women's fragrance portfolio after the earlier Very Irresistible line.

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• 2019Use an experiential beauty platform at CannesStrategy

  Givenchy sought to revitalize attention for its cosmetics activities and use the fashion house's relationship with cinema and celebrity.

  What changed. The company opened a temporary beauty suite during the Cannes Film Festival and offered visitor makeovers.

  Aftermath. The initiative provided direct consumer engagement and linked Givenchy beauty products to red-carpet preparation.

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• 2018Revive L'Interdit as a modern fragrance franchiseProduct launch

  Givenchy had a historically important L'Interdit name dating to the early years of the perfume business.

  What changed. The company relaunched L'Interdit for the contemporary fragrance market.

  Aftermath. The relaunch connected a new product generation with the brand's Audrey Hepburn-era heritage.

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• 2000Renew creative direction through Pablo ReinosoStrategy

  The company sought to support a revival of the Givenchy brand and refresh the identity of its perfume business.

  What changed. Pablo Reinoso was appointed artistic director of Parfums Givenchy.

  Aftermath. Following Reinoso's departure in 2006, Riccardo Tisci participated in perfume creation through his role at the Givenchy fashion house.

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• 1988Join the LVMH groupM&A

  Parfums Givenchy was incorporated into the expanding LVMH luxury portfolio during the late 1980s.

  What changed. LVMH became the parent group of the Givenchy perfume business. Reference material also identifies 1987 in connection with the transition.

  Aftermath. Parfums Givenchy continued as the fragrance and cosmetics arm of the Givenchy house within LVMH.

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• 1979Sell the perfume business to Institut de Développement IndustrielM&A

  After its early period under the Givenchy family, the perfume business changed ownership as the French luxury and consumer-goods sectors evolved.

  What changed. Parfums Givenchy was sold to France's Institut de Développement Industriel.

  Aftermath. The business later entered the LVMH group during the late 1980s.

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• 1957Create a dedicated Givenchy perfume businessProduct launch

  Hubert de Givenchy sought to extend the couture house's identity into fragrance and beauty.

  What changed. He established Les Parfums Givenchy and introduced early fragrances including L'Interdit and Le De.

  Aftermath. The perfume business became a major part of the Givenchy brand and later supported dedicated French manufacturing.

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• 2020Irresistible Givenchy introduced

  Irresistible Givenchy became a newer addition to the women's fragrance portfolio and followed the earlier Very Irresistible franchise.

  Product launch
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• 2020Irresistible Givenchy launched

  Givenchy introduced Irresistible Givenchy as a women’s fragrance with a fruity-floral and woody character, supported by a campaign featuring model Fran Summers.

  Product launchCampaign
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• 2019Givenchy opens a beauty suite at the Cannes Film Festival

  A temporary Givenchy beauty suite offered festival visitors makeovers ahead of red-carpet premieres, supporting the revitalization and visibility of the cosmetics line.

  Campaign
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• 2018L'Interdit fragrance franchise relaunched

  Givenchy revived the historic L'Interdit name with a contemporary fragrance launch, extending one of the company's earliest and most recognizable perfume identities.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 2000Pablo Reinoso appointed artistic director of Parfums Givenchy

  The appointment was part of an effort to contribute to the renewal of the Givenchy brand and its perfume business.

  Leadership change
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• 1988LVMH ownership consolidates Parfums Givenchy within the luxury group

  Parfums Givenchy became a subsidiary of LVMH during the late-1980s consolidation of the Givenchy luxury businesses. Reference material associates the transition with 1987 and 1988.

  M&A
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1. Parfums Givenchy
2. Irresistible Givenchy launched