Henri Robert

Henri Robert (1899-1987) was a French perfumer whose work, at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, left its mark on major houses such as **Coty**, and above all **Chanel**, where he succeeded Ernest Beaux. The son of a perfumer, he made his debut at Coty between the wars, where he created several fragrances, including **Muguet des Bois** (1936), a luminous, natural tribute to the spring flower that has become a classic of the floral genre. But it was at Chanel, from 1954 onwards, that he truly made history. He took up the legacy left by Beaux, creator of N°5, with respect and elegance, while infusing his own signature. In 1955, he created **Pour Monsieur**, Chanel's first men's fragrance: an elegant, distinguished and discreet chypre that has become a benchmark. Then in 1970, he created **N°19**, a daring, green and powdery fragrance, carried by iris and galbanum - a tribute to Gabrielle Chanel's date of birth (August 19th), but also a fragrance of character, independent and structured, in the image of his muse. Henri Robert worked with extreme precision, preferring sobriety to effect, structure to bluster. Discreet and methodical, he embodied a craft perfumery that was demanding, in tune with the times but faithful to its principles. With him goes a certain idea of the in-house perfumer, creator, chemist and confidant all rolled into one. His work, though not abundant, remains of great finesse and has stood the test of time with a rare elegance.