Parfums D'Heraud

Established in 1920, D'Heraud was a Parisian perfume house founded by Delphin Héraud and located at 3 Rue de la Sablière in Courbevoie, in the Seine department near Paris. The firm specialized in the production of perfumes, cosmetics, toiletries, and scented beauty products during a period when French perfumery was enjoying unprecedented international prestige. Although D'Heraud was not among the largest fragrance manufacturers of its era, it distinguished itself through refined compositions and exceptionally luxurious presentations that reflected the elegance and artistic spirit of the French luxury industry during the 1920s and 1930s.

One of the most remarkable aspects of D'Heraud's history was its collaboration with some of the finest decorative artists and glassmakers of the period. The company commissioned presentations from renowned designer Lucien Gaillard, whose jewelry and decorative arts were celebrated throughout Europe, as well as from the legendary glass artist René Lalique. These collaborations elevated D'Heraud's perfumes beyond simple fragrances and transformed them into objets d'art sought after by collectors. Such partnerships demonstrate the company's commitment to luxury and place it among the many French perfume houses that recognized the importance of artistic packaging as an extension of the fragrance itself.

Among D'Heraud's most famous creations was La Phalène, introduced in 1919. The perfume is especially remembered for its exquisite butterfly-themed bottle created by René Lalique. The name "Phalène," referring to a moth or nocturnal butterfly, was beautifully interpreted by Lalique in a sculptural design that captured the delicate elegance of the insect. Today, original bottles of La Phalène are highly prized by collectors of Lalique glass and vintage perfumery, representing one of the most beautiful examples of the marriage between fragrance and decorative art in the early twentieth century.

The house's earliest offerings reflected the popularity of single-flower and botanical fragrances that dominated French perfumery during the years immediately following World War I. In 1921 alone, D'Heraud issued a remarkable series of floral perfumes including La Violette, Rose, Jasmin, Le Lilas, Muguet, and L'Oeillet, each celebrating the scent of a specific flower. The company also produced Ambre, Origan, and Chypre, demonstrating its ability to create both floral and more complex oriental and chypre compositions. These fragrances were intended to provide consumers with a broad palette of scents suitable for different moods, seasons, and occasions.

D'Heraud expanded its portfolio throughout the early 1920s with perfumes such as Prairies en Fleurs and Semis des Fleurs, romantic names evoking blooming meadows and flower gardens. In 1922, the firm introduced Marjolaine, Jacinthe, and the intriguingly named Vampire, which likely capitalized on the public fascination with mystery, exoticism, and the supernatural that was fashionable during the era. The following year saw the release of Guirlandes de Perles, Palerme, and Cologne Violette, each reflecting different inspirations ranging from elegant jewelry motifs to Mediterranean influences and traditional violet-scented colognes.

The house continued creating perfumes into the late 1920s and early 1930s. Notable later releases included Izeil in 1925 and Mona Lisa in 1930, a fragrance whose name undoubtedly drew inspiration from the famous Renaissance masterpiece and its enduring aura of mystery and sophistication. Alongside these perfumes, D'Heraud also marketed an Eau de Cologne and a fragrance bearing the company's own name, emphasizing both traditional perfumery and branded identity.

Although D'Heraud ultimately disappeared from the perfume marketplace, the house remains remembered for its elegant fragrances, artistic collaborations, and particularly for the magnificent Lalique bottle created for La Phalène. Today, surviving perfume bottles, advertisements, and presentations serve as reminders of a refined French perfume house that embraced both olfactory artistry and exceptional decorative design during the golden age of perfumery.

The perfumes of D'Heraud:

• 1919 La Phalene
• 1920 D'Heraud
• 1920 Eau de Cologne
• 1920 Heliotrope
• 1921 Les Feuillages
• 1921 La Violette
• 1921 Origan
• 1921 L'Oeillet
• 1921 Rose
• 1921 Jasmin
• 1921 Le Lilas
• 1921 Muguet
• 1921 Ambre
• 1921 Prairies en Fleurs
• 1921 Semis des Fleurs
• 1921 Chypre
• 1922 Marjolaine
• 1922 Vampire
• 1922 Jacinthe
• 1923 Guirlandes de Perles
• 1923 Palerme
• 1923 Cologne Violette
• 1925 Izeil
• 1930 Mona Lisa