Miahati Perfumes

Miahati Inc. was a New York perfume company active primarily during the 1940s, headquartered at 377 Fourth Avenue, New York City. Before the corporation existed, the business was operated as a partnership under the name Oceanic Import Co. by Andrew Apicella and Rose Vivaudou. That partnership was already active by at least 1940 and was engaged in manufacturing, compounding, and selling perfumes. In 1940, Apicella and Vivaudou formally organized Miahati Inc., after which the perfume business was conducted under the corporate name rather than solely as Oceanic Import Co. During this early period, the company sold perfumes under several brand names including Soul of Flowers, Honolulu, Waikiki, and Pikaki.

By sometime in 1941, the transition from the Oceanic Import Co. partnership to the corporation appears to have been completed, although Andrew Apicella still continued certain activities under the Oceanic Import Co. name for a time. In 1943, a major ownership change occurred when Andrew Apicella purchased Rose Vivaudou’s entire interest in both Miahati Inc. and the former partnership business. From that point onward, Apicella became the sole owner and president of Miahati Inc., controlling the company entirely himself.

The company’s business extended beyond domestic perfume sales. Prior to December 21, 1944, Miahati Inc. and Andrew Apicella sold substantial quantities of perfume to Abbot Manufacturing Co. Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 551 Fifth Avenue, New York. Abbot Manufacturing then exported these perfumes — still bearing the original Miahati and Oceanic Import Co. brand names — to South America and other foreign markets. This indicates that Miahati perfumes had an international export presence during the mid-1940s. However, after December 21, 1944, Abbot Manufacturing ceased purchasing Miahati products and reportedly left the perfume business altogether.

image enhanced and colorized by Grace Hummel/Cleopatra's Boudoir.

The Name:

Miahati’s advertising mythology was carefully crafted to surround the perfume line with an aura of tropical romance, mystery and fantasy. Promotional material claimed that “Miahati” was derived from “a legend of ancient Polynesian origin,” describing Miahati as a “princess-goddess, spirit of all the flowers and the soul of the night blooming blossoms.” This imagery was designed to evoke moonlit Hawaiian gardens heavy with exotic perfume, connecting the fragrances emotionally to ideas of sensuality, paradise and nocturnal tropical beauty. The wording is highly poetic and reflects the style of late-1930s perfume advertising, when companies often invented elaborate romantic backstories to make fragrances feel more alluring and transportive.

However, there is no clear evidence that Miahati was an authentic figure from traditional Polynesian, Hawaiian or broader Oceanic mythology. The name does not appear in documented Hawaiian legends, Polynesian religious traditions, or recognized folklore sources. It was most likely a wholly invented marketing creation developed by Oceanic Import Co. specifically for the perfume line. During the 1930s and 1940s, many American perfume and cosmetic companies borrowed vaguely “exotic” names and fabricated legends inspired by romanticized notions of the South Seas. Hawaii in particular had become enormously fashionable in American popular culture following the rise of tourism, Hollywood films, Hawaiian music crazes and travel advertising. Companies frequently blended fragments of Polynesian imagery, floral symbolism and fantasy storytelling into entirely fictional narratives intended to make products feel luxurious and escapist.

The phrase “spirit of all the flowers and the soul of the night blooming blossoms” was especially effective because it connected the perfume directly to flowers associated with tropical evenings — jasmine-like pikake, orange blossom, honeysuckle and ylang ylang — all blossoms known for becoming more fragrant after sunset. Night-blooming flowers have long carried associations with romance, seduction and mystery in perfumery because their richest scent often emerges in warm evening air. By personifying these flowers as a mythical princess-goddess, Miahati’s advertising transformed the perfume from a mere cosmetic product into something almost mystical and ceremonial.

The concept also reflects broader Art Deco and prewar advertising aesthetics, which often romanticized women as exotic priestesses, goddesses or mysterious tropical heroines. Perfume advertisements of the era frequently relied on fantasy rather than historical authenticity. Consumers were not necessarily expected to verify such legends; instead, the invented mythology functioned as atmospheric storytelling, much like the fictional oriental palaces, enchanted gardens and royal courts often depicted in fragrance advertising of the time.

So while the legend itself was almost certainly fictional rather than a genuine ancient Polynesian myth, it successfully conveyed the mood Miahati wanted to project: lush tropical flowers blooming after dark, feminine mystery, warm island nights and the dream of an exotic paradise translated into perfume form.

False Advertising:

By the mid-1940s, the romantic tropical mythology that had helped make Miahati distinctive became the source of serious legal trouble. In 1946, the Federal Trade Commission ruled against Andrew Apicella and his associated New York businesses — including Miahati, Inc. and Oceanic Import Co. — after determining that the company’s advertising falsely implied that its perfumes originated in Hawaii or were made from Hawaiian-grown floral materials. The FTC investigation concluded that the perfumes were actually manufactured and compounded entirely in New York City, despite years of promotional language suggesting exotic Hawaiian origins, tropical gardens, and rare island flowers harvested from the so-called “Gardens of Miahati.”

The Commission specifically objected to advertisements describing the perfumes as coming from Hawaii or being made from flowers, oils and essences gathered from the “gardens of Miahati,” because investigators discovered that no such gardens actually existed. The “Gardens of Miahati” had essentially been a fabricated advertising fantasy — a fictional paradise created to support the brand’s Polynesian identity. The FTC also challenged implications that the perfumes were manufactured or compounded in the Territory of Hawaii, or even made in the continental United States from imported Hawaiian floral ingredients. In reality, the perfumes were produced in Manhattan using conventional American perfume manufacturing methods.

The ruling reflected a broader crackdown during the 1940s on deceptive advertising practices in the cosmetic and perfume industries. During the interwar years, many fragrance companies relied heavily upon invented exotic legends, fictional origins and romanticized foreign imagery to sell products. Miahati’s advertising had gone further than many competitors by creating an entire Hawaiian mythology around its perfumes, complete with the invented “princess-goddess” Miahati, supposedly legendary tropical gardens, and perfume names tied directly to Hawaiian locations and flowers. The FTC concluded that consumers could reasonably interpret these claims as factual rather than purely decorative fantasy.

As part of the cease-and-desist order, the FTC directed the company to stop using advertising suggesting Hawaiian manufacture or Hawaiian botanical origins unless such claims could be clearly substantiated. Particularly significant was the agency’s restriction on the use of Hawaiian names such as “Pikaki” and “Waikiki” as perfume brand names without explicitly stating that the products were made in the United States. The Commission believed that the use of Hawaiian terminology itself could mislead consumers into assuming Hawaiian origin. This was important because, at the time, Hawaii was still a U.S. territory rather than a state, and its exotic distance held enormous commercial appeal in mainland American marketing.

The ruling appears to have had serious commercial consequences for the company. Contemporary reports suggest that stores carrying the Miahati line marked down existing inventory at substantial discounts — often reportedly half price — in order to clear products affected by the FTC decision. Packaging and advertising materials built around Hawaiian imagery suddenly became problematic liabilities rather than selling points. The company likely had to redesign labels, advertising copy and possibly even perfume names to comply with federal regulations..

Ironically, the FTC ruling came only thirteen years before Hawaii officially became the 50th U.S. state in 1959. After statehood, Hawaiian imagery became even more mainstream in American advertising, though by then stricter truth-in-advertising standards were already firmly established. Miahati’s case remains an intriguing example of how fantasy and escapism in perfume advertising could eventually collide with federal regulation. The company had built its entire identity around an imagined tropical paradise — jeweled bottles, mythical flower goddesses, exotic blossoms and moonlit Hawaiian gardens — but the FTC ultimately insisted that fantasy could not be presented in a way that consumers might mistake for geographic fact.

 

Bottles & Packaging:

Miahati distinguished itself in the late 1930s perfume market not through luxury pricing or Parisian pedigree, but through fantasy, presentation and an unusually theatrical interpretation of Hawaii. Introduced in 1939 by the Oceanic Import Co. of New York, the line appeared during a period when Americans had become captivated by Hawaiian culture, tropical tourism and South Pacific imagery. Hollywood films, Hawaiian music and travel advertising had transformed the islands into symbols of romance, escape and exotic beauty, and Miahati translated this fascination directly into perfume form. The company marketed not only fragrances, but an entire atmosphere of moonlit gardens, tropical flowers and jeweled island glamour.

What made the line especially memorable was its packaging. Contemporary descriptions repeatedly emphasized the striking bottles, which were unlike the conventional glass flacons dominating perfume counters at the time. Miahati perfumes were housed in softly tinted translucent plastic containers made from a “new transparent hand-carved material,” with floral motifs seemingly suspended between double walls. The effect must have resembled glowing carved gemstones when illuminated on a dressing table. Each fragrance was identified by its own jewel tone: Honolulu appeared in amber, Soul of Flowers in sapphire blue, Waikiki in ruby red and Pikaki in amethyst purple. The bottles were described as so decorative and unusual that they remained desirable long after the perfume itself had been used, functioning almost as vanity ornaments or decorative art objects.

The packaging was further enhanced by presentation cases made in the form of tall wooden cylinders crafted from native maple. These cylindrical cases reinforced the illusion of handcrafted tropical luxury and gave the perfumes strong gift appeal. Even though the perfumes themselves were relatively inexpensive — a quarter-ounce bottle sold for $3.50 — the elaborate presentation made them appear glamorous and exotic. Miahati cleverly combined affordable pricing with visually dramatic packaging, allowing consumers to purchase a small fantasy of Hawaii during the waning Depression years and the uncertain years surrounding World War II.

Advertising language surrounding the perfumes leaned heavily into escapist mythology. Promotional copy described the fragrances as originating from the “famous Miahati gardens in Hawaii,” supposedly filled with tropical blossoms such as pikake jasmine, orange blossoms, honeysuckle, hibiscus and ylang ylang. Whether real or imagined, these gardens served as a romantic backdrop that transformed the perfumes into symbolic souvenirs of paradise. The descriptions emphasized humid night air, lush flowering vines and exotic blossoms opening after sunset. This imagery aligned perfectly with the era’s fascination with tropical sensuality and distant travel.

The fragrances themselves were positioned as concentrated, lasting perfumes rather than fleeting toilet waters. Soul of Flowers was described as a rich floral blend intended to evoke tropical blossoms in bloom, while Honolulu was characterized as a drier, tangier composition built around tropical woods. Waikiki and Pikaki likely continued the floral-island theme, with Pikaki referencing Hawaiian jasmine, one of the islands’ most iconic and romantic flowers. Together, the four perfumes formed a coordinated collection unified by color, fantasy and atmosphere rather than by traditional European perfumery conventions.

Even after the Federal Trade Commission challenged Miahati’s Hawaiian advertising claims in 1946, the company continued emphasizing decorative novelty. That same year Miahati released a line of compacts featuring hand-carved floral designs in transparent plastics, extending the visual language of the perfume bottles into cosmetics and accessories. This suggests that the company understood its true appeal lay as much in its aesthetic presentation as in the fragrances themselves. Miahati occupied a distinctive place in American perfume history: a line that blended affordable fragrance, Art Deco-inspired decorative design and romantic tropical fantasy into a cohesive commercial identity aimed squarely at consumers dreaming of glamour, escape and the imagined paradise of Hawaii.

Fragrance List:

• 1939 Miahati
• 1939 Honolulu (a dry, tantalizing blend of exotic woods and amber)
• 1939 Ka Lani Keia ("This is Heaven')
• 1939 Soul of the Flowers (a floral medley of tropical flowers, honeysuckle, hibiscus, jasmine, orange blossom)
• 1939 Pikaki (a spicy blend of hyacinth, carnation and wild jasmine)
• 1939 Waikiki (a heady, oriental bouquet with top notes of rose and jasmine)
• 1940 Cherry Blossom
• 1941 Old Mission
• 1941 Old Mission - Crocus
• 1941 Old Mission - Rosemary
• 1941 Old Mission - Verbena
• 1941 Ye Olde Wishing Well
• 1942 El Morocco
• 1944 Blue Fox (an heady spicy floral oriental, a patchouli note is combined with carnation, jasmine, rose, and rich amber notes)
• 1944 Audacious (a crisp aldehydic fruity floral perfume)
• 1944 Downing Street (for men)
• 1945 Jaunty (a light, aldehydic floral perfume)
• 1946 Na Ahiahi ("The Evenings")
• 1947 Emotion
• 1947 Narcissus
• 1947 Lily of the Valley (Muguet)
• 1947 Freesia
• 1947 Carnation
• 1947 Violette
• 1947 Mimosa
• 1950 Tarantella
• 1950 Tomorrow
• 1950 My Fancy (a soft aldehydic fresh floral bouquet perfume of jasmine and roses)
• 1957 Four Moods (presentation of four fragrances)

Miahati’s fragrance catalog reveals the evolution of a distinctly American perfume house that moved from tropical fantasy and Hawaiian escapism in the late 1930s toward more conventional mid-century floral and aldehydic styles after World War II. The company’s earliest perfumes, introduced in 1939, were heavily rooted in Polynesian imagery and exotic romanticism, reflecting the enormous American fascination with Hawaii during the period. These fragrances were marketed less as sophisticated French-style compositions and more as atmospheric evocations of moonlit gardens, tropical blossoms and island luxury.

The original 1939 lineup established this identity immediately. Miahati itself appears to have served as the signature fragrance of the house, likely embodying the lush floral-tropical identity suggested by the company’s invented Hawaiian mythology. Honolulu was described as “a dry, tantalizing blend of exotic woods and amber,” indicating a warmer and more unusual style than the overt florals dominating many American perfumes of the era. Rather than emphasizing sweetness, Honolulu seems to have leaned into woody dryness and smoky amber warmth, perhaps intended to evoke tropical forests, polished wood and warm island nights. Ka Lani Keia, translated as “This is Heaven,” further reinforced the company’s romanticized Hawaiian identity through its very name, transforming the perfume into an imagined sensory escape to paradise.

Soul of the Flowers represented the company’s lush tropical floral bouquet, blending honeysuckle, hibiscus, jasmine and orange blossom into a fantasy accord intended to suggest overflowing island gardens in bloom. Pikaki drew inspiration from Hawaiian jasmine leis but added an unexpectedly spicy character through hyacinth and carnation, likely creating a richer and more velvety floral effect than a simple jasmine soliflore. Waikiki was marketed as a “heady oriental bouquet” built around rose and jasmine, suggesting a deeper, more sensual composition with warm oriental undertones rather than a straightforward floral perfume. Together, these first fragrances formed a carefully coordinated collection built around exoticism, atmosphere and decorative presentation.

By 1940 and 1941, the line began broadening stylistically beyond strictly Hawaiian themes. Cherry Blossom introduced a softer floral direction inspired by delicate spring blossoms rather than tropical sensuality. The Old Mission series — including Crocus, Rosemary and Verbena variations — suggests a shift toward nostalgic, pastoral and herbal inspirations. The “Old Mission” name likely referenced romanticized Spanish missions of California or the American Southwest, themes popular in decorative arts and home fragrance marketing during the period. Verbena and rosemary in particular suggest fresher aromatic profiles, perhaps intended to appeal to consumers seeking cleaner daytime scents during wartime austerity. Ye Olde Wishing Well continued this turn toward sentimental Americana and romantic nostalgia.

The wartime and immediate postwar period brought more sophisticated and cosmopolitan fragrances. El Morocco, introduced in 1942, almost certainly drew upon nightclub glamour and orientalist imagery inspired by the famous New York nightclub of the same name. Blue Fox from 1944 appears to have been among Miahati’s richest and most ambitious creations: a spicy floral oriental combining patchouli, carnation, jasmine, rose and amber. The name itself evokes luxury fur stoles and wartime elegance, while the fragrance structure suggests a darker, fuller-bodied perfume aligned with contemporary glamour fragrances of the era.

That same year, Audacious introduced a crisp aldehydic fruity floral style, reflecting the increasing influence of French-inspired aldehydic perfumes in American perfumery. Jaunty, launched in 1945, was described as a light aldehydic floral, indicating a more playful and modern interpretation of this fashionable genre. These perfumes suggest that Miahati was attempting to move beyond its novelty-tropical origins into more mainstream mid-century perfume trends. Downing Street, released in 1944 for men, indicates the company’s attempt to expand into masculine grooming products, likely emphasizing aromatic woods, herbs and tobacco-inspired notes popular in men’s fragrances during the wartime period.

After the FTC’s 1946 ruling against the company’s Hawaiian advertising claims, the perfume names became noticeably less overtly tropical, though traces of Polynesian romanticism remained. Na Ahiahi (“The Evenings”) retained a Hawaiian linguistic reference while shifting toward a mood-oriented concept rather than a direct geographic fantasy. The late 1940s releases — Emotion, Narcissus, Lily of the Valley, Freesia, Carnation, Violette and Mimosa — reflect a move toward traditional floral soliflores and classic feminine perfume naming conventions common in postwar American perfumery. These fragrances were likely lighter, cleaner and more commercially conservative than the dramatic tropical fantasies of the late 1930s.

The 1950s fragrances continued this transition into modern mid-century elegance. Tarantella likely drew inspiration from Italian dance and Mediterranean imagery, while Tomorrow suggests the optimistic futurism popular in postwar advertising. My Fancy, introduced in 1950, was described as a soft aldehydic fresh floral bouquet of jasmine and roses. Its style appears much closer to contemporary French-influenced department store perfumes than the theatrical tropical perfumes that launched the company. Interestingly, My Fancy may possibly represent a reformulation or renaming of the earlier Waikiki following the FTC restrictions, as both appear to occupy a lush feminine floral category emphasizing rose and jasmine.

By 1957, Miahati released Four Moods, a presentation set containing four separate fragrances:My Fancy, Blue Fox, Audacious and Jaunty. This concept reflected growing mid-century marketing trends emphasizing wardrobe perfumery — the idea that women should select fragrances according to mood, time of day or occasion. The set suggests that Miahati was attempting to modernize its image and remain relevant in a rapidly changing postwar perfume market increasingly dominated by large international houses and sleek contemporary branding.

Taken as a whole, Miahati’s fragrance list traces a fascinating arc through American perfume history: beginning with Depression-era fantasies of Hawaii and tropical paradise, evolving through wartime glamour and aldehydic sophistication, and finally settling into the polished floral conventions of 1950s American perfumery.