Saigon by Babani (1920)

Saigon by Babani, launched in 1920, carried the subtitle Parfum Chinois—“Chinese perfume”—a phrase that immediately situates the fragrance within the imaginative geography of the early 20th century. The choice of the name Saigon was deliberate and evocative rather than precise. Saigon, located in southern Vietnam, was at the time one of the most glamorous ports of French Indochina, a colonial federation that included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. To European audiences, Saigon symbolized the Far East as a whole: a crossroads of trade, ritual, sensuality, and mystery. Although geographically Vietnamese rather than Chinese, the Western imagination frequently blurred Asian cultures together, which explains why Babani felt comfortable labeling the perfume Parfum Chinois. The subtitle spoke less to ethnographic accuracy than to fantasy—an imagined “ancient China” of temples, incense, silk, and aristocratic refinement.

The word Saigon itself comes from Vietnamese, commonly interpreted as deriving from “Sài Gòn,” likely meaning “forest of kapok trees” or “cotton trees,” although its exact linguistic roots are debated. Pronounced in layman's terms as “sigh-GON”, the name would have sounded musical, exotic, and urbane to Western ears. In the 1920s, Saigon evoked images of lacquered screens, brocade robes, shadowy temples perfumed with smoke, moonlit gardens heavy with blossoms, and a languid, humid atmosphere steeped in sensuality and ritual. Emotionally, it suggested opulence, secrecy, and cultivated elegance—qualities highly prized in luxury perfumery of the period.

Babani's own promotional language reinforces this fantasy world. The perfume is described as “the perfume of oldest China, of aristocracy centuries proud, of love sacred as life,” framing it as something ceremonial and almost spiritual rather than merely decorative. The references to brocade, temples, and incense burners reflect the era's fascination with Orientalism, a cultural lens through which Asia was romanticized as ancient, mystical, and timeless. Saigon was presented not simply as a personal fragrance, but as an atmosphere—something that could permeate a room, transform a mood, and suggest “occasions of real magnificence.” The mention of use in a perfume burner further aligns it with ritual incense traditions rather than conventional Western toilette perfumes.

The perfume emerged during the immediate post–World War I period, a moment marked by both trauma and exuberance. The early 1920s—often called the Jazz Age or part of the broader Art Deco era—were defined by a hunger for novelty, luxury, and escape. Fashion favored fluid silhouettes, exotic embellishment, rich textiles, and influences drawn from Asia, Egypt, and the Near East. In perfumery, this translated into bold, resinous, and highly stylized compositions: heavy orientals, animalic bases, and richly spiced florals that contrasted sharply with the lighter eaux of the previous century. Saigon fits squarely within this cultural moment, offering drama and sensual depth rather than restraint.

Women of the time would likely have related to a perfume called Saigon as a symbol of sophistication and worldly imagination. Wearing such a scent suggested cosmopolitan taste, artistic daring, and participation in modern luxury culture. For women navigating new freedoms—shorter skirts, looser social conventions, and greater independence—a fragrance like Saigon offered a way to express mystery and power, cloaked in romance and distance. The name alone promised transformation: to wear Saigon was to step into an imagined elsewhere, far removed from the familiar.

Interpreted olfactorily, Saigon as a “very heavy oriental odor” would have been rich, enveloping, and long-lasting. While specific sourcing records are scarce, flowers and materials associated with Vietnam and the surrounding region that were known to perfumers at the time included ylang-ylang, jasmine, frangipani (plumeria), lotus, and possibly champaca—all lush, narcotic blossoms well suited to oriental compositions. These florals would have been supported by resins, balsams, spices, and incense notes to achieve the “penetrating perfume” and temple-like atmosphere described in Babani's advertising.

In the context of other fragrances on the market, Saigon was not entirely alone but was very much aligned with leading trends. Houses such as Guerlain, Coty, and others were simultaneously exploring oriental fantasies and exotic narratives. However, Babani's emphasis on ceremonial use, extreme richness, and explicit temple imagery suggests that Saigon leaned toward the more intense and atmospheric end of the spectrum. Rather than merely fashionable, it positioned itself as a statement fragrance—one that embodied the era's obsession with the exotic and transformed it into an experience of grandeur, mystery, and cultivated elegance.

c1921 ad

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as a very heavy oriental fragrance for women.

• Top notes: neroli, orange blossom, lotus, frangipani, lavender
• Middle notes: ylang ylang, jasmine, tuberose, geranium, rose, champaca, cinnamon, clove, orris
• Base notes: patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, olibanum, tolu balsam, musk, musk ambrette, civet, ambergris, vanilla, Siam benzoin,  sandalwood, tonka bean

Scent Profile:

Saigon opens like a threshold crossed at twilight, where floral opulence and ritual smoke already hang in the air. Neroli appears first—luminous, green-white, and faintly bitter—its brightness cutting through the heaviness to give lift and clarity. Distilled from orange blossoms, it smells both fresh and gently honeyed, a floral light filtered through citrus peel. Orange blossom deepens this impression, waxier and more voluptuous, its sweetness edged with indole, suggesting petals warmed by humid night air. 

Lotus drifts in next, sheer and aqueous, evoking temple ponds and still water; Unlike Western florals, it is quiet and contemplative, lending a spiritual calm. Frangipani, associated with tropical Southeast Asia, brings a creamy, solar richness—milky, almond-tinged, and languid—while lavender, aromatic and slightly camphoraceous, adds an unexpected coolness that steadies the opening, preventing the florals from becoming cloying.

As the fragrance moves inward, the heart grows dense, narcotic, and richly spiced. Ylang-ylang, prized from tropical regions for its intensity, unfurls with buttery, banana-like creaminess and a subtle leathery undertone, amplifying sensuality. Jasmine follows—indolic, warm, and alive—suggesting blossoms at their most potent after dark. Tuberose rises with unmistakable force: creamy, heady, and almost intoxicating, its white floral heat pressing close to the skin. 

Geranium and rose weave through this richness, adding rosiness with green, slightly peppery facets that bring structure and elegance. Champaca, revered in Asian perfumery, bridges flower and wood with its fruity, tea-like, slightly smoky floral tone, lending depth unlike European magnolia. Spices bloom beneath the petals: cinnamon glows warm and sweetly woody, while clove adds dry heat and faint medicinal sharpness. Orris, buttery and powder-soft, smooths the composition, introducing an aristocratic, cosmetic finish that tempers the florals' intensity.

The base of Saigon is where the perfume becomes truly “very heavy oriental,” sinking into shadow, warmth, and animalic glow. Patchouli spreads dark, earthy richness, damp and resinous, grounding the florals in soil and skin. Vetiver adds smoky dryness, rooty and austere, sharpening the composition's backbone. Frankincense (olibanum) rises in pale smoke—lemony, resinous, and sacred—recalling temple rituals and incense burners, while tolu balsam melts in with syrupy warmth, blending notes of vanilla, resin, and spice. 

Vanilla, creamy and enveloping, is deepened by natural resins and enhanced by the perfume's fixatives, ensuring its sweetness lingers rather than evaporates. Siam benzoin, from Southeast Asia, contributes a balsamic, caramel-vanilla glow, smoother and warmer than other benzoins, perfectly suited to an oriental structure. Sandalwood lends creamy, milky woodiness, soft yet persistent, while tonka bean adds almondy sweetness and coumarinic warmth, suggesting hay and vanilla together.

Animalic and musky elements emerge last, binding the composition to the body. Musk provides a soft, skin-like warmth, while musk ambrette, a botanical musk once prized for its sensual diffusion, adds a slightly fruity, powdery sweetness. Civet, used with restraint, introduces a faintly animal pulse—intimate, warm, and alive—transforming florals into something human and magnetic. 

Ambergris contributes its unmistakable mineral-saline glow, expanding the perfume's radiance and longevity, making the scent hover and breathe. Together, these materials create an enveloping oriental tapestry in which lush tropical florals are darkened by spice, smoke, resin, and animal warmth. Saigon does not unfold politely; it surrounds, saturates, and lingers, evoking a world of incense-filled temples, humid nights, and ceremonial magnificence—an atmosphere as much as a perfume.

Personal Perfumes:

Babani encouraged women to treat perfume as a personal, creative expression rather than a fixed signature, advising them to blend his fragrances to compose something uniquely their own. Saigon, with its dense florals, incense, and animalic depth, was positioned as a powerful anchor—one that could be softened, sharpened, or deepened through thoughtful pairing. When blended with Fleurs d'Annam, its heavy oriental richness would be illuminated by youthful, garden-like florals, transforming ritualistic depth into something more diaphanous and sensual. 

Combined with Chypre, Saigon's opulence would be disciplined by mossy, resinous structure, lending clarity, sophistication, and modern elegance. Babani also suggested layering Saigon with alternate expressions of itself—Saigon Ambre or Saigon Afghani—to intensify its resinous warmth or amplify its darker, spiced character. This approach to layering reflected Babani's refined understanding of fragrance as an evolving art form, empowering women to tailor scent to mood, attire, and occasion long before personalized perfumery became commonplace.

Bottles:

Saigon was contained in various flags over the years. Its most luxurious was the de luxe flacon made up of opaque cobalt blue glass, accented with gold enameling. This gorgeous bottle was designed by Julien Viard. It stands 9 cm tall, is marked "Saigon Babani Paris" on base along with "Marque Depose".

Other bottles included the following:

• Series 31 - the "Boule," a frosted glass ball or melon shaped flacon with frosted rose stopper.
• Series 30 - the "Plat," a flat colorless glass flacon fitted with a flat, frosted glass stopper molded with flowers.
• Series 42 - In this Far Eastern bottle, a choice of the following two perfumes: Ambre de Delhi and Saigon

The Plat & the Boule bottles were stock bottles used by Babani to contain their other perfumes.

No. 1003. Our twelve extracts in an elegant gold box.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.