Launched in 1937, Infanta by Prince Matchabelli joined a lineage of fragrances that evoked nobility, elegance, and feminine strength. The choice of name—Infanta, pronounced in-FAHN-tah—was consistent with Matchabelli’s fondness for aristocratic titles. He had already embraced names like Princess, Duchess, and Queen of Georgia for earlier creations, aligning his fragrances with romantic ideals of royal grandeur. The word "Infanta" comes from Spanish, used historically to designate a daughter of the Spanish or Portuguese monarch who was not heir to the throne. It’s a term rich in historical and cultural resonance, conjuring images of courts, fans, lace, silks, and the languid grace of royal daughters cloistered behind palace walls.
Infanta is believed to have been inspired by Maria Theresa of Spain, the daughter of King Philip IV and Elisabeth of France, who later became Queen of France and Navarre as the wife of Louis XIV. Her life, often marked by tragedy and sacrifice, was emblematic of duty, piety, and quiet suffering amid the splendor of court life. Though she bore the title of queen, she was overshadowed by the king’s mistresses and the political intrigue of the time. This story of nobility tinged with melancholy may well have informed the emotional landscape of Infanta, a fragrance described as "sultry, smoky, and mysterious"—as if it, too, carried the weight of silk skirts sweeping across cold marble floors in the shadow of Versailles.
The fragrance itself was a heavy, sweet, spicy floral oriental, with a dry, dusty, smoky base—an atmospheric and emotionally evocative scent profile. Advertising described it as “tantalizing” and suggested it conjured visions of “grilled balconies, Spanish grandees, fans and flashing blades”—a romanticized vision of Baroque Spain at the height of its imperial power. The aroma of Spanish grapes, carnations, and garden spices would have been enveloped in a warm, resinous cloud of smoke, leather, and amber, capturing a sense of both sensuality and faded opulence.
