Parfums Franka M. Berger was founded with a clear vocation: to create new ways of wearing perfume, exploring fragrance not just as a scent but as an experience. Berger’s approach emphasized experimentation and innovation, deliberately stepping beyond traditional applications and conventional olfactory structures. Her goal was to market innovations only, challenging the norms of how perfumes are perceived and enjoyed. Each creation was intended to push boundaries, offering a modern perspective on femininity, sensuality, and the art of scent.
The fragrances debuted with an air of exclusivity, first launched at I. Magnin for an initial two-month period. This carefully curated introduction allowed select clientele to experience the perfumes in a controlled, prestigious environment before broader release. Following this exclusive debut, the fragrances rolled out to a total of 150 select retail doors, ensuring that the products maintained an aura of sophistication and desirability. By limiting distribution to these high-profile locations, Berger reinforced the sense of luxury and exclusivity that was central to her brand philosophy, making each encounter with the fragrance a carefully crafted, memorable experience.
Davana (1985): Modern and Feminine
Davana is a floral fragrance that embodies modern femininity. Named after the davana herb, which grows at the base of the jasmine plant, it is luminous and delicate, yet striking in its character. Jasmine dominates the composition, contributing its familiar radiant, slightly indolic floral richness, while the davana herb adds a green, slightly fruity, and subtly herbal nuance that brightens and modernizes the bouquet. Cananga, a subtle companion note in Davana, introduces an oriental, spicy-amber undertone, adding warmth, depth, and a whisper of sensuality without overwhelming the floral heart. The result is a fragrance that feels contemporary and feminine, sophisticated yet accessible, designed to reflect both elegance and individuality.
Cananga (1985): Deep, Oriental, and Sensual
By contrast, Cananga is a deeply sensual, oriental fragrance, built around the eponymous flowering tree. This perfume leans into a more spicy-amber profile, creating richness, warmth, and a pronounced sensuality. Its oriental character is supported by the inherent creaminess and floral complexity of cananga, a relative of ylang-ylang, known for its intoxicating, slightly balsamic and floral aroma. The fragrance unfolds slowly, revealing layers of depth and sophistication that speak to a confident, modern woman unafraid to embrace her sensuality.
Together, Davana and Cananga illustrate Berger’s philosophy of opposites that complement one another. While Davana radiates modern, light, and feminine floral elegance, Cananga envelops the wearer in deep, sensual oriental warmth. Both can be worn in traditional ways—applied to pulse points—but they also encourage experimentation, reflecting Berger’s vision of perfume as a creative, transformative experience. Each fragrance embodies her commitment to innovation, offering the wearer not just a scent, but a new way to inhabit and express fragrance.
Innovative Packaging:
The primary packaging of Parfums Franka M. Berger’s fragrances was designed by Alain de Mourgues, a renowned designer whose prior work included collaborations with Versace and the creation of Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris and Kouros bottles. His vision for Berger’s perfumes resulted in pear-shaped, frosted crystal vials, elegant in form and tactile in their matte softness. Each bottle is topped with a ridged plastic cap, a deliberate choice that combines durability and modernity with traditional aesthetic refinement. Berger herself emphasized the significance of this choice: “The distinctive packaging marries the tradition of French high perfumery with modern technology. Plastic,” she noted, “is a 20th century material.” The combination of frosted crystal and innovative plastic reflects a thoughtful balance between timeless elegance and contemporary practicality, making the bottles both beautiful to behold and functional for daily use.
Product Line:
5A Deodorant: The 5A Deodorant reflects Berger’s commitment to high-quality, natural formulations. Powered by the 5A complex, this plant-based deodorant provides remarkable freshness and reliable protection while delivering a lightly perfumed, indulgent scent. Its appeal lies in its simplicity: a deliberately natural, non-revolutionary product whose quality makes it a true classic. Lightweight, effective, and subtly fragrant, it blends practicality with elegance, ensuring everyday use without compromise.
Les Coeurs: Les Coeurs focuses on the purest, most concentrated part of a blossom: the heart of the flower. Through a meticulous distillation process, these essential oils capture the extraordinary depth and long-lasting intensity of each bloom, offering a fragrance quality that is exceptional and unmatched. Each note is true to the flower’s essence, creating a perfume that feels vibrant, alive, and intimately connected to nature. The precision in this process ensures that the scent is not just pleasant, but profoundly expressive and enduring.
Floating Soap: The Perfumed Floating Soap combines playful innovation with sensory pleasure. Its most enchanting feature is invisible: with every use, the soap’s fragrance intensifies, rewarding repeated contact with a growing olfactory richness. The second, immediately practical feature is its buoyancy: the soap floats, making it easy to locate and adding a touch of whimsy to the bathing experience. Together, these qualities turn a simple soap into a luxurious ritual, combining practicality with heightened enjoyment of scent.
Mousse de Parfum: The Mousse de Parfum is the first fragrance designed as a body perfume and beauty oil in one. This airy mousse nourishes and moisturizes the skin while enveloping it in an exquisite, long-lasting scent. Its lightweight texture allows the perfume to dress the entire body, leaving the skin soft, supple, and subtly perfumed. More than just a fragrance, it functions as a luxurious body care treatment, transforming everyday skin care into a sensorial experience.
Bain-Douche: The Bain-Douche, presented in an unbreakable bottle, offers a new dimension of gentleness. Acting as both a cleansing agent and a beauty treatment, its rich formulation combines skin-soothing qualities with essential oils, creating a velvety texture that pampers the body. Each use releases a generous veil of perfume, turning a simple bath or shower into a luxurious, aromatic ritual. By blending care, fragrance, and indulgence, Bain-Douche exemplifies Berger’s philosophy of innovation in scent and body care.