FOUNDED BY MADEMOISELLE MONTANSIER MIDWAY THROUGH THE 18TH CENTURY, THE HOUSE SOON BECAME A FAVORITE AMONGST ARISTOCRATS AND NOBILITY, AND IN 1780 IT BECAME OFFICIAL PURVEYOR TO THE ROYAL COURT OF VERSAILLES.
In the second half of the eighteenth century, a Parisian brand called Fards Rouges & Blancs, founded by Mademoiselle Montansier, a famous French actress and businesswoman directing the plays for the Royal Court of Versailles, earned a reputation for the outstanding quality of its beauty products. In 1780, in recognition of the quality of its powders, makeup and perfumes, Queen Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI appointed the brand as a Supplier to the Royal Court of Versailles.
The brand would go on to supply the Court of Versailles all the way up until the French Revolution, which marked the end of the road for the country’s monarchy. Yet Mademoiselle Montansier was not to be deterred by what was a delicate period for Versailles and the wider nobility. The brand continued on its upward trajectory, and in doing so served to mirror the career of its owner, who would go on to manage a number of different establishments including the Théâtre des Beaujolais, the Théâtre du Palais Royal and the Théâtre des Variétés.
To further develop her business, Marguerite Montansier went into partnership with Jean-Marie Dorin, who would go on to acquire the Maison and rename it after himself in 1819. Blessed with a tireless work ethic and an unquenchable thirst for research, Dorin embraced La Montansier’s penchant for innovation and devoted himself to the manufacture of makeup products that were easy to use and risk-free. In 1884, the then-mayor of the first arrondissement of Paris, Hector Monin, became Dorin’s new director. He instilled the Maison with a more European – and even global – vision and dimension, going as far as to export its products to destinations throughout the American continent.
Dorin pursued its quest for unique products and left its mark on the history of modern perfumes with Un Air de Paris Montansier which had quickly become the capital’s must-have makeup product, Dorin launched in 1886 an eponymous perfume that would quickly earn the legendary status of its own. A unique scent created by an exquisite blend of iris, mandarin and white peach, with a powdery note, it would soon become the Maison’s most iconic fragrance.
In 1920 Dorin products could be found all over the world, with such an influence the word “Dorin” had come to mean “lipstick” in the USA and “white powder” in Japan. Furthermore, with its Pour Monsieur range, the Maison became one of the first brands to create a dedicated line of products for men.
Following several decades during which it seemed that the Maison had been lost to the world, in 1998 Bashar Nasri came to rescue and set itself the mission of waking this sleeping beauty with the remarkable back story.
THE MUSÉE DORIN
Musée Dorin is symbolically situated between Paris, the birthplace of Dorin, and the royal court of Versailles in a building dating back to the 1860s. Since 1998, the company that owns Dorin France Excellence has collected over 700 items and archive documents with a view to retracing the history of the Maison. Visitors can discover perfume bottles and makeup products designed for every part of the body, for Queens and Kings, for women and men, for stage actors, for residents of Paris and of cities all over the world.
For private visits please contact https://dorin.paris/
THE COLLECTIONS
Dorin Paris perfumes consist of six ranges that we had the immense honor to discover. All are handmade at the Dorin workshops, in the heart of the Pays de la Loire region of France.
The SCENTS OF VERSAILLES: A collection inspired by Dorin’s history and its intimate association with the Palace of Versailles. A range of five exquisite scents, each telling a story related to the rich heritage of the Maison and its place in French history.The timeless CLASSICS, whose shared history began with the birth of the Maison’s most iconic fragrance, Un Air de Paris, in 1886.
LES DORINES : The essence of the Maison Dorin. The most profound homage to Marguerite Brunet, the fabled Mademoiselle Montansier: a lady of the theatre, a lady of business. She brought Dorin to prominence by first introducing the Maison to the Court of Versailles in 1780, before later becoming director of live performances at the Court.
EAUX POUDRÉES: A collection that pays homage to the Maison’s historical association with make-up powders and blushers. Five floral, powdery fragrances created using the most iconic flowers to have influenced French traditions and fashion.
DORIN D’OR: The Maison’s signature collection. A selection of Dorin’s most exquisite fragrances is presented in golden bottles, like rare treasures, and housed in a sublime wood case.
ORIENTAL PERFUMES: The Dorin pallet is an aromatic mosaic colored in oriental shades. A bridge between two cultures, the Maison invents traditional oriental fragrances with a French twist. Subtle nuances that create a dreamy mural of an extraordinary journey. Lie back and let Dorin whisk you away on your own journey, deep into the heart of your senses.
WITHOUT A HISTORY, A PERFUME HAS NO SCENT
Most of these charming, bewitching and surprising fragrances can be purchased online through the Dorin Paris online boutique.
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