Norell (fragrance)

Norell
Fragrance by Norman Norell and Revlon
CategoryGreen Floral
Designed forWomen
Top notesPrimarily green hyacinth accord and galbanum
Heart notesPrimarily the carnation/clove scent of eugenol
Base notesPrimarily musk and sandalwood
Released1968 (1968)
LabelNorman Norell
Perfumer(s)Joséphine Catapano
Flanker(s)Norell II (1979)
SuccessorNorell New York (2015)
Awards1973 FiFi Award for Best Promotion

Norell is a green floral[1] fragrance that was released in 1968 by Norman Norell. It was a first American designer perfume: an early commercial success of a designer fragrance sold in department stores under the name of a fashion designer.

Norman Norell was friends with Revlon founder Charles Revson, and the Norell perfume was a joint venture of the two companies.[2] Its success encouraged Revlon to add a fragrance division to their company, beginning with Charlie (1973),[3] and led to other American fashion labels (such as Ralph Lauren, Halston, and Anne Klein) to release their own fragrances.[4][5]

Joint venture between Revlon and Norell

International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) developed this fragrance for Revlon. Charles Revson chose Norman Norell for the joint venture; he and his wife Lyn Fisher Sheresky Revson admired the designer's creations.[6][7]

Norell was launched with a tremendous party at Bonwit Teller after hours. Over 350 guests arrived for the fashion show, buffet, and supper dance that spilled across multiple floors in the store.[8] The fragrance was like the clothes in at least two aspects: it sported a plain label with just the designer's name in all-capital letters, and it was expensive, at $50 per ounce (equivalent to $480 in 2026).[9]

It grossed $1 million in sales in the first year (equivalent to $9.6 million in 2026).[10]

Fragrance

Joséphine Catapano at International Flavors & Fragrances created this fragrance[2] and said that this was her favorite of the scents she created.[11]

In 1966, she created the spicy green floral Fidji, with a structure inspired by Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps (1948).[12] Fidji in turn inspired many later perfumes, including Norell. Both fragrances share a green accord based on cis-3-hexenyl salicylate (which has a green, metallic, balsamic note),[13] and for Norell she added an accord of lilac and lily of the valley named Lyral.[2][14]

The fragrance has fresh, green top notes; spicy, floral middle notes; and mossy, woody base notes with an ambery drydown:[2][11][1]

  • Top notes: Primarily green hyacinth accord and galbanum; also aldehydes, bergamot, cardamom, coriander, lemon, mandarin, and narcissus
  • Middle notes: Primarily the carnation/clove scent of eugenol;[15] also cinnamon, iris, jasmine, rose, and ylang-ylang
  • Base notes: Primarily musk and sandalwood; also amber, cedarwood, moss, vetiver, and ylang-ylang

Other fragrances with strong green and hyacinth notes soon followed, including: Azzaro Azzaro (1975), Elizabeth Arden Cabriole (1977), Léonard Tamango (1977), Nicky Verfaillie Grain de Sable (1977), Charles Jourdan Vôtre (1978), Krizia K de Krizia (1981), Giorgio Armani Armani (1982), Nina Ricci Fleur de Fleurs (1982), and Chanel Cristalle (1993).[16]

Fragrance line extensions

  • Norell II (1979): A green, woody chypre[17]
  • Norell New York (2015): An update to the original fragrance, which kept the galbanum note but added fruity top notes, different floral middle notes, and a new orris butter base note[18]
    • Norell Elixir (2016): Floral, woody flanker to the 2015 reformulation[19]
    • Norell Blushing (2017): Damask rose flanker to the 2015 reformulation[19]

Ownership timeline

  • 1968: Launched by Norman Norell and marketed by Revlon.[2]
  • 1971: Norell sold their share of the rights to Revlon for about $1.25 million (equivalent to $10.3 million in 2026).[11]
  • 1989: Norell was moved to Revlon's Prestige Fragrances division, an umbrella for their luxury and designer fragrances.[20]
  • 1995: Norell Fragrance Group, a private investor group led by Dennis Schnur, bought the Norell rights from Revlon.[21]
  • 1997: Five Star Fragrance bought the rights from Norell Fragrance Group and reintroduced the fragrance at Neiman Marcus counters with the "Undeniably Glamorous" ad campaign with Faye Dunaway.[11][22]
  • 2015: Parlux Fragrances acquired the Norell fragrances. Perfumer Celine Barel at International Flavors & Fragrances updated the fragrance, which was launched as Norell New York (2015).[23] They would later add flankers: Norell Elixir (2016) and Norell Blushing (2017).

References

  1. 1 2 Herman, Barbara (2013). Scent & Subversion: Decoding a century of provocative perfume. Connecticut: Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-4930-0201-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Edwards, Michael (2024). American Legends: The evolution of American fragrances. Nice, France: Exigence Puissance 3. ISBN 978-0-6454839-0-1.
  3. ↑ Ginsberg, Steve (December 24, 1989). "Perfume Wars and the Smell of Success". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017.
  4. ↑ Weil, Jennifer (June 4, 2024). "Curious to Learn the Inside Scoop About Iconic American Fragrances? There's a New Book for That". Women's Wear Daily. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024.
  5. ↑ ProQuest 231268169
  6. ↑ Hirschberg, Lynn (December 31, 2011). "Lyn's Lost World". W Magazine.
  7. ↑ Nemy, Enid (August 25, 1975). "Charles Revson of the Revlon Empire Dies". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ Knickerbocker, Suzy (October 11, 1968). "Suzy Says: A 'Night' for Norell". Chicago Tribune.
  9. ↑ Graham, Rubye (October 16, 1968). "The smell of success". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  10. ↑ Bender, Marylin (February 27, 1972). "Revlon: One‐Man Show". The New York Times.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Tannen, Mary (February 25, 2001). "Inside Whiff; Mink Dew". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ Belim, Victoria (March 24, 2011). "Fragrances That Influenced Perfume History". Bois de Jasmin.
  13. ↑ "cis-3-hexenyl salicylate". The Good Scents Company.
  14. ↑ "leerall / lyral (IFF)". The Good Scents Company.
  15. ↑ Belim, Victoria (July 6, 2020). "Carnations, Cloves, Eugenol : A Short History". Bois de Jasmin.
  16. ↑ Anonis, Danute Pajaujis (December 1985). "Hyacinth in Perfumery" (PDF). Perfumer & Flavorist. 10: 17–20.
  17. ↑ "Norell II Norell". Fragrantica.
  18. ↑ Cyk, Jayme (July 16, 2015). "Norell's Compelling Fragrance Comeback". Women's Wear Daily.
  19. 1 2 Reddinger, Paige (August 24, 2017). "Norell Launches Third Scent to the Norman Norell Fragrance Portfolio". Fashion Week Daily.
  20. ↑ "Norell by Norell (1968)". Cleopatra's Boudoir. October 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ "In Brief: Revlon Holdings". The Rose Sheet. November 13, 1995.
  22. ↑ ProQuest 270461988
  23. ↑ Cyk, Jayme (July 16, 2015). "Norell's Compelling Fragrance Comeback". Women's Wear Daily.
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