ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré Le Premier Parfum by Coolife + Tous Dans La Famille Draw

Carole Beaupre Pauline Rochas

Carole Beaupré and Pauline Rochas creators of Le Premier Parfum by Coolife

Profile: Pauline Rochas – As​ the granddaughter of Helene & Marcel Rochas, I had a privileged upbringing growing up steeped in the legacy of ROCHAS, a family with luxurious traditions.  My two grandmothers were my biggest inspirations: Helene Rochas and Denise Boyriven,​both true beauties – intelligent, generous and charming, both had exquisite manners and respect for people.  Both embodied grace and their spirits still lingers in my life everyday. 

  DeniseBoyrivenintheFrenchRiviera

Pauline's grandmother Denise Boyriven La Lézardiere French Riviera

I was born in Paris. In my childhood, my grandmother would always have me smell her latest creations, taking ​me to the House of Rochas​ and​ introducing​ me to classic and modern ballets: with performances from her choreographer friends William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins.  She would take me to L’Opera Bastille, L’Opera Garnier and Le Chatelet.​

helene rochas

Madame Hélène Rochas

​S​he introduced me to classical music, to Maria Sallas’s voice (her dearest friend), to books from Patrick Modiano and classics from Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky,  her house was like a museum and ​she always loved collecting art, meeting new artists, and was a true visionary. 

Marcel Rochas et Helene Rochas behind the scenes at the House of Rochas

Marcel Rochas et Helene Rochas behind the scenes at the House of Rochas

She was o​ne of the first to believe in Warhol and ​was one of ​Yves Saint Laurent's first c​lients​.  Her art collection included paintings from masters​ such as Kandinsky, Balthus, Warhol, Dali, Ben Nicholson’s, Georges Braque, Edouard Vuillard, to sculptures from Giacommetti, Les Lalannes, and ​Edouard Marcel Sandoz.

Hélène Rochas in a dress designed by Marcel Rochas in 1934

Hélène Rochas in a dress designed by Marcel Rochas in 1934

Helene Rochas personified​ Parisian Elegance to perfection. She was a strong influence on the worlds of fashion, art and design. She was also ​France's first female woman CEO at the helm of the House of Rochas.

Interior from Helene Rochas's home2 in the 7th arrondissement in Paris

Interior from Helene Rochas's home2 in the 7th arrondissement in Paris

​Growing up, ​I spent half of my Summers in Bordeaux,​ where my dad ​had a chateaux with his own label, running around the vineyards, picking up wild blackberries, plums, figs, smelling varieties of roses, picking up local vegetables and fruit, and getting lost in the pine tree forest.  I spent the other half of my summer in the Mediterranean Sea in the South of France at my grandmother’s… swimming, boating, and ​fishing. Her house was surrounded by luscious,​ colorful,​ flower gardens, where she grew Gardenias, Jasmine, frangipani, and passion fruit flowers — more precisely in L’Esterel Les Rochers Rouges near Pierre Cardin famous House of Bulles.

Hélène Rochas in her New York Apartment in the Olympic Tower

Hélène Rochas in her New York Apartment in the Olympic Tower

My grandmother’s home was even  featured in a James Bond movie!  We used to pick up fresh flowers, make incredible bouquets, and then paint still-lifes of them. We picked verbena, mint and made tisanes and would wake up  in the middle of the night to  the intoxicating scents of  Night Blooming Jasmine, Moon Flowers which only give up their aromas. I always was drawn to nature and smell.

Portrait of Helene Rochas by Andy Warhol

Portrait of  Hélène Rochas by Andy Warhol

I was fortunate to have parents who loved to travel around the word: from Morocco, Bali, Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Greece, Turkey, where I would be exposed to different cultures, landscapes, colors and odors.  My first experience playing with raw materials was coming back From Marrakech where I had bought musk, amber, incense in the souk (market). I crushed it and tried to blend it.  ​I moved​ to NY to study photography. I met Carole Beaupré in 1996 and we both discovered that we shared a love of design, fine art, music, and photography. We are both perfectionists who share a refined taste, a wry sense of humor and a visual sensibility that centers on classic compositions and boundary-breaking concepts.

Ms Mal, 2013 © Coolife - Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré

Ms Mal, 2013 © Coolife – Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré

Carole Beaupré:  I was born in Rimouski Quebec. After my father died, my mother and I moved to Montreal, and I became extremely connected with the 5th Dimension.  I always enjoyed music; it was my way of escaping the sad reality of the death of my father. I used to sing all the time, it made me happy and​ I almost made a career of it.   Later in life,​ I picked up the violin and I must say that it’s still my favorite instrument.  I still play when I feel blue. I moved to New York City thirty years ago and I knew deep inside that I belonged​ here. 

Bal Masqué Bat Mask Helene Rochas2 Bal de Monaco

Bal Masqué Bat Mask Helene Rochas Bal de Monaco

I met Pauline years later and together we started Coolife Studio a photographic studio located, at the time, in the West Village.  After many years of ​taking pictures for luxury brands -​ and ​with ​Pauline​'s​ grandmother​ Helene Rochas as an​ inspiration – we decided to come out with our own perfume.  It all began right after Helene passed away; my connection to the other dimension was guiding us in direction of making parfum. After spending some time at an ashram in ​upstate NY, I was struck by the idea of harnessing the power of scent to help people open and balance their chakras. We started researching which essential oils are associated with each chakra. In a very organic and spiritual way everything fell into place and began to make sense.  We met and assembled our team within a month: our scents are made America by a French team – the designer and our noses are all French! – which we love and feel is so appropriate.

Carole & Pauline at Takasago smelling new trials with Patricia Choux

Carole & Pauline at Takasago smelling new trials with Patricia Choux

On American Perfumery: For us,  American Perfumery is about using the power of scent as a means of artistic expression – it is also about having a story and unique concept.  Our brand is all about helping people balance all their chakras though luxurious essential oils.  The power of scent on our bodies is undeniable. When our seven chakras open and flow together, we are whole.  Each fragrance in our collection uses the power of scent to stimulate and refine one of our seven chakras, the energy nodes through which prana, our lifeforce, courses. It is been an incredible journey and learning experience.  We are happy to see that our perfume works the way we intended it to, people come back to us sharing personal stories of how they feel when wearing our fragrances – they say that their chakras are opening. 

Cy Twombly in Fulton Street Studio. Robert Rauschenberg, New York 1954

Cy Twombly in Fulton Street Studio. Robert Rauschenberg, New York 1954

Favorite American Artist:  PAULINEI am a purist, minimalist,  I love  everything B&W, modern, abstract paintings, shapes, forms, space, textures, light.  I am drawn to the art of Cy Twombly. There are so many that have influenced me including Baquiat  to Pierre Soulages and I have a strong love for interior design.

rams head with hollyhock georgia o keefe

Ram's Head and White Hollyhock Georgia O'Keefe 1935

CAROLE: Georgia O'Keeffe Year: 1930-  Skyscrapers, skulls or *ahem* flowers, O'Keeffe used the same technique to picture them all. She enlarges the subject to the edges of the frame, resulting in a fully frontal, oversized depiction. Anything O'Keeffe thus captures takes on a totemic quality: it is to be worshipped.  I am inspired with Georgia’s work; her paintings of enlarged flowers, her lines are sensual, organic. I can almost smell their delicate parfum. Jackson Pollack and Basquiat are also strong influences.  Pollock famously worked with the canvas on the floor, using any means necessary to muscle paint around. Pollock admitted that these seemingly abstract “drip” paintings were sometimes representational, adding that “when you're working out of your unconscious, figures are bound to emerge.” Let me translate that for you: look at something long enough and see…That also inspired me. I also drip and create painting to relax, I just love creating and sharing it with everybody.

Pauline Rochas and Carole Beaupré, founders and creators of Le Premier Parfum by Coolife

Editor’s Note: Le Troisieme Parfum launches at Osswald Boutique Thursday October 1, 2015 Event, 6-8pm, 311 West Broadway, NY, NY. Perfumer Patricia Choux, now at MANE, is the nose for the fragrances and Marc Atlan worked closely with Pauline and Carole on the packaging design.

Thanks to the generosity of Pauline Rochas and  Carole Beaupré   and we have a US registered  (you must do this folks) reader’s choice of 50 ml ($175) of

LePremierParfumbyCoolife

 Le Premier Parfum,

 Or

Packshotledeuxiemeparfum

Le Deuxieme Parfum

Or

 le troisieme parfume coolife

The new Le Troisieme Parfum

To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Pauline Rochas’ and Carole Beaupré’s path to perfumery and your choice of fragrance should you win. You can follow Coolife Studio on Facebook here and on instagram @BYCOOLIFE Draw closes October 4, 2015

Please like CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery and your entry will count twice.

 We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

 

 

 

 

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17 comments

  • davisbrandao says:

    Well, about Pauline, it is fascinating to have the name Rochas…beautiful perfumes are part of her name..And about Candice, it is nice to see that she is a true artist, and is now sharing her gifts in perfume forms. I would love to try Le Deuxieme

  • What a fascinating legacy! I love that the combination of visual and spiritual elements inspires both artists, and that their collaborative work echoes this unity. I’m especially interested in
    LE TROISIÈME PARFUM, based on the notes described. US resident — thank you for the review (and the photos are truly stunning!).

  • Jennifer Witt says:

    I was fascinated by the how this duo is incorporating the storied legacy of ROCHAS into the updated, modern world. The collaboration of the visual with the olfactory is intriguing! I would love to try Le Troisieme, the notes sound fabulous. I live in the US. Thanks!

  • Nice article ! I like how Pauline and Carole describe their brand: “Each fragrance in our collection uses the power of scent to stimulate and refine one of our seven chakras…”

    Le Troisieme Parfum sounds intriguing. Would be really nice to try.
    Thanks for the opportunity! USA

    liked FB page

  • I very much enjoyed Carole’s paragraph on her favorite artists. And Pauline has the memories of being a child and smelling her grandmother’s latest creations.
    Le Troisieme is the one I’d like for the win. US

  • Both women have interesting stories and I was pleased that both came to perfume creating from other arts. I believe that creating perfumes is fine art and beautiful perfumes are timeless! My choice would be Le Premier Parfum. USA

  • fazalcheema says:

    It is difficult not to be impressed by Pauline’s childhood experiences and it is nice to know Pauline realizes she has been quite fortunate in life. Carole and Pauline might have come from quite different countries and backgrounds but their mutual love and interests inspired them to start a business together. Pauline is from France and Carole is from Canada but now they are based in the US which is interesting. thanks for the generous draw and all the best in your new venture. my choice will be Le Premier Parfum.

  • The stories we tell give meaning to our lives. Storytelling is a powerful presence in the artistic path and work of Pauline and Carole. Their artwork, both visual and fragrant, makes me want to know more.

    Thank you for sharing this fascinating family history. Grandmothers are so important! I would enjoy trying Le Deuxième Parfum.

  • What interesting lives these two have led!!
    I appreciated how they saw the power of scent as a means of artistic expression.
    I would enjoy experiencing Le Troisieme Parfum, both for the notes and the chakra that it is linked to.
    I am in the U.S.

  • I am a registered US reader and I would love to try le Troisieme Parfum, as I love cardamom and jasmine. What intrigued me about their artistic path is how painting, herbalism, energy healing through chakra work, and perfumery interwove to create what sounds like a lovely, and useful line of perfumes.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Thank you so much fort the generous draw. Besides the famous Rochas pedigree, I was definitely just drawn in general to the fact that these two came together as a fragrance team! Usually you see one “artistic director” at the helm, and the idea of a duo is great. I would love to try Le Premier Parfum! Unisex with ylang and sandalwood sounds wonderful. I’m in the US.

  • The whole approach of chakras and Ayurvedic medicine is very fascinating. My chakra mostly falls into a pitta group that involves heat in the body. Aromatherapy also plays a major role in destressing the body and mind. Combining the two theories must instigate a new approach to fragrance making. I love they are still enabling the magic of French nose while the production is in America.
    I would,love to win The new Le Troisieme Parfum
    Thanks USA

  • Growing up surrounded by such art and fashion must have been exciting and surely inspiring. I enjoyed learning about Pauline and Carole and would like to win le troisieme parfum. The photos were amazing so glamourous. I love Andy Warhol and never knew he did a portrait of Hèlène Rochas until this article
    I liked both pages

  • tomate farcie says:

    That’s a lot of creativity. . . family, photo studio, perfume….but anyone who loves Cy Twombly is ok by me! I’m in the US and I would choose Le Troisieme. I liked Cafleurebon American Perfumery on facebook

  • Interesting upbringings. How cool would it be to be taken to the Rochas studio and smell all the beautiful fragrances. I love the inspiration of the two coming together. Photography, paintings, chakras, etc. all coming together into designing perfume. I went to website and read a bit deeper. Love the design and descriptions of each fragrance created. I kind of let my mind go and was drawn to the newest creation Le Torisieme. Lets see what happens. In the USA. Thanks for an interesting and great draw.

  • I always find scent memories fascinating. . The different varieties of roses, the pine tree forest, night blooming jasmine. But I’m also intrigued by the fragrances and how they correspond to and refine the chakras. I need le premier in my life, I would choose that one. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the US.