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.
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.
Madame Hélène Rochas
She 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
She was one of the first to believe in Warhol and was one of Yves Saint Laurent's first clients. 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
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
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
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 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
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 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
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
Favorite American Artist: PAULINE– I 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.
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
Or
Or
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
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