Charles of the Ritz
Charles of the Ritz is a former cosmetics brand known for its line of perfumes.
History
In 1916, hairdresser
In 1932, at the age of 24, Richard B. Salomon was named president of Charles of the Ritz, Inc. Twenty years later, he was elected chairman and chief executive officer. Salomon became known internationally as a businessman, philanthropist and humanitarian. He also served as chancellor of Brown University from 1979-88.
In 1935, Charles of the Ritz launched the highly successful Jean Naté line of body splashes and fragrance. They later acquired the cosmetics company Alexandra de Markoff.
Expansion
Charles of the Ritz expanded distribution from upscale salons into upper-end
In 1963, Ritz acquired 80% of the house of
Ownership changes
In 1972, Richard B. Salomon retired, and the company was acquired by
In 1977, Yves Saint Laurent Beaute launched
In 1986, Squibb sold the entire division back to Yves Saint Laurent for $500 million, who invested heavily in a new men's fragrance called Jazz. Jazz was not particularly successful and, coupled with the October 1987 market crash, Yves Saint Laurent sold Charles of the Ritz Incorporated (excluding Yves Saint Laurent Beaute) to
Under Revlon, the brand Charles of the Ritz began to slip in image and prestige. In 1991 they launched a line called Express, aimed at a more savvy customer. The brand became associated with mid-price stores like
Demise
Revlon shut down Charles of the Ritz in 2002.[1] Many of the former Ritz fragrances, such as Enjoli, are sold today under the Revlon name.
Fragrances
Below is a list of the house fragrances and their year of launch.
Fragrance name | Year of launch |
---|---|
A | 1927 |
B | 1927 |
c | 1927 |
Jean Naté | 1935 |
Spur | 1937 |
Tingle | 1938 |
Summertime | 1939 |
Wintertime | 1940 |
Love Potion | 1941 |
Spring Rain | 1941 |
Flower Show | 1942 |
Jester | 1944 |
Sea Shell | 1944 |
Soignee | 1944 |
Water Sprite | 1944 |
An English Garden | 1945 |
Damask | 1945 |
Little Women | 1945 |
Ritual | 1945 |
Baby Pink | 1947 |
Directoire | 1948 |
French Provincial | 1949 |
Floreal | 1950 |
Country Wedding | 1951 |
Ishah | 1954 |
Simone Mounir | 1957 |
Ritz (Classic) | 1972 |
Charles of the Ritz | 1977 |
Enjoli | 1978 |
Charivari | 1978 |
Aston | 1979 |
Senchal | 1981 |
Forever Krystle | 1984 |
Carrington | 1984 |
Xi'a Xi'ang | 1987 |
References
- ^ "Cosmetics and Skin: Charles of the Ritz (post-1936)". www.cosmeticsandskin.com. Retrieved 2020-07-06.