One night during the summer vacation in 1937 on the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur), Albert met and got on very well with a young American student who was touring France in a convertible: John F. Kennedy. Within minutes of being introduced, J.F.K. was captivated by the essence that Albert wore.
John's charm and congeniality persuaded Albert to leave him a sample of his fragrance with a note at the hotel the following morning: "In this bottle, you will find the dash of French glamour that your American personality lacks."
On returning from his vacation, Albert received a letter from John in the U.S. thanking him for the kind gesture and informing him of the success his perfume was having among his friends.
He requested Albert to send him eight samples, "and if your production allows, another one for Bob".
Without fully understanding the request, Albert decided to send a box with sufficient samples to offset the transport costs.
He didn't fill the order until Philippe found some beautiful glass bottles in a Parisian pharmacy that Albert considered suitable for his fragance."
Finally, he ordered several boxes decorated with the same pattern as the shirt that J.F.K was wearing when they met, and then labeled the bottles and boxes with John's amusing request:"
"EIGHT & BOB"
Albert was surprised a few month later when he began receiving letters from America with requests from various Hollywood directors, producers, and actors such as Cary Grant ans James Stewart.
Everyone wanted the "EIGHT & BOB" fragance they had apparently discovered through John's father, who had maintained relationships with well-known stars because of his previous business ventures in the movie industry.
Unfortunately, the success of his fragance would not spread much further. In the spring of 1939, Albert died in an automobile accident near Biarritz (France). Phillipe, the only person who could handle the orders, would only continue with the work for a few months, since the start of World War II forced him to leave his job with the Fouquet family. In the final shipments, Philippe hid the bottles inside books that he carefully cut by hand to prevent the Nazis from seizing the fragance.
Limited production
In January 1934, Albert Fouquet traveled to Chile at the invitation of the Italian ambassador. Besides enjoying the charms of the country, he took advantage of this trip to search the Andes for aromatic plants that would enhance his fragances.
He returned to Paris with several sprigs of "Andrea", the name Albert had given the plant whose extracts are the soul of his fragrance
"EIGHT & BOB".
Andrea is a wild and in short supply due to the altitude and limited area in which it grows; it can only be picked during the months of December and January. The plants gathered undergo a very exacting selection process in which only seven percent are chosen. This process ends between March and April, and only then is it known how many units of "EIGHT & BOB" can be bottled, and how many can be allotted to each country.
The story of Eight & Bob is based on a family story transmitted verbally over time. For its final narration, fictionalized facts and characters were introduced.