Albert Fouquet, the son of a Parisian aristocrat, was part of elite French society in the early twentieth century and a perfume connoisseur. In a room on the upperfloor of the family chateau, Fouquet created and perfected various essences for his own personal use – aided by Philippe, the family butler. At social events he would surprise everyone with an exquisite fragrance that became increasinglyin demand within the exclusive social circle he frequented. However, Fouquet continually rejected proposals to market his fragrance.
One night during his 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. His perfectionism extended not only to the fragrance but everything surrounding it. He didn’t fill the order until Philippe found some beautiful glass bottles in a Parisian pharmacy that Albert considered suitablefor his fragrance. 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 months later when he began receiving letters from America with requests from various Hollywood directors, producers, and actors such as Cary Grant and James Stewart. Everyone wanted the “EIGHT & BOB” fragrance 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 fragrance would not spread much further. In the spring of 1939, Albert died in an automobile accident near Biarritz (France). Philippe, 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 fragrance.
Decades later, the formula for “EIGHT & BOB” has been completely recovered, along with its carefully crafted production process. Once again, it has become one of the most exclusive fragrances, preferred by the world’s most elegant men and women.