An exclusive cologne has its roots in an unlikely friendship across two continents, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan.
HERE’S a story about two gentlemen whose friendship unveiled a scent the world now knows as the exclusive cologne called Eight & Bob.
Albert Fouquet, the son of a Parisian aristocrat in the early 20th century, was also a perfumer. In one room on the upper floor of the family chateau, he created various essences for his personal use with the help of the family butler, Philippe.
Fouque would surprise guests at social events with an exquisite fragrance that became increasingly in demand but he refused to sell it.
One night in 1937 during his summer vacation on the French Riviera, Fouquet met a young American student who was touring France in a convertible: John F.K. Within minutes, the man who would be President of the United States, was captivated by the essence that Fouquet wore. Kennedy used his charm and congeniality to persuade Fouquet to leave him a sample of his cologne 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,” the note had said.
ONE FOR BOB
After his vacation, Fouquet received a letter from Kennedy, thanking him for the kind gesture and informing him of the success his perfume was enjoying among the latter’s friends.
Kennedy requested that Fouquet send him eight samples, “and if your production allows, another one for Bob”.
Without fully understanding the request, Fouquet 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, so he didn’t fulfil the order until Philippe found some beautiful glass bottles in a Parisian pharmacy that he considered suitable for his cologne.
Finally, Fouquet ordered several boxes decorated with the same pattern as the shirt that JFK was wearing when they met. He labelled the bottles and boxes with Kennedy’s amusing request: “Eight & Bob”.
AMERICAN REQUEST
Several months later, Fouquet was surprised when he began receiving letters from the United States with requests from various Hollywood directors, producers, and actors such as Cary Grant and James Stewart.
Everyone wanted the Eight & Bob cologne they had apparently discovered through Kennedy'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 cologne would not spread much further.
In the spring of 1939, Fouquet 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 cologne. It was only decades later that the formula for Eight & Bob was completely recovered, along with its carefully crafted production process.
ANDREA PLANT
In 1934 Fouquet travelled to Chile at the invitation of the Italian ambassador. Besides enjoying the charms of the country, he took advantage of the trip to search for aromatic plants that would enhance his fragrances.
He returned to Paris with several sprigs of “Andrea”, the name Fouquet had given the plant whose extracts are the soul of Eight & Bob. Andrea is a wild plant in short supply due to the altitude and limited area in which it grows and it can only be picked from December to January.
The plants gathered undergo a very exacting selection process in which only seven per cent 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 scent contains top notes of pink pepper, cardamom and lemon, middle of violet leaves, labdanum and dried wood and base notes of sandalwood, vetiver and amber.