Fragrance house

Montana

Montana’s fragrance house grew from the fashion house of French designer Claude Montana, who established his own label in 1979 after presenting his first fashion show in 1975. The fragrance house launched its first scent, Parfum de Peau, in 1986. Claude Montana’s creative identity was marked by bold proportions, strong shoulders, architectural cuts, leather, and a combination of sophisticated and modern forms. In 1989, he became artistic director of Lanvin and received two consecutive Dés d’or awards for the 1990–1991 and 1991 collections. Montana was acquired on 24 February 2000 by Diana de Silva Cosmétiques of Italy’s Bracco Group, after its time within the Clarins group. Empire of Scents was created in 2008 by Philippe Benady and began by acquiring the Montana trademark and brand name for Class 3 products; Empire Of Scents SAS now operates the official website and sells Montana products. Parfum de Peau remains the clearest fragrance signature in the available record, described as a chypre with animalic and leathery inflections. Claude Montana died on 23 February 2024, aged 76; the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode described his influence as extending across a generation of designers.