Tabu by Dana

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Tabu
The Ladies' home journal (1948) (14763610124).jpg
Tabu by Dana in The Ladies' home journal (1948)
Fragrance by Dana
Released1931

Tabu by Dana is a women's fragrance created by French perfumer Jean Carles in 1931. [1]

Contents

Origins

The House of Dana was a perfumery established in 1932 in Barcelona, Spain by lawyer Javier Serra. It was later headquartered in Paris.

In 1940, it relocated to the US during the German occupation of France during World War II. [2] Carles worked for Roure Bertrand, a company associated with fashion houses such as Nina Ricci, Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli and Cristóbal Balenciaga. [3]

In June 1999, Dana Perfumes Corp.'s parent company, Renaissance Cosmetics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, [4] and would be sold to Dimeling, Schreiber & Park in August 1999, rebranding as New Dana Perfumes. [5] New Dana Perfumes would later sell all of its brands, including Tabu, to a similarly named company called Dana Classic Fragrances in November 2003. [6] IMG Holdings, the parent company of Dana Classic Fragrances, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2025. [7]

Ingredients

Carles used an exceptionally high dose of patchouli (10%), which he combined with clove (carnation), oak moss and benzoin (vanilla effect). Other notes include Bergamot, Neroli, Orange, Coriander, Narcissus, Clover, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Civet, Amber, Musk. Supposedly Dana told Carles to "make a perfume a prostitute would wear". It was one of the first "oriental" scents created in the perfume world and one of the heaviest. It was the inspiration for the later orientals Tuvara (1948) and Youth Dew (1951). [8]

Advertising

Prinet - Kreutzer Sonata painting used in advertising Tabu Prinet - Kreutzer Sonata.jpg
Prinet - Kreutzer Sonata painting used in advertising Tabu

The long-running print advertisement of Dan's Tabu reproduced the 1901 painting The Kreutzer Sonata by René-Xavier Prinet, inspired by the novella of the same title by Leo Tolstoy, showing a violinist, overcome with passion, breaking off his performance to embrace his female accompanist. The advertisement's tagline was "Tabu, the forbidden fragrance". [9] [10] People looked at the advertisement and linked the embracing couple with the fragrance. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Rhind, Jennifer Peace (2014). "4. Perfume: the transcendence of the sweet life". Fragrance and Wellbeing: Plant Aromatics and Their Influence on the Psyche. London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon. p. 121. ISBN   978-0-85701-073-5.
  2. ↑ Reports of the Tax Court of the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1966. pp. 107–136.
  3. ↑ "Jean Carles (1892-1966)" . Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  4. ↑ "RENAISSANCE GOES INTO CHAPTER 11". Women's Wear Daily. 4 June 1999. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "New Dana Perfumes". Happi. 14 November 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "New Dana Plans to Sell Scent Brands". Women's Wear Daily. 21 November 2003. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Singh, Riya (12 August 2025). "Iconic Perfumes Faces Uncertain Future as Parent Company Enters Chapter 11". WhatNow. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "Tabu". Dana Classic Fragrances. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Moro, Pamela A. (2018). Violins: Local Meanings, Globalized Sounds. Routledge. ISBN   978-0-429-88719-2.
  10. ↑ Hill, Daniel Delis (2002). Advertising to the American Woman, 1900-1999. Ohio State University Press. p. 132. ISBN   978-0-8142-0890-8.
  11. ↑ California Highway Patrolman. California Association of Highway Patrolmen. 1960. p. 27.
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