Page 17 - The Brand 2019

A VISIONARY MAN WITH GREAT PANACHE, ARMAND PETITJEAN
LANCÔME’S STORY IS A TALE OF RADIANT ELEGANCE, OF A CERTAIN CONCEPT OF FRENCH BEAUTY MADE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD.
Lancôme was born in 1935, the brainchild of a flamboyant and stylish gentleman, Armand Petitjean.
Short in height but tall in stature, Armand Petitjean took meticulous care of his moustache and pointed beard, and was always faultlessly attired in pastel-coloured shirts with white collar and cuffs. Unfailingly courteous, he would take off his hat to any passing employee, but his eyes - an innocent sky-blue gaze when he wanted to charm someone - could change into a steely gaze, in an instant.
He always seemed to be guarded, self-controlled, utterly concentrated on the task he had set himself. He was also a man of great courage, taking risks when needed.
Last but not least, he was a great esthete and gourmet, widely renowned for his Sunday lunches.
When he founded Lancôme in 1935, he was already fifty years of age, had had several careers, in several countries, and had left several lives behind him. Those past experiences would greatly influence the development of the brand’s identity; in particular, he would never forget South America, where he had long worked as an importer of manufactured goods from Europe; nor would he ever forget his achievements at the French Foreign Office.
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