Paloma Picasso

Paloma Picasso is the personal fashion and fragrance brand of Anne Paloma Ruiz-Picasso y Gilot, born in Paris in 1949 and known professionally as Paloma Picasso. A French designer and jewelry creator who began her career in costume design in 1968, she became widely recognized for her bold work for Tiffany & Co. before extending her name to fragrance.

Her first perfume, Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum, was launched in 1984 in collaboration with perfumer Francis Bocris. Often simply referred to as Paloma Picasso, it is a powerful chypre fragrance featuring citrus top notes such as bergamot and lemon, floral nuances including hyacinth and ylang-ylang, and a complex mossy-woody base. Multiple sources describe this 1984 release as one of the key chypres of its era, designed, in Paloma Picasso’s own words, for “strong women like herself.”

Subsequent launches during the 1980s and 1990s expanded the line to a small but focused collection, always tied closely to her fashion and jewelry identity. Production and distribution of Paloma Picasso fragrances have been handled under license by L’Oréal, situating the brand alongside major designer labels while maintaining a comparatively compact catalog.

Today, Paloma Picasso perfumes are primarily associated with that original 1984 signature scent, which has remained in circulation for decades. The line attracts wearers who appreciate assertive, classically structured compositions rather than sheer or minimalist styles, and it continues to be rediscovered by new fans through vintage reviews and specialist retailers.