Clubman (Clubman Pinaud)

Clubman, also marketed as Clubman Pinaud, is a men's-grooming and barbershop brand whose lineage traces to the Paris perfume house of Édouard Pinaud. The Clubman line of aftershaves, talcs, hair tonics and soaps is an American product range introduced around 1940 [4], built on a much older French heritage that the brand promotes as "over 200 years of grooming experience." Since 1987 the brand has been owned and operated by American International Industries (AII), a California-based company, and it remains in active trade today as one of AII's grooming submarks [4].

The brand presents two distinct stories that are easy to confuse: the 19th-century French perfumery that gives it its heritage, and the 20th-century American grooming line that carries the Clubman name.

⚑ Thinner sourcing. The article relies largely on the brand's own statements (T2–T3). Glowpedia is seeking independent sources.

The heritage of the brand begins with Édouard Pinaud (1810–1868), a businessman from Abbeville in northern France. Pinaud's company became known as The House of Ed. Pinaud and built its reputation on fragrances and grooming products for men and women.

The founding date is reported inconsistently. The brand and its affiliated editorial anchor the heritage to 1810 — Clubman Pinaud states it began "in 1810 with the opening of the House of Ed Pinaud in Paris" [5]. Wikipedia, however, records 1810 as Pinaud's birth year and dates the founding of the perfume house to 1830, when he purchased the shop "A la Corbeille Fleurie" at 230 rue Saint Martin in Paris [3]. In either case, the Clubman line and name itself is considerably younger than both dates, having launched in the United States around 1940 [4].

Under Pinaud and his successors, the house gained royal and imperial patronage. According to Wikipedia, Pinaud created the fragrance "Bouquet de la Reine Victoria" in 1855 and became an official supplier to Queen Victoria as well as to Emperor Napoleon III [3]. Editorial accounts add that he served as perfumer to the court of Napoleon III and created his first aftershave, Lilac Vegetal, for the Hungarian cavalry [4]. In 1900, Pinaud presented brilliantine — a perfumed, oil-based hair dressing — at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

After Pinaud's death in 1868, management passed first to his partner Émile Meyer and, in 1883, to Meyer's son-in-law Victor Klotz [3]. Under Klotz, the business reportedly sold more than 150,000 bottles of Eau de Quinine monthly, with the United States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba named as strong markets [4].

The American Clubman line of aftershave, talc, hair tonic, shampoo and soap appeared around 1940 [4]. In 1987, the Clubman brand was purchased by American International Industries [4].

Clubman is owned by American International Industries, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, which acquired the brand in 1987 [4]. AII positions Clubman within a family of grooming names it operates, describing itself as continuing the Pinaud legacy "under the Pinaud, Clubman, and Jeris brands" found in barbershops worldwide [4]. AII's wider portfolio also includes brands such as Ardell, Andrea, China Glaze, Seche and Surgi.

Clubman positions itself as a heritage grooming brand for barbershops, using the tagline "Barber Approved Grooming Products." The company says its aim is to help men "smell, look and feel their best," and it emphasises that "quality never goes out of style" — a message the brand frames as appealing both to longtime users and to younger consumers seeking nostalgic grooming. Affiliated editorial describes the range as "a true neighborhood barbershop staple" said to be found "in virtually every barber shop across the US" [5].

A recurring visual element is what the brand calls the "dapper Frenchman," a trademark figure Pinaud commissioned for the product labels that, by the brand's account, still serves as the unofficial face of Clubman.

The Clubman range spans shave products, after-shaves, barber sprays, beard care, hair tonics and styling products, and face and body items. Several products carry the brand's older French heritage forward. Lilac Vegetal, an aftershave the company describes as having a "crisp, masculine fragrance," and Eau de Quinine, a hair fragrance and tonic, both date to the Pinaud era. The Tres Flores (Three Flowers) line is presented as "the original brilliantine." The Clubman Original After Shave and the accompanying talc are among the products introduced with the American line around 1940 [4].

The brand is best described as acquired: an established heritage name that operates today as an active submark of American International Industries rather than as an independent company. It continues to trade, with a working e-commerce site running current 2026 promotions and listing in-stock product lines. Distribution centres on barbershops, primarily in the United States, with retail availability in several other markets including the Nordic region.