Jehanne Rigaud

Jehanne Rigaud is a French perfume company based in Le Bar-sur-Loup, a village in the Alpes-Maritimes a short drive from Grasse, the historic centre of French perfumery. The business was registered as Jehanne Rigaud Parfums, a limited company (SARL), in October 1981 [2], and operates as a small family firm with one to two employees on its payroll. It functions both as a contract perfume manufacturer and as the maker of its own niche fragrance line, which carries the Jehanne Rigaud name.

Many retailers describe the brand as founded in 1854 in Grasse [6], but that date belongs to a different house, Honoré Payan, with which Jehanne Rigaud became associated in 2002 [3]. The French business registry records the company's own creation date as 7 October 1981. The consumer-facing fragrance line under the Jehanne Rigaud name is more recent, with its earliest editions appearing around 2015 [5].

Jehanne Rigaud Parfums was entered in the French commercial registry in 1981 at its Le Bar-sur-Loup address in the Alpes-Maritimes. In 2002 it entered an arrangement with Honoré Payan, a Grasse perfumer dating to 1854. According to Honoré Payan's own account, the older house "associated" with Jehanne Rigaud Parfums to ensure its survival and to continue what it calls the authentic tradition of French perfumery [3]. The two share family ownership, a production site and operations rather than forming a clean takeover.

Management of the company has passed within the Gras family. Françoise Gras became its manager (gérante) in 2008, and Antonin Gras was registered as a manager in August 2023, alongside her [2]. The eponymous niche fragrance collection launched around 2015; the most recent additions recorded in the main fragrance databases date to about 2017 [5].

Jehanne Rigaud Parfums is privately held and run by members of the Gras family, who appear across its management and commercial roles. Since 2002 the company has been linked with Honoré Payan, a Grasse house founded in 1854 that was acquired by the Mureau family in 1954 and moved to Bar-sur-Loup [3]. The two brands share a building, family ownership and production methods. Honoré Payan describes the 2002 link as an association formed to keep the older Grasse brand alive, rather than an acquisition of one company by the other. Honoré Payan, rather than Jehanne Rigaud, maintains the dedicated brand website and social accounts that cover both names [4].

Jehanne Rigaud presents itself as an artisanal house working in the classical Grasse tradition rather than a mass-market line. Retailer copy attributed to the brand describes its fragrances as the product of "artisan artistry" based in Grasse, made with raw materials it calls of the highest quality and intended to produce strong sillage, the scent trail a perfume leaves behind [1]. Both Jehanne Rigaud and Honoré Payan are characterised as a small family operation where production is described as handmade. The positioning leans on Grasse heritage, handcraft and a continuation of traditional French perfumery.

The company's registered activity is the manufacture of perfumes and toiletry products, and it operates both as a contract manufacturer and under its own label. The Jehanne Rigaud line is a niche fragrance collection of eaux de parfum introduced from around 2015 [5]. Production is handled in the Grasse region of France, at the Le Bar-sur-Loup site the company shares with Honoré Payan. The fragrances are sold mainly through specialist niche-perfume retailers across several European countries, including Italy, France and Spain; the company does not appear to run its own direct-to-consumer store, while Honoré Payan sells through its own website [1].

The company remains legally active. French registry filings record turnover of about 453,900 euros for the 2024 financial year, up from roughly 415,900 euros in 2023, with one to two salaried employees [2]. New fragrance releases under the Jehanne Rigaud name appear to have slowed after about 2017 in the major fragrance databases, though production and distribution continue and a redesign of the line's packaging was visible through partner retailers. Day-to-day direction rests with the Gras family, with Françoise Gras as manager since 2008 and Antonin Gras since 2023.